Here’s a sampling of the BEST music ever made! Great albums from the 60s, 70s and 80s rock and pop released this week (and some related albums of note):
July 04
1972 ● David Ackles —— American Gothic ► Folk-Rock
1976 ● Neil Diamond —— Beautiful Noise ► Pop-Rock
1981 ● Mission Of Burma —— Signals, Calls, And Marches ► Post-Punk
1983 ● Yazoo —— You And Me Both ► Synth-Pop
1988 ● Kylie Minogue —— Kylie ► Dance-Pop
1994 ● The Prodigy —— Music For The Jilted Generation ► Electro-Industrial
1995 ● Brother Cane —— Seeds ► Hard Rock
1995 ● Foo Fighters —— Foo Fighters ► Grunge Rock
1995 ● Funkdoobiest —— Brothas Doobie ► Latino Rap
1997 ● Mogwai —— Ten Rapid (Collected Recordings 1996-1997) ► Cosmic Post-Rock
1999 ● Underoath —— Act Of Depression ► Heavy Metal/Christian Metal
2000 ● Jimmy Page And The Black Crowes —— Live At The Greek: Excess All Areas ► Blues-Rock
2005 ● Alice Cooper —— Dirty Diamonds ► Hard Rock
2006 ● Various Artists —— The Best Of Miami Vice [Sndtrk] ► Pop-Rock
2006 ● Johnny Cash —— American V: A Hundred Highways ► Trad Country/Americana
2011 ● Blondie —— Panic Of Girls ► New Wave Pop-Rock
July 05
1958 ● Ray Charles —— Ray Charles At Newport ► Soul
1965 ● The Beach Boys —— Summer Days (And Summer Nights!) ► Pop-Rock
1966 ● The Beach Boys —— Best Of The Beach Boys ► Pop-Rock
1968 ● Tyrannosaurus Rex —— My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows ► Psychedelic Folk
1968 ● Creedence Clearwater Revival —— Creedence Clearwater Revival ► Folk-Rock
1969 ● Cass Elliott —— Bubblegum, Lemonade, And… Something For Mama ► Bubblegum Pop
1972 ● Frank Zappa —— Waka/Jawaka ► Art Rock
1974 ● Bryan Ferry —— Another Time, Another Place ► Prog. Rock
1976 ● The Beach Boys —— 15 Big Ones ► Pop-Rock
1983 ● Suicidal Tendencies —— Suicidal Tendencies ► Punk Metal
1984 ● Billy Squier —— Signs Of Life ► Hard Rock
1993 ● U2 —— Zooropa ► Alt. Pop-Rock
1993 ● Björk —— Debut ► Alt Pop-Rock
1993 ● Smog —— Julius Caesar ► Alt Rock/Lo-Fi
1994 ● Hootie & The Blowfish —— Cracked Rear View ► Pop-Rock
1994 ● The Who —— Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B ► British Rock
1999 ● The Auteurs —— How I Learned To Love The Bootboys ► Glam Rock
2005 ● Iron Maiden —— The Essential Iron Maiden ► Heavy Metal
2005 ● Various Artists —— Music For Lonely Housewives ► Multiple Genres
July 06
1971 ● MC5 —— High Time ► Garage Rock/Proto-Punk
1971 ● Diana Ross —— Surrender ► Soul – Motown
1972 ● Emerson, Lake & Palmer —— Trilogy ► Prog Rock
1973 ● Steely Dan —— Countdown To Ecstasy ► Jazz-Rock
1973 ● Jethro Tull —— A Passion Play [UK] ► Prog Rock
1979 ● The B-52’s —— The B-52’s ► New Wave Pop-Rock
1981 ● Pat Benatar —— Precious Time ► Hard Rock
1984 ● The Jacksons —— Victory ► Soul/pop
1984 ● Public Image Ltd. —— This Is What You Want…This Is What You Get ► Post-Punk
1985 ● Heart —— Heart ► Album Rock
1986 ● Quiet Riot —— QR III ► Heavy Metal
1986 ● Supertramp —— The Autobiography Of Supertramp ► Prog/Art Rock
1987 ● Echo & The Bunnymen —— Echo & The Bunnymen ► Post-Punk
1987 ● Grateful Dead —— In The Dark ► Pop-Rock
1993 ● Akinyele —— Vagina Diner ► Dirty Rap
1993 ● Todd Rundgren —— No World Order ► Art Rock
1998 ● Miss Kitten & The Hacker —— Champagne ► Electro Pop
1999 ● Dokken —— The Very Best Of Dokken ► Heavy Metal
2013 ● New Order —— Live At Bestival 2012 ► Alt Pop-Rock
2018 ● Culture Club —— Tribes ► Pop-Soul
July 07
1969 ● Cream —— Best Of Cream ► Blues-Rock
1970 ● The Stooges —— Fun House ► Proto-Punk
1970 ● Ben E. King —— Rough Edges ► Soul
1972 ● Jimmy Cliff —— The Harder They Come [Sndtrk] ► Pop-Reggae
1973 ● Barry Manilow —— Barry Manilow I ► AM Pop
1974 ● Elvis Presley —— Elvis: As Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis ► Adult Contemporary
1977 ● Styx —— The Grand Illusion ► Prog/Art Rock
1977 ● Yes —— Going For The One ► Prog Rock
1979 ● Golden Earring —— No Promises…No Debts ► Hard Rock
1984 ● David Sylvian —— Brilliant Trees ► Ambient
1986 ● Steve Winwood —— Back In The High Life ► Album Rock
1986 ● David Lee Roth —— Eat ‘Em And Smile ► Hard Rock
1987 ● Eric B. and Rakim —— Paid in Full ► Hardcore Rap
1987 ● Laura Branigan —— Touch ► Dance-Pop
1987 ● Hoodoo Gurus —— Mars Needs Guitars ► Alt. Power Pop
1987 ● k. d. lang —— Angel With A Lariat ► Alt Country Rock
1987 ● Los Lobos —— By The Light Of The Moon ► Roots Rock
1987 ● Dwight Yoakam —— Hillbilly Deluxe ► Alt Country-Rock
1988 ● Iggy Pop —— Instinct ► Alt. Rock / Punl
1991 ● Robert Fripp —— Show Of Hands ► Art Rock
1991 ● Frank Zappa —— Beat The Boots ► Art Rock
1992 ● Dream Theater —— Images And Words ► Heavy Metal/Progressive
1992 ● Kansas —— Live At The Whisky ► Prog/Arena Rock
1997 ● Against All Authority —— Against All Authority ► Ska-Punk
1997 ● Dropkick Murphys —— Boys On The Docks ► Punk Rock
1998 ● Barenaked Ladies —— Stunt ► AA Pop-Rock
2005 ● Ringo Starr —— Choose Love ► Pop-Rock
2006 ● Jeff Beck —— Live At B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill ► Instrumental Rock
2008 ● Ringo Starr —— Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Live 2006 ► Pop-Rock
2009 ● Berlin —— All The Way In ► L. A. Synth-Pop
July 08
1968 ● Duster Bennett —— Smiling Like I’m Happy ► Blues-Rock
1969 ● Canned Heat —— Halleujah ► Folk-Rock
1981 ● The Go-Go’s —— Beauty And The Beat ► New Wave Pop-Rock
1986 ● Ministry —— Twitch ► Industrial Metal
1987 ● Pete Townshend —— Another Scoop ► Prog Rock
1996 ● Zard —— Today Is Another Day ► Pop-Rock
1997 ● The Call —— The Best Of The Call ► New Wave Alt. Pop
1997 ● Emperor —— Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk ► Heavy Metal/Black Metal
2000 ● Midnight Oil —— The Real Thing ► Alt. Pop-Rock
2003 ● David Lee Roth —— Diamond Dave ► Hard Rock
2008 ● Heart —— Playlist: The Very Best Of Heart ► Album Rock
2013 ● Jane’s Addiction —— Live In NYC ► Alt. Rock
2013 ● Warren Zevon —— Headless In Boston ► Pop-Rock
2014 ● Jerry Garcia Band —— Garcia Live Volume Four ► Roots Rock
2014 ● John Mellencamp —— Performs Trouble No More Live At Town Hall ► Roots Rock
2016 ● Heart —— Beautiful Broken ► Album Rock
July 09
1983 ● Wham! —— Fantastic ► Pop-Rock
1984 ● Public Image Ltd. —— This Is What You Want…This Is What You Get [UK] ► Post-Punk
1984 ● Elton John —— Breaking Hearts ► Pop-Rock
1986 ● Billy Joel —— The Bridge ► Pop-Rock
1991 ● Meat Puppets —— Forbidden Places ► Alt. Rock
1992 ● The Samples —— Underwater People ► Alt. Pop-Rock
1994 ● Whitesnake —— Whitesnake’s Greatest Hits ► Arena Rock
1996 ● I Mother Earth —— Scenery And Fish ► Alt. Rock
1996 ● REO Speedwagon —— Building The Bridge ► Arena Rock
2002 ● Counting Crows —— Hard Candy ► AA Pop-Rock
2002 ● Styx —— At The River’s Edge: Live In St. Louis ► Prog/Art Rock
2013 ● Whitesnake —— Made In Britain/The World Record ► Arena Rock
July 10
1964 ● The Beatles —— A Hard Day’s Night [UK] ► Pop-Rock
1967 ● Otis Redding —— Live In Europe ► Memphis Soul
1967 ● The Bar-Kays —— Soul Finger ► R&B Soul/Horn Rock
1967 ● The Shadows —— Jigsaw ► Instrumental Rock ‘N’ Roll
1967 ● The Yardbirds —— Little Games ► Blues Rock
1969 ● Tim Buckley —— Happy Sad ► Folk-Rock
1971 ● Steppenwolf —— For Ladies Only ► Heavy Metal
1972 ● Cher —— Foxy Lady ► Pop-Rock
1972 ● Nilsson —— Son Of Schmilsson ► Folk-Rock
1972 ● Chicago —— Chicago V ► Jazz-Rock
1974 ● Parliament —— Up For The Down Stroke ► Funk
1979 ● The Kinks —— Low Budget ► British Rock
1981 ● The Korgis —— Sticky George ► Pop-Rock
1985 ● Tina Turner —— Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome [Sndtrk] ► Pop-Rock
1992 ● N.R.B.Q. —— Honest Dollar ► Roots Rock
1993 ● Zard —— Yureru Omoi ► Pop-Rock
2000 ● Coldplay —— Parachutes ► Alt. Rock/Brit Pop
2001 ● Jack Bruce —— Shadows In The Air ► Prog Rock/Fusion
2001 ● The Calling —— Camino Palmero ► Post-Grunge Alt. Rock
2001 ● Melissa Etheridge —— Skin ► Roots Rock
2007 ● Kool & The Gang —— Still Kool ► Funk
2007 ● Stephen Stills —— Just Roll Tape: April 26th, 1968 ► Folk-Rock
2007 ● Queen —— The A-Z Of Queen, Volume 1 ► Glam Rock
2015 ● Yes —— Like It Is: Yes At The Messa Arts Center ► Prog Rock
Regarding Steely Dan’s, “Countdown to Ecstasy,” what is your source for the release date of Friday, July 6, 1973? I’ve done quite a bit of research on this, going through old newspaper reviews, looking for old print ads, old Billboard charts, etc. and it does not seem to be a definitive release date. So where did you get the information that it was released on July 6, 1973. I appreciate your site and I thank you for your response in advance.