Professional peaks for Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Joni Mitchell and Rod Stewart: In 1971, popular music reached its peak.
On a recent flight to Alicante from the UK, I read a magazine article arguing that 1966 was the highest point in popular music. The evidence seemed airtight: Revolver, Pet Sounds, Blonde on Blonde, Fifth Dimension, each a landmark album and released the same year as featured offerings from The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones (and that was only in London) , with Groundbreaking music is also being made in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
During the plane trip I started to make a mental list of what I consider the best albums ever made: What’s Goin ‘On, Born To Run, Blue, Plastic Ono Band, Blood On The Tracks, Who’s Next, Rubber Soul, London Calling, Tapestry, and in doing so I realized how many were made in 1971. So without further ado here is the case that that year was the ‘annus mirabilis’ of rock music.
At first glance, 1971 is a strange year for rock. The Beatles had split up, there was no new Bob Dylan material, and constant staff changes had diverted The Beach Boys and The Byrds. But with What’s Goin ‘On, Marvin Gaye gave Motown its prime. More social commentary than sweet soul, the songs focused on downtown deprivation, brotherhood, and the mess that’s being made with the environment – the wonderful Marvin proves you can have a message and make great dance music. at the same time. Tapestry (Carole King) and Blue (Joni Mitchell) are albums of incredible maturity and understanding of human emotions, while Every Picture Tells A Story is Rod Stewart at his most charming, funny, and moving form. The title track is a wonderful mix of eloquence and ramshackle rock with the killer second side (Maggie May, Mandolin Wind, (I Know) I’m Losing You, and Reason To Believe) on par with any side of an album ever recorded.
1971 also brought Sticky Fingers, an album of such arrogance and attitude that it could only have been recorded by the Rolling Stones, the best-recorded rock band on the planet with the sonic masterpiece that is Led Zeppelin IV, while on Muswell Hilbillies, King Kink Ray Davies features London sketches that 40 years earlier Graham Greene would have been proud of.
But the final word in this momentous year is for Rolling Stone Record Guide magazine, which says The Who’s Who’s Next “may well be the best rock record ever made.” If you agree with that statement (as I do), there is little else to add. As Del Trotter once said, “I don’t care what they say, you can’t beat The Who.”
When we landed in Alicante it was already decided, 1971 was the golden year. But waiting to show my passport I thought of 1969, and of Abbey Road, Tommy, Crosby Stills & Nash, Let It Bleed, Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Band, Dusty in Memphis, Led Zeppelin II …