The Grammys - Album of the Year - 1970s

[RRA]

Better than the 80s AOTY line-up, very fascinating. We have several classic albums, 5 which made the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums list in the Top 100, with the SNF soundtrack coming close at #131.

The 70s were Stevie Wonder's decade at the Grammys, winning AOTY 3 in 4 years. The one year he didn't win at that time was because he didn't have a new album out which famously made Paul Simon thank Wonder for taking a break when he won.

I'm very fond of CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH because obviously I am a Beatles fan, but quite frankly it won because it was the first of its kind all-star celebrity charity concert and like so many others of its ilk to come, it would be haunted with inefficiently handling/delivering the money to the target needy. (Didn't help when Harrison's people forgot to register with the IRS for a tax exemption and that ) In fact the best moment of CONCERT imo is Billy Preston. Pure awesome. (The worst easily is coked up Eric Clapton really not sure where he is, much less what he's doing.) But no this won't get my vote if we're looking at this objectively.

Oh it's going to be tough for me to pick this one.

1970 - Blood, Sweat & Tears (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
1971 - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)
1972 - Tapestry (Carole King)
1973 - The Concert for Bangladesh (George Harrison & Friends)
1974 - Innervisions (Stevie Wonder)
1975 - Fulfillingness' First Finale (Stevie Wonder)
1976 - Still Crazy After All These Years (Paul Simon)
1977 - Songs in the Key of Life (Stevie Wonder)
1978 - Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)
1979 - Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Soundtrack (Bee Gees & other artists)

[City Lights]

Rumours & Tapestry are

[RRA]

Very tough choice, but I always suspected I would back up Wonder. Of those 3 albums, INNERVISIONS has my vote. His first album I owned (thank you Wal Mart bargain bin lol), and yeah its wonderful when to spin a universally-regarded classic and discover that yup, they're right.



EDIT - I can't believe I misspelled INNERVISIONS on the ballot. lol Do I have dyslexia?

[RRA]

BRIDGE and TAPESTRY both getting shut out so far completely surprises me.

[MrJeffery]

1. Songs in the Key of Life
2. Rumours
3. Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
4. Tapestry
5. Bridge Over Troubled Water
6. Innervisions
7. Fulfillingness' First Finale
8. Still Crazy After All These Years
9. Blood, Sweat & Tears
10. The Concert for Bangladesh

[Blasty]

I almost went with Tapestry. I kinda regret not voting for it, actually, but for me, the Bee Gees are undeniable. Those songs are just genius. And I must support Disco because if not me, then who?

Also, eh, Fleetwood Mac, yeah they have great some great songs, but even I find them kinda vanilla and milquetoast and I love shit like Barry Manilow and The Carpenters. Think Rumors is fine and popular and iconic but...I don't know...it doesn't really HIT me with much force as a pop record? I think it's their sound more than anything that is rather tame for me. The album has also been WAY too overplayed on radio which lessens it's impact - I mean, how many times can you hear Dreams - there's like nothing left of it it's been so overplayed.

Carol King is just CLASSIC for me and what she does on Tapestry is for me, truly timeless and still stirring all these years later. What a great artist and songwriter - just stunning career.

[Ben7]

For me, this is a 4 way race between Rumors, Tapestry, Songs In The Key of Life, and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I'm going to have to relisten to all of them before voting, but I'm thinking I might end up going with Rumors.

Its interesting, in 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears beat The Beatles' Abbey Road for Album of The Year. I kind of get the feeling if the latter had won that year, this poll would swing a completely different direction.

[Blasty]

Yes, Ben, without a doubt.

I mean, it's not like The Beatles won no grammys, but it still feels like they were criminally neglected. They should have DOMINATED. They got some hardware. But I mean, no RECORD of the year?!?!? Ever?!?! WTF.

[RRA]

Its interesting, in 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears beat The Beatles' Abbey Road for Album of The Year. I kind of get the feeling if the latter had won that year, this poll would swing a completely different direction.

Interesting looking up that 2 times in that decade the solo Beatles were up for AOTY. Paul was up in '75 for BAND ON THE RUN, and George in '72 for ALL THINGS MUST PASS. Both worthy nominations but unfortunately nobody was beating TAPESTRY or Stevie Wonder, even though those two albums are among the best solo Beatle records (and best 70s rock in general.)

What shocks me looking up wikipedia is that PLASTIC ONO BAND was snubbed a AOTY nomination. WTF? That's the best solo Beatles album.

I almost went with Tapestry. I kinda regret not voting for it, actually, but for me, the Bee Gees are undeniable. Those songs are just genius. And I must support Disco because if not me, then who?

You know I'm not a big disco fan, but the SNF album is a classic. I mean this was the best-selling movie soundtrack ever until THE BODYGUARD, and still one of the best ever produced. Nothing wrong by picking SNF. (Though I'm still surprised some people call it a Bee Gees album.)

Seriously one can't write about the late 70s pop music w/o the Bee Gees.

I mean, it's not like The Beatles won no grammys, but it still feels like they were criminally neglected. They should have DOMINATED. They got some hardware. But I mean, no RECORD of the year?!?!? Ever?!?! WTF.

Or the fact that the one time they win Song of the Year is for "Michelle." Which mind you is a pretty good song but (1) it would be the last song you would expect or guess if this was a JEOPARDY! question, (2) Obviously the intentional retro-throwback sound comforted the old white male voting body unlike "Eleanor Rigby" which frightened them or something, and (3) this is still not the most WTF Grammy snub regarding the Fab 4.

That would be "Eleanor Rigby" (along with other mid-60s pop classics in "Good Vibrations," "Last Train to Clarksville," "Cherish," and "Monday Monday") losing Best Rock & Roll Recording to...

[HoneyDarling]

Tapestry. No doubt. It's kinda funny since earlier today I was listening to the album.

[Kgirl]

Tapestry closely followed by Rumours and Songs in the Key of Life

[Gregory]

Bridge Over Troubled Water. It's the only one I still listen to.

[Kgirl]

Bridge Over Troubled Water. It's the only one I still listen to.

I clearly need to give this another chance then