Lists

The year before punk broke, when rock's old guard made a strong, pressing stand.

They famously had three lead singers, but his unique style stood out.

In most cases, there weren't many – so every new LP tended to carry a little extra weight.

Their penchant for rock is baked right into that winkingly rhythmic name, but they were unplugging from almost the beginning.

He's been writing about conflict, poverty and general injustice for decades.

Founding members of Pink Floyd and Bad Company were among the stars we lost during the year.

They call it the world's most famous arena for a reason.

Many of these albums found artists making triumphant returns from long absences.

Rock and pop LPs found new ways of expression during the year. A revolution was right around the corner.

Here are some song selections — none of which are "Start Me Up" — that have done a proper job of getting the crowd ready to rock.