The List of Lists 2012

You know the drill. Arbitrary lists palooza.

TOP 1970s ALBUMS
1. Television: Marquee Moon (Elektra '77)
2. Big Star: Third/Sister Lovers (PVC '78)
3. Wire: Pink Flag (Harvest '77)
4. The Clash: London Calling (Epic '79)
5. Stevie Wonder: Innervisions (Tamla '73)
6. Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings and Food (Sire '78)
7. The Clash (Epic '77)
8. The Velvet Underground: Loaded (Cotillon '70)
9. Patti Smith: Horses (Arista '75)
10. Big Star: Radio City (Ardent '73)
11. Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (Tamla '76)
12. Neil Young: Tonight's the Night (Reprise '75)
13. Parliament: Mothership Connection (Casablanca '76)
14. Brian Eno: Another Green World (Island '76)
15. Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (Epic '79)
16. Ramones (Sire '76)
17. Neil Young: Zuma (Reprise '75)
18. David Bowie: Lodger (RCA '79)
19. Marvin Gaye: Here, My Dear (Tamla '78)
20. Neil Young: On the Beach (Reprise '74)
21. Stevie Wonder: Fulfillingness' First Finale (Tamla '74)
22. Neil Young: After the Gold Rush (Reprise '70)
23. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (Apple '70)
24. The New York Dolls (Mercury '73)
25. Funkadelic: Let's Take It to the Stage (Westbound '75)
26. The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (Atlantic '71)
27. Wire: Chairs Missing (Harvest '78)
28. The Jam: All Mod Cons (Polydor '79)
29. Marvin Gaye: Let's Get It On (Tamla '73)
30. Blondie: Parallel Lines (Chrysalis '78)
31. The Beach Boys: Love You (Reprise '77)
32. Brian Eno: Before and After Science (Island '78)
33. David Bowie: Low (RCA '77)
34. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (Warner Bros. '77)
35. Neil Young: Time Fades Away (Reprise '73)
36. Funkadelic: Maggot Brain (Westbound '71)
37. John Cale: Paris 1919 (Reprise '73)
38. Patti Smith: Easter (Arista '78)
39. Curtis Mayfield: Superfly (Curtom '72)
40. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (Atlantic '72)
41. Big Star: #1 Record (Ardent '72)
42. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On (Tamla '71)
43. Leonard Cohen: Songs of Love and Hate (Columbia '71)
44. Sly & the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On (Epic '71)
45. The Flamin' Groovies: Shake Some Action (Sire '76)
46. Gang of Four: Entertainment! (Warner Bros. '79)
47. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (Factory '79)
48. Talking Heads: Fear of Music (Sire '79)
49. Paul Simon (Columbia '72)
50. Neil Young: Harvest (Reprise '72)
+ (because I can't fit them above but can't bear not mentioning them):
Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (Warner Bros. '79)
Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue (Reprise '77)

2002 ALBUMS
1. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch)
2. The Roots: Phrenology (MCA)
3. Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It in People (Arts & Crafts)
4. Pet Shop Boys: Release (Sanctuary)
5. The Mountain Goats: Tallahassee (4AD)
6. Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights (Matador)
7. The Extra Glenns: Martial Arts Weekend (Absolute Kosher)
8. Rilo Kiley: The Execution of All Things (Saddle Creek)
9. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Warner Bros.)
10. The Walkmen: Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone (Startime)
+
Red Hot Chili Peppers: By the Way (Warner Bros.)
Eels: Souljacker (DreamWorks)
Laura Cantrell: When the Roses Bloom Again (4AD)
Peter Gabriel: Up (Geffen)
Gus Gus: Attention (Underwater)

1992 ALBUMS
1. Leonard Cohen: The Future (Columbia)
2. Pavement: Slanted and Enchanted (Matador)
3. L7: Bricks Are Heavy (Slash)
4. R.E.M.: Automatic for the People (Warner Bros.)
5. XTC: Nonsuch (Virgin)
6. Madonna: Erotica (Maverick)
7. Television (Capitol)
8. Yo La Tengo: May I Sing with Me (Alias)
9. Lightning Seeds: Sense (MCA)
10. Lush: Spooky (4AD)
+
Catherine Wheel: Ferment (Fontana)
Peter Gabriel: Us (Geffen)
Deee-Lite: Infinity Within (Elektra)
Lou Reed: Magic and Loss (Sire)
INXS: Welcome to Wherever You Are (Atlantic)
Loudon Wainwright III: History (Charisma)

1982 ALBUMS
1. Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out the Lights (Hannibal)
2. King Sunny Ade: Juju Music (Mango)
3. Prince: 1999 (Warner Bros.)
4. Yaz: Upstairs at Eric's (Sire)
5. George Clinton: Computer Games (Capitol)
6. Mission of Burma: Vs. (Ace of Hearts)
7. Marvin Gaye: Midnight Love (Columbia)
8. Lou Reed: The Blue Mask (RCA)
9. Roxy Music: Avalon (Warner Bros.)
10. Peter Gabriel: Security (Geffen)
+
XTC: English Settlement (Epic)
The English Beat: Special Beat Service (I.R.S.)

1972 ALBUMS
1. Curtis Mayfield: Superfly (Curtom)
2. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (Atlantic)
3. Big Star: #1 Record (Stax)
4. Paul Simon (Columbia)
5. Neil Young: Harvest (Reprise)
6. Al Green: Let's Stay Together (Hi)
7. Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything (Bearsville)
8. Stevie Wonder: Talking Book (Tamla)
9. The Meters: Cabbage Alley (Reprise)
10. David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (RCA)
+
Miles Davis: On the Corner (Columbia)
Nick Drake: Pink Moon (Island)
Lou Reed: Transformer (RCA)
Funkadelic: America Eats Its Young (Westbound)
Stevie Wonder: Music of My Mind (Tamla)
O'Jays: Back Stabbers (Philadelphia Int'l)
Jimmy Cliff et al.: The Harder They Come OST (Mango)
Yoko Ono: Approximately Infinite Universe (Apple)
Roxy Music (Reprise)
Herbie Hancock: Crossings (Columbia)
Van Morrison: Saint Dominic's Preview (Warner Bros.)
Loudon Wainwright III: Album III (Columbia)

1962 SONGS
(An unscientific list; I want to do this more extensively in the future. As it stands, I'm positive I'm forgetting some majors and obscurities.)
1. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (Tamla)
2. Sam Cooke "Bring It on Home to Me" (RCA)
3. The Crystals "He's a Rebel" (Philles)
4. Roy Orbison "Working for the Man" (Monument)
5. John Lee Hooker "Boom Boom" (Vee Jay)
6. Sam Cooke "Twistin' the Night Away" (RCA)
7. Ray Charles "Unchain My Heart" (ABC)
8. Dion "The Wanderer" (Laurie)
9. Howlin' Wolf "Shake for Me" (Chess)
10. Marvin Gaye "Hitch Hike" (Tamla)
11. Chris Montez "Let's Dance" (London)
12. Roy Orbison "Dream Baby" (Monument)
13. Freddy Cannon "Palisades Park" (Swan)
14. The Impressions "Minstrel and Queen" (ABC)
15. The Everly Brothers "Crying in the Rain" (Warner Bros.)
16. Tommy Roe "Sheila" (ABC)
17. Mary Wells "You Beat Me to the Punch" (Motown)
18. Ben E. King "Don't Play That Song" (Atlantic)
19. The Crystals "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (Philles)
20. The Marvelettes "Beechwood 4-5789" (Tamla)
21. James Brown "Night Train" (King)
22. Dick Dale & His Del-Tones "Misirlou" (Deltone)
23. Muddy Waters "You Shook Me" (Chess)
24. Otis Redding "These Arms of Mine" (Volt)
25. Hank Locklin "We're Gonna Go Fishin'" (RCA)
26. The Isley Brothers "Twist and Shout" (Wand)
27. Dion "Ruby Baby" (Laurie)
28. The Marvelettes "Strange I Know" (Tamla)
29. Routers "Let's Go (Pony)"
30. The Impressions "Little Young Lover" (ABC)
31. Mary Wells "The One Who Really Loves You" (Motown)
32. Marvin Gaye "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" (Tamla)
33. Skeeter Davis "End of the World" (RCA)
34. Patsy Cline "She's Got You" (Decca)
35. Sam Cooke "Having a Party" (RCA)
36. Little Eva "The Loco-Motion" (Dimension)
37. Ray Charles "You Don't Know Me" (ABC)
38. The Beach Boys "Surfin' Safari" (Capitol)
39. Booker T & the MGs "Green Onions" (Stax)
40. Tornados "Telstar" (Decca)
41. The Marvelettes "Too Strong to Be Strung Along" (Tamla)
42. Sam Cooke "Little Red Rooster" (RCA)
43. Roy Orbison "The Crowd" (Monument)
44. Dion "Born to Cry" (Laurie)
45. Elvis Presley "Return to Sender" (RCA)
46. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles "I'll Try Something New" (Tamla)
47. Gene Chandler "Duke of Earl" (Vee Jay)
48. The Marvelettes "Playboy" (Tamla)
49. The Crystals "Uptown" (Philles)
50. Duane Eddy "Dance with the Guitar Man" (RCA)
The Beach Boys "409"
The Shirelles "Soldier Boy"
The Ventures "Lolita Ya Ya"
Roy Orbison "Leah"
Dee Dee Sharp "Mashed Potato Time"
The Beatles "Love Me Do"
Ray Charles "At the Club"
B. Bumble & the Stingers "Nut Rocker"
The Drifters "Up on the Roof"
The Beach Boys "Heads You Win, Tails I Lose"
Chubby Checker "The Twist"
Elvis Presley "Can't Help Falling in Love"
Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You"
Bobby 'Boris' Pickett "Monster Mash"