Was 1967 the most influential year in music ever?

There aren't many things that are as good today as they were 45 years ago, but much of the rock music produced in 1967 still resonates in ways most people could never imagine. 

Just check out this list of heavyweight music released that year: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Love's "Forever Changes," "The Velvet Underground and Nico," "The Doors," Jimi Hendrix's"Are You Experienced," Cream's "Disraeli Gears," "The Who Sell Out" (my favorite album of theirs), Aretha Franklin's "Respect," Otis Redding's Monterey Pop performance, The Rolling Stones' "Satanic Majesty's Request," Buffalo Springfield, Janis Joplin, The Four Tops' "Reach Out, I'll Be There," Pink Floyd's debut and on and on. 

"Sound Opinions" tackled that historic year in a recent two-episode special examining the impact of such hugely influential music the star-studded Monterey Pop Festival. Both episodes are well worth the listen, if only to remind us that there's classic rock and there's CLASSIC ROCK.

Episode one is here and episode two is here.

Best music of 2010, so far

Listeners of NPR's "All Songs Considered" think The Gorillaz's latest is the best so far this yearLotsa lists are starting to pop up highlighting the best music from the first half of 2010. Here's a roundup of the podcasts and sites I frequent:

• The listeners get the spotlight at NPR's All Songs Considered, with a people-powered Top 50 led by The Gorillaz and The National. 
• Greg and Jim at Sound Opinions narrowed their lists to four apiece, with Greg really digging Janelle Monae and Jim slobbering all over Yeasayer.
• Crawdaddy's eclectic Top 40 includes Surfer Blood, The Besnard Lakes and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.
• Paste Magazine delivered six lists from top editors. Lots of names popping up on multiple lists, including Sleigh Bells, Phosphorescent, LCD Soundsystem, Janelle Monae, Titus Andronicus, Mumford and Sons, and Frightened Rabbit. 

As for me? I've been spending lots of my time listening to older CDs I've been buying from Not Lame Records, which is going out of business and is in the process of an extended fire sale. But as for new stuff, I'm really liking the Janelle Monae tour de force, which is one of the best debuts I've heard in a long time; The Chop Tops; The Besnard Lakes; Alejandro Escovedo; and The New Pornographers.

What about you?