The Album Years
Subscribed: 1,289Played: 24,235
Subscribe
© 2025 Steven Wilson & Tim Bowness
Description
Music is finite, opinions are endless. On The Album Years podcast, long term friends, collaborators and music nerds Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness discuss and bicker about their favourite music released during the golden album years, which they reckon to be from around 1965 to the end of the millennium. Each episode focuses on a single year picked at random. At the end of each episode they pick their personal favourites and the album they think had the most long-term impact on music. Can you guess which albums they will pick?
67 Episodes
Reverse
Back in September we made an appearance at the Haarlem Vinyl Festival for a special live podcast on the year 1994! Here's the second part of an abridged version of the show (we've had to cut out the sections we played music on the turntable due to copyright issues).
For 1994, we were both astounded at how many great records we found, both established favourites and underrated classics. On this second part, we cover albums by Portishead, Massive Attack, Soundgarden, Blur, Yes, Oasis and more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Back in September we made an appearance at the Haarlem Vinyl Festival for a special live podcast on the year 1994! Here's the first part of an abridged version of the show (we've had to cut out the sections we played music on the turntable due to copyright issues). For 1994, we both found a treasure trove of great records. On this first part, we cover albums by Jeff Buckley, Nine Inch Nails, Oasis, Aphex Twin and many more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's the last episode of our series on 1982 and naturally we've saved the best until last. On this extended episode we cover metal, progressive rock, minimal jazz and of course our picks for our favourite and most influential albums from the year.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's podcast, we explore which artists in 1982 adapted to the changing musical climate and which stayed true to their own style—with results ranging from mixed on King Crimson’s Beat to the absolutely exceptional All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes by Pete Townshend.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the podcast this week: an album that might just be the most bleak and depressing album ever made (and it's not one by Steven, believe it or not!), plus post-punk releases by Cocteau Twins, Felt, XTC & more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Up for discussion on this week's podcast: mainstream hit records from 1982, with absolutely huge albums by Queen, Michael Jackson, Prince and many more!
Coming up next week, albums by The Cure, XTC, Cocteau Twins and more!
Buy Tim Bowness' eighth studio album Powder Dry (out now!) here: https://burningshed.com/store/timbowness
Get tickets for Steven Wilson's The Overview Tour in 2025: https://stevenwilsonhq.com/tour-dates
For more info about The Album Years, visit https://thealbumyears.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Continuing our series on the year 1982, up for discussion this week are synth-pop albums, featuring Duran Duran's smash hit Rio, Thomas Dolby's debut masterwork The Golden Age of Wireless, Associates' Sulk, Gary Numan's I Assassin and much more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's the first episode of our series on the year 1982 and we begin by talking about innovative pop records that not only defined the era but also embraced emerging production technologies at the time. This is none more evident than on records such as The Dreaming by Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel 4 (Security), ABC's The Lexicon of Love, Roxy Music's Avalon - all albums that pushed the boundaries of what pop music could be!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We've reached the sixth and final part of our odyssey into 1972! On this week's episode we discuss great jazz records by Miles Davis and Frank Zappa and progressive albums from outside the UK, including the undoubted masterpiece that is Aphrodite's Child 666. Plus, our roundup of 1972 with our favourite and most influential albums from the year!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's episode of The Album Years, we continue exploring deep into 1972, with great releases from soul legends Gil Scott-Heron & Terry Callier, and ever indefinable works from Todd Rundgren, Scott Walker, Osibisa and more!
Pre-order Tim Bowness' eighth studio album Powder Dry here: https://burningshed.com/store/timbowness
Get tickets for Steven Wilson's The Overview Tour in 2025: https://stevenwilsonhq.com/tour-dates
For more info about The Album Years, visit https://thealbumyears.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the fourth part of our deep dive into the legendary year of 1972, we focus on some of the biggest rock classics that defined the era! Featured on this episode: Deep Purple's Machine Head and their iconic live recording Made in Japan, Black Sabbath Vol.4, Alice Cooper's Schools Out and more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We dive into the atmospheric worlds of ambient, krautrock, and folk music released in 1972, including the introspective sounds of Nick Drake, the experimental sonic landscapes of Tangerine Dream and Neu!, along with what might be the first ever folk concept album?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the second episode of our trip through the musical world of 1972, we discover one of the greatest years in progressive rock history! We talk classic albums by Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis, ELP and lots of hidden gems from an astonishing year for prog!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We're back in a brand new studio with another exciting dive into music history: 1972!
In this episode, we explore genre-defining glam albums by David Bowie & T-Rex, chart-topping hits by Elton John, The Rolling Stones & more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1In this week's episode we discuss our "Quintessential Album Years Albums", underrated records that we believe need to be critically re-evaluated and given a second chance!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we have more from our live podcast debut in London last month, which is focused on our list of the artists we talk about the most on the podcast! Can you guess which ones?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is comprised of highlights from our recent live podcast debut, filmed at West Hampstead Arts Club in London on 7th June 2024. We discuss how the podcast started, the current 'post rock era' of music we are living in, our changing listening habits with streaming and how we both meet up occasionally and 'blind swap' records!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our epic journey into the music of 1985 comes to a close with this week's episode, which includes albums by Marillion, IQ, Neil Young, Supertramp and more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are back again with more albums from 1985 as we explore iconic "goth" records by Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins and Sisters of Mercy, along with critically acclaimed gems by Suzanne Vega, The Smiths, Jesus and the Mary Chain & more.
You can watch the video version of this podcast on our new YouTube channel!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week's episode of The Album Years continues our journey into the groundbreaking year of 1985, where we discuss seminal art pop masterpieces by Kate Bush, Tears for Fears and Prefab Sprout, plus more experimental and under the radar releases from the year.
Watch the video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Top Podcasts
The Best New Comedy Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best News Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Business Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Sports Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New True Crime Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Right Now – June 20The Best New Dan Bongino Show Podcast Right Now – June 20The Best New Mark Levin Podcast – June 2024
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
There's a lot of good background info and industry poop here, things no-one else has written about from this angle. I am in sync with where these guys come from. SW is as brilliant as his reputation, both hosts worthy of respect. Although I still differ in this point: TCOL is a fantastic KC album! : )
The usual great listen. Totally disagree with the them on a bunch of stuff (i just don't like prog) but enough to keep me feeling in their loop and they just do great chat.
It seems there's a lot to discover still in music, with this light that you are shining in our minds. Thanks for the honesty. There's a lot research and lots of records to buy after listening to this podcast.
Please speak a little more slowly. My English is not very good. 😔 I love you, steven and tim from Iran 🍃🌹🍃🌹🍃🌹🍃🌹🍃🌹🍃🌹🍃
you are amazing i can't say anything more you both are amazing thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Can't believe you guys compared that Gene Clark dribble to DSOTM! Cheers 😀
I love The Album Years! Always a delight to hear Master Bowness and Professor Wilson discuss their science.
Thanks for giving More and Ummagumma some love! I am a Floyd NUT and appreciate those two amazing works getting attention. It should also be noted that the Floyd also recorded the Zabriskie Point material in 69, so technically 3 albums that year? ;)
Also, you are 100% correct that the lamestream music industry is terrible!
Glad you mentioned The Guitar Lesson SW. That piece is truly disturbing! Great show as always guys.
Born 6mo after you SW. I'm old too LOL
When you guys do 1982, if you don't mention Midnight Oil's "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1" I will personally hunt you both down and slightly raise my voice at you.
Loved it ---- great to hear true muscians chat about albums that I grew up with and own ! The whole thing brought back memories of the wonderful John Peel. It's a pity you can't play some of the tracks that you love. Looking forward to the next one !! Nige