The Album Years - podcast cover

The Album Years

Steven Wilson & Tim Bownesspodcasters.spotify.com
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?

Episodes

#64 1994: Soundgarden, Blur, Oasis, Massive Attack & more

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! Lea...

Dec 18, 202447 minSeason 10Ep. 2

#63 1994: Jeff Buckley, Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin & more

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

Dec 03, 202440 minSeason 10Ep. 1

#62 1982: The Grand Finale! Rush, Alan Parsons Project, Marillion & more!

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

Dec 03, 202456 minSeason 9Ep. 6

#61 (1982 Part 5) Who Changed With The Times? King Crimson, Pete Townshend, Squeeze & more!

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

Oct 24, 202435 minSeason 9Ep. 5

#60 (1982 Part 4) Post-Punk: The Cure, XTC, Cocteau Twins & more!

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

Oct 16, 202442 minSeason 9Ep. 4

#59 (1982 Part 3) Big Hitters: Queen, Prince, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney & more

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...

Oct 16, 202438 minSeason 9Ep. 3

#58 1982 (Part 2) Synth-Pop: Duran Duran, Gary Numan, Associates, Thomas Dolby & more

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

Oct 01, 202441 minSeason 9Ep. 2

#57 1982 (Part 1) Innovative Pop: Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, ABC, Simple Minds & more!

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

Sep 24, 202448 minSeason 9Ep. 1

#56 1972 Jazz & Prog Rock: Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Aphrodite's Child & more

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

Sep 17, 202450 minSeason 8Ep. 6

#55 1972 Soul Destroyers & The Indefinable: Gil Scott-Heron, Terry Callier, Scott Walker, Osibisa & more

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 Le...

Sep 03, 202430 minSeason 8Ep. 5

#54 1972 Rock Classics: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper & more

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

Aug 28, 202430 minSeason 8Ep. 4

#53 1972 Folk, Ambient & Krautrock: Nick Drake, Tangerine Dream, Neu! & more

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

Aug 20, 202438 minSeason 8Ep. 3

#52 1972 Prog Rock Extravaganza! Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull & more!

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

Aug 14, 202442 minSeason 8Ep. 2

The Post Rock Era, Changing Listening Habits, Taylor Swift & more! | The Album Years Podcast Live

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

Jul 03, 202434 minSeason 7Ep. 1

#50 (1985 Part 5) Marillion, IQ, Supertramp, Neil Young & more!

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

Jun 18, 202440 minSeason 6Ep. 5

#49 (1985 Part 4) The Smiths, Suzanne Vega, Killing Joke, Sting & more!

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

Jun 11, 202438 minSeason 6Ep. 4

#48 (1985 Part 3) Kate Bush, Tears for Fears, A-ha, Grace Jones & more

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

Jun 04, 202453 minSeason 6Ep. 3

#47 (1985 Part 2) Rush, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Robert Plant & more

In the second part of our deep dive into 1985, we discuss which established artists stayed relevant and which ones struggled to adapt to the new musical landscapes of the 1980s. Amongst those discussed are podcast favourites Joni Mitchell, Roy Harper and Miles Davis, while the zeitgeist conscious guises adopted by Rush and Robert Plant also go under the microscope. Meanwhile, Brian Eno continued to innovate by creating the very first album made specifically for the shiny new compact disc format....

May 28, 202436 minSeason 6Ep. 2

#46 (1985 Part 1) Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Prince & more!

1985 was another sensational year for music. On this first part of our foray into the mid-eighties, we discuss the first album in history to sell over one million copies on CD (Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms fact fans), Phil Collins' smash hit album No Jacket Required, Prince's underrated follow up to 'Purple Rain' and much more (David Sylvian and Van Morrison? Check!). You can watch the video version of this podcast over on our YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

May 21, 202441 minSeason 6Ep. 1

#45 (1968 Part 4) Van Morrison, Nico, The Velvet Underground & More!

This week’s episode is part 4 of 1968 – and with so much left to discuss we’re doing two episodes in one! Includes Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks," Nico's "The Marble Index," The Velvet Underground's "White Light," and many others. And would you believe it, Tim Bowness and I share the same favourite album? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 07, 20241 hr 3 minSeason 5Ep. 4

#44 (1968 Part 3) Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, The Moody Blues & more!

This week’s Album Years - 1968 Part 3 - finds the boys covering singer-songwriters and emerging progressive artists. Pink Floyd, The Nice, Soft Machine, Caravan, Family, Moody Blues and many more are discussed. And, yes, they do manage to shoehorn mentions of Bowie, Fripp and Talk Talk into the conversation! Well done them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 30, 202441 minSeason 5Ep. 3

#43 (1968 Part 2) The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Byrds & more

It's all about 1968 psychedelia on this week's The Album Years podcast episode! Steven and Tim break down albums by The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly, The Incredible String Band and more, plus a mysterious inclusion on The Notorious Byrd Brothers' album cover... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 23, 202443 minSeason 5Ep. 2

#42 (1968 Part 1) The Beach Boys, The Pretty Things, The Zombies, Small Faces & more

The Album Years' time machine lands in 1968! Steven and Tim discuss the "big hitters" from the year alongside UK psychedelic and underground rock, with notable albums by The Pretty Things, The Zombies, Small Faces and more all discussed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 16, 202444 minSeason 5Ep. 1

#41 (2000 Part 4) King Crimson, Air, XTC, The Cure & more!

In the final The Album Years podcast episode for the year 2000, Steven and Tim pick their personal favourite albums of the year and the most influential. There's also discussions on notable progressive rock releases from the year, including albums by King Crimson, Air, Kevin Gilbert and more! You can also watch Steven and Tim's ramblings over on the brand new The Album Years YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 09, 202433 minSeason 4Ep. 4

#39 (2000 Part 2) D'Angelo, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Avalanches & more

On this week's agenda: albums released in 2000 by D'Angelo, The Avalanches, At The Drive-In and how Tim somehow believes AC/DC are underrated... Listen to our friendly arguments here or watch us in HD on our new The Album Years YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/@thealbumyearspodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 202432 minSeason 4Ep. 2

#38 (2000 Part 1) Radiohead, Coldplay, U2 & more

The Album Years podcast continues, and this time also in video form (check out our brand new YouTube channel!) The year is 2000: that means albums by Radiohead, Coldplay, U2 and more are up for discussion, along with Tim's questionable editing techniques... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 202443 minSeason 4Ep. 1