5 Wonderful Albums Released 50 Years Ago This Month

We get it… 50 years seems like forever ago in a lot of ways. But when you hear great music, it can transcend an era and make the passing of time seem not all that monumental. The best albums just kind of glide through time and seem forever relevant. To prove our point, we looked back to April 1975 to see what albums were released. It turns out that 50 years ago this month, these five timeless LPs were just gracing the listening public with their presence for the first time.

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‘Toys In The Attic’ by Aerosmith

The bad boys from Boston had shown promise on their first couple of albums. Toys In The Attic found them synthesizing all their influences and coming out of it with their own distinct sound.

You’ve got two songs on here that have deservedly become classics of the genre. There’s the fast-talking riff rocker “Walk This Way” and the soaring “Sweet Emotion”, both of which feature all-time great intros. Dig deeper, and you’ll find the band indulging their tawdry side on a cover of the blues track “Big Ten Inch Record”, and getting melodic and sentimental on the standout closer “You See Me Crying”.

‘Beautiful Loser’ by Bob Seger

Bob Seger remained very much a regional entity when he released Beautiful Loser. Many of the songs contained on the record wouldn’t truly see exposure until they appeared on Live Bullet the following year. Speaking of which, the just-formed Silver Bullet Band only appears here on a scorching cover of Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits”.

Instead, Seger used the session aces from Muscle Shoals to deliver the heartland groove that powers songs like “Beautiful Loser” and “Travelin’ Man”. He also shows off his versatility, segueing from the reckless abandon of “Katmandu” to the gentle tenderness of “Jody Girl”.

‘Diamonds & Rust’ by Joan Baez

Much of the attention paid to this album is heaped on the title track. And for good reason. Beyond the fact that it’s about Bob Dylan, the song is extremely well-written, and Baez performs it with just the right mixture of affection and frustration about Dylan’s quirks.

Diamonds & Rust is far from a one-trick pony, however. To prove that feelings weren’t too hard, she covers “Simple Twist Of Fate”, even giving a hilariously dead-on impression of Bob in the midst of it. Her song selection is outstanding throughout, as she delivers achingly pretty takes on Stevie Wonder’s “Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer” and Janis Ian‘s “Jesse”.

‘ABBA’ by ABBA

ABBA was still in the process of becoming a band that could deliver an entire album’s worth of bangers when they released their self-titled third record. You could argue that they really only reached that elevated point right as they left the stage. But even when you encounter songs here that might seem a bit slight, the tunes are always strong, and the voices of Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad never let you down.

Then there are the gems that still gleam ridiculously bright. “Mamma Mia” and “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” are both fun and sweet. And “S.O.S.”, with its chilly opening segueing into a desperately urgent chorus, stands as one of their best.

‘Jamaica Say You Will’ by Joe Cocker

A lot of folks have spoken up recently about Joe Cocker’s brilliance, and this entry on our list of April 1975 albums contains a heaping helping of it. It’s forgotten somewhat, in large part because it didn’t produce any hit singles. Nonetheless, there’s nothing here that isn’t musically punchy, and you can count on Cocker to bring something extra to his interpretations.

Randy Newman songs have rarely sounded as gritty and mischievous as Cocker’s takes on “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” and “Lucinda”. More obscure numbers like “It’s All Over But The Shoutin’” get treatment that’s just as fine from this master singer.

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