15 FOR 50 1975 IN 15 RECORDS

WAS IT SOMETHING IN THE AIR, SOMETHING IN THE WATER? COSMICALLY INSPIRED BY THE STARS AND THE MOON? OR MAYBE THE DEVIL WAS FINALLY CLAIMING HIS OWN AS ROCK MUSIC IN ALL ITS VARIANTS WAS UNASSAILABLY ASCENDENT.

- BY ROBERT BAIRD

A more temporal reason why 1975 was such a rich year for music is that by the middle 1970s, audio engineers had mastered the arts of recording on multiple channels and cutting and editing tape. Even more crucially, the profit motive still existed in music. Back when people bought vinyl LPs by the bin-ful, it was still possible for musicians (and by extension record labels) to get rich making music. All those factors played a part in an explosion 50 years ago of popular music that has never quite been equaled.

With that in mind, here's an annotated list of 15 stars of 1975's profusion, with a healthy list of equally important albums to follow. Although the lists focus on rock and pop, by 1975 jazz had cross-pollinated with the more popular forms of music in so many ways that including several jazz titles seems appropriate.

These records are chosen for their originality and depth and how well they've stood the test of time.

Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks (Columbia)

With the release of both this album and The Band's The Basement Tapes, 1975 was a banner year for Bob Dylan musically. His personal life, though, was in shambles.