Did pop music peak in 1971?
The makers of 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, a documentary series now streaming on Apple TV+, have no doubt. The programme is based on Never a Dull Moment, a book by David Hepworth, which argued that by the early 1970s musics ecosystem had evolved to the point that it was able to produce what he views as pretty much the best series of albums ever made. The show takes a different tack, focusing less on the history of the industry and positioning the songs within the social and intellectual ferment of their time. But the book and the documentary agree on the central idea: that in 1971 pop music reached some kind of apotheosis. Musics greatest year is a perennial argument among pop fans, yet the conversation is conducted without a shared set of assumptions. Mr Hepworth cheers for 1971 because he values albums above all else, and this was a landmark year for extended plays, with Joni Mitchells Blue, David Bowies Hunky Dory, Marvin Gayes Whats Going On, Led Zeppelin IV and The Staple Swingers (pictured). If you adore singles best of all, however, you might suggest 1965 or 1966 as the strongest contenders, as the British charts contained a plethora of songs still in the public consciousness. Among the top ten hits of 1965 were Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan, My Generation by The Who and I Cant Get No Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones. The following year Ike and Tina Turner released River Deep - Mountain High, The Supremes produced You Cant Hurry Love and The Beach Boys offered Good Vibrations. Bob Stanley, a musician and music historian, is a cheerleader for 1981, the year pop found its way out of post-punks monochrome predicament, through the vivid colours of Adam and the Ants and the Human League. Jon Savage, a cultural historian, champions 1966, which along with those deathless singles was the year pop exploded into a psychedelic paisley swirl, the year of The Beatless Revolver and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds. There are those who insist it must be 1977, the year of the punk revolution, or acid houses second summer of love in 1988. Some aver that a span of years is more appropriateperhaps hip-hops golden age, from 1987 to 1993. Painful though it may be for older music fans to admit, these past couple of years will have their supporters, especially among those who view pop as an agent of social change. These have been the years in which the music industry has started truly rebelling against the dominance of white men, in which abusers have been called out and in which more women, trans and non-binary artists have been thrust into the spotlight. Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and more have made records that will be discussed in music criticism for years to come. Really, though, the best year for music is whenever you were young and the possibilities of the world were opening before you. It may not even matter what records came out that year. Mr Hepworth was 21 in 1971: no wonder it is his annus mirabilis. In his book he accepts it is a natural inclination to associate a sense of musical wonder with youth, but he has an answer. Theres an important difference in the case of me and 1971. The difference is this: Im right.    Hes not. The correct answer is 1956, the year of Elvis Presleys debut as well as Songs for Swingin Lovers!, Lady Sings the Blues and Johnny Burnette and the RocknRoll Trio. But the discussion is enjoyable. 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything is streaming on Apple TV+ now