Just a short list of what for me are the highlights of late 20th Century music with lyrics
In no particular order:
Bob Dylan 'Bringing it All Back Home' through 'Blonde on Blonde' plus the song 'Tangled up in Blue'
Simon and Garfunkel the songs 'Sounds of Silence' 'The Boxer' 'Bridge over Troubled Water' 'The Only Living Boy in New York'
The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' through the end of the Beatles plus 'All things Must Pass' and 'Living in the Material World' by George Harrison (solo albums);
Plus a few 1969-1971 John Lennon message singles
The beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' through 'Holland' plus 'SMiLE', 'Today', 'Pacific Ocean Blue' by Dennis (solo album)
Cream 'Disraeli Gears' and 'Wheels of Fire', 'Blind Faith' (by Blind Faith)
Jimi Hendrix Anything he completed in his lifetime, especially anything he completed and released in his lifetime
Jefferson Airplane 'Surrealistic Pillow' through 'Volunteers', the Grace Slick-Paul Kantner albums 'Blows Against the Empire', 'Sunfighter', 'Baron von Tollbooth...'
The Grateful Dead Anything live 1969 through 1977, especially if highly rated by the fans; 'Aoxomoxoa'
David Crosby 'If Only I Could Remember my Name'
Joni Mitchell 'Blue' through 'Hejira' (at least!)
Yes 'The Yes Album' through 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'
Patti Smith 'Horses'
Just a short list of the greatest music with lyrics that I have heard in the English language from the past 100 years
A special shout out to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman for leading the first quantum nuclear explosion that prepared the way for this one, without which Dylan and the others would not exist!
And a second special shout-out to Radiohead and The Verve for approaching this level back in the mid-90's to early 2000's!
Add instrumental, lots of classical and modern jazz will be added to the list of greats, plus a lot of classics from the traditions surviving from the Asian and African and Native American civilizations I write about... this is just music with lyrics in English from the modern (Industrial) age!
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson