I wouldn't say this is really my personal choice, but as far as rock history is concerned, and all of the different movements and releases that were going on, i'm going to say 1980...although in many ways it could also be classfied as one of the worst.
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January 16 - Paul McCartney is arrested in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuana. The remaining part of McCartney's tour has to be canceled.
January 25 - Paul McCartney is released from a Japanese jail and ejected from the country by Japanese authorities.
February 19 - Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, dies in London. Although common folklore cites pulmonary aspiration of vomit as the cause of his death, the official cause is listed as "Acute alcohol poisoning" and "Death by Misadventure".
March 8-March 16 - Tbilisi Rock Festival (1980): the first state-sanctioned rock music festival in the Soviet Union.
March 19 - Elvis Presley's autopsy is subpoenaed during the trial of Dr. George Nichopoulous, who would later be found guilty of overprescribing drugs to Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other clients.
April 17 - As the "official guests of State", Bob Marley and the Wailers perform at Zimbabwe's Independence festival. Marley calls the event the "greatest honor of my life."
May 18 - Ian Curtis, vocalist of pioneering post-punk group Joy Division, hangs himself in his Macclesfield home. His death comes just days before Joy Division are scheduled to begin their first U.S. tour.
June - Rock and Roll pioneer Bill Haley performs for the last time during a tour of South Africa. After this tour, his health deteriorates and he dies in February 1981. July 1980 marks the 25th anniversary of Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" reaching No. 1 on the American singles charts.
September 20 - Ozzy Osbourne's breakthrough debut album Blizzard of Ozz is released in the UK.
November 21 - The Eagles' Don Henley is arrested when cocaine, Quaaludes, and marijuana are found in his hotel room after a nude 16-year-old prostitute has drug-related seizures. Henley is also subsequently charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
December 4 - Led Zeppelin disbands following the death of drummer John Bonham.
December 7 - Darby Crash, leader of seminal L.A. punk band The Germs dies of a heroin overdose in a suicide pact.
December 8 - John Lennon is shot dead outside of his apartment building in New York City.
A - Jethro Tull
Ace of Spades - Motörhead
Against the Wind - Bob Seger
All Shook Up - Cheap Trick
Animal Magnetism - Scorpions
Angel Witch - Angel Witch
Army Life - The Exploited
The Art of Walking - Pere Ubu
Back in Black - AC/DC
The Black Album - The Damned
Black Market Clash - The Clash
Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne (solo debut)
The Blues Brothers - Original Soundtrack
Boy - U2 (debut)
Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
British Steel - Judas Priest
Closer - Joy Division
Common One - Van Morrison
The Concert - Creedence Clearwater Revival (live)
Cultosaurus Erectus - Blue Öyster Cult
A Different Kind of Tension - The Buzzcocks
Dirty Mind - Prince
Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Duke - Genesis
Eagles Live - Eagles
Earth & Sky - Graham Nash
Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones
Empty Glass - Pete Townshend
End of the Century - Ramones
Flash Gordon - Queen
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys
The Game - Queen
Glass Houses - Billy Joel
Go to Heaven - The Grateful Dead
The Golden Years (EP) - Motörhead
Group Sex - Circle Jerks (debut)
Growing Up in Public - Lou Reed
Hanx - Stiff Little Fingers
Hawks & Doves - Neil Young
Heartattack and Vine - Tom Waits
Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
Huey Lewis and the News - Huey Lewis and the News (debut)
Humans - Bruce Cockburn
I Believe - The Buzzcocks
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (debut)
In 'n' Out - Rick James
In The Flat Fields - Bauhaus
Inside My Brain - Angry Samoans (debut)
INXS - INXS
I Just Can't Stop It - The English Beat
I'm a Rebel - Accept
I've Got Something to Say - David Allan Coe
Jealous Again (EP) - Black Flag
Joe's Garage Acts II and III - Frank Zappa
Just One Night - Eric Clapton
Killing Joke - Killing Joke
Ladies Man - April Wine
Lightning to the Nations - Diamond Head
London Calling - The Clash (U.S. Release)
The Long Riders - Ry Cooder
Making Movies - Dire Straits
McCartney II - Paul McCartney
Metal for Muthas - Various Artists
More George Thorogood and the Destroyers - George Thorogood and the Destroyers
One for the Road - The Kinks
One Trick Pony - Paul Simon
Panorama - The Cars
Paris - Supertramp
Permanent Waves - Rush
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
Rarities - The Beatles
Remain in Light - Talking Heads
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Rockabilly Blues - Johnny Cash
Sandinista! - The Clash
Saved - Bob Dylan
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - David Bowie
Second Time Around - The Kinks
Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
Shadows and Light - Joni Mitchell
Soldier - Iggy Pop
Something Better Change - D.O.A.
Songs the Lord Taught Us - The Cramps
Trombipulation - Parliament
The Turn of a Friendly Card - Alan Parsons Project
21 at 33 - Elton John
Unmasked - Kiss
Uprising - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Wheels of Steel - Saxon
Wild Planet - The B-52's
Women and Children First - Van Halen
Yesshows - Yes
Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police
Biggest Hit Single: Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)