20 extraordinary albums turning 50 this year

15. Goodnight Vienna by Ringo Starr

Insiders may have realized it in the ‘60s, but for most of us, it was only after the Beatles broke that we understood what Ringo Starr could do. Ringo was the glue. He could get along with anyone and everyone. He was a natural bandleader. So he began accumulating friends – many of them the most talented players in the rock & roll business at the time – and chose quality old-school songs.

Just look at the names that played piano on the different tracks of Goodnight Vienna. He has Elton John and Dr. John. He has Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston. Gary Wright and James Newton Howard chip in on synths. And those are just the keyboard players. The guitar players, the bassists, the horns – they were all among the elites.

Oh yeah, there was some cat named Lennon playing on a lot of the album too. Apparently, he and Ringo used to be in a band together. “No-No Song” and “Only You” were the cutesy hits. But there is plenty of strong rock and blues to balance it out as well.

14. Heart Like a Wheel by Linda Ronstadt

I mean, we knew Linda Ronstadt could sing before Heart Like a Wheel. She did lovely renditions of songs like “”Love Has No Pride” and “Rock Me on the Water” on her early solo albums. But Heart Like a Wheel still seemed to come out of nowhere. Those opening chords of “You’re No Good” were hypnotic, and her voice hit like a tidal wave.

She could still do delicate and sweet on songs like “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and “Willin’,” but the new Linda could also belt out rockers like “When Will I Be Loved.” They all worked. Some contemporary snobs downgraded her for doing mostly covers. They neglected to point out that her covers were often the very best versions of the songs she recorded.

13. Radio City by Big Star

Radio City was Big Star’s second – and for a long time – final studio album. They were beset by problems from the beginning. Those problems resulted in one of the co-founders, guitarist Chris Bell, dropping out of the band after their critically acclaimed debut, #1 Record. That left vocalist and guitar player Alex Chilton in charge of the second album. His pop sensibilities come through loud and clear.

Chilton was the natural successor to Brian Wilson, writing shimmering, complex pop songs. The best of them like “September Gurls,” “You Get What You Deserve,” and “Back of a Car,” are absolute gems with ringing guitars and splendid harmonies. Paul Westerberg of the Replacements would codify Chilton and Big Star’s role in helping define a new era of pop in his song named .. you guessed it … “Alex Chilton.”