Best Years in the 1960s for Music
On the Threshold of a Dream, and To Our Children's Children's Children, by the Moody Blues; Yes' eponymous 1st album; The Soft Parade by the Doors.
Piper at the gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts club band/Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles
Surrealistic Pillow/After Bathing at Baxter's - Jefferson Airplane
The Doors debut/Strange Days - The Doors
Moby Grape - Moby Grape
Easter Everywhere - The 13th Floor Elevators
Are You Experienced/Axis: Bold as Love - Jimi Hendrix
Disraeli Gears - Cream
Forever Changes-Love
5000 Spirits or the Layers of the onion - The Incredible String Band
Future - The Seeds
Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues
The Who Sellout - The Who
Their Satanic Majaties Request - The Rolling Stones
Sorry, 1971-75 had some great stuff, but nothing like the innovation and nothing like the sheer volume. Perhaps you misread my original post, The Classical period[s] were in fact better, but as mentioned much longer. A true shame we have only a fraction of what was going on way back then. Next best "Pop" period was probably 1941-45, due to the not inestimable importance of music for domestic morale during the war.
The euphoric period from 1965-1969; from "Dylan Goes Electric! ", to the last echoing gunshots at Altamont, was the Golden Age, surpassed in musical history only by the "Classical" periods that ended more than 100 years ago. We are unlikely to experience its equal for another 100 years.
Pet Sounds and Revolver alone would make '66 my personal favourite year for pop music.
In Search of the Lost Chord by the Moody Blues.
The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and John Coltrane released some of their best albums.
The Beatles debut on Ed Sullivan. The Supernova explodes.