Top Ten Best Years in Rock Music

Black Sabbath, In Rock, Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, Led Zeppelin III, Let it Be

Physical Graffiti, Horses, Blood on the Tracks, A Night at the Opera, Wish You Were Here

A Night At The Opera, Physical Graffiti, Wish You Were Here, Toys in the Attic. - Metarock

Slippery When Wet, Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, The Queen is Dead, Turbo

Boston, Rocks, Jailbreak, 2112, Rising

Raw Power, Band on the Run, Pronounced Leh Nerd Skeh Nerd, Dark Side of the Moon, Quadrophenia

Pyromania, Kill 'em All, Peace of Mind, Murmur, War

Abbey Road by The Beatles, Let it Bleed by The Rolling Stones, several albums by Creedence Clearwater Revival, several albums by Led Zeppelin, Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes, plus albums by Stevie Wonder, The Kinks, Joe Cocker, Elvis, Aretha Franklin etc. Beat that, any other year ever! - truckturner

The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson.

Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin, Tommy, Trout Mask Replica, Kick Out the Jams

This year saw The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, the Who,
And the final week of 1969 saw the very first chart entry from the Jackson 5, plus the summer of 1969 featured a little concert event called Woodstock.

Are You Experienced, The Doors, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Velvet Underground & Nico, Disraeli Gears

Modren rock is defined by 2002.

Its elvis!

Chirping Crickets, Here's Little Richard, After School Session, Jailhouse Rock, Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps

Jeff beck Truth, Led Zeppelin 1, Waitin for the Sun, The Beatles White album, beggars banquet,

Beggars Banquet, The Beatles (or the white album), waiting for the sun

Stairway to Heaven

Zoso, Master Of Reality, The Yes Album, RAM, Aqualung, Tarkus, Fireball, Nursery Cryme, Fragile, Meddle, LA Woman, Sticky Fingers, Who's Next, Hunky Dory, Madman Across The Water, Blue, Surf's Up, Imagine, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, Killer, ZZ Top's First Album, Straight Up, Electric Warrior...too good.

Really?
Led Zeppelin IV, Who's Next, Sticky Fingers, Meddle, Fragile, Concert for Bangladesh, Imagine, Hunky Dory, What's Going On, Harvest, Tapestry…
I say again…Really? Does any other year come close?
I must admit, though, it is difficult to pick a year in which the neither the Beatles nor Van Halen nor Rush nor Michael Jackson put out material. Oh well.

Actually, most of the albums you mentioned are mediocre and the journalist overrate them.
There were years way better than 1971.

My Generation, Out of Our Heads, Rubber Soul, Here Are The Sonics, Highway 61 Revisited

Crush by Bon Jovi! - DaringXx

Evanescence and Linkin Park released their albums "Fallen" (Evanescence) and "Meteora" (Linkin Park) only weeks apart. It was also the year Three Days Grace's self titled album was released.

The Modern rock at it's finest! - Johnalove

The year Grunge became mainstream, Green Day's debut album, and new albums and hits from Nirvana, RHCP, and R.E.M.

These days - Bon Jovi! - DaringXx

Utterly without merit.

Keep the faith - Bon Jovi! - DaringXx

Rage Against the Machine - RATM
Core-Stone - Temple Pilots
Dirt- Alice in Chains
Check Your Head- Beastie Boys
40oz to Freedom- Sublime
Harvest Moon- Neil Young
Southern Harmony and Musical Companion- Black Crowes
Vulgar Display of Power- Pantera

Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses
And Justice for All - Metallica
Hysteria - Def Leppard
Rattle and Hum - U2

Ride The Lightning