Yesterday, Taylor Swift announced her upcoming album, 1989, and unleashed the LP’s horn-puffed lead single, “Shake It Off,” a sure-to-be-ubiquitous track that’s already inspired loads of overanalysis. There’s been speculation about Swift’s musical influences, discussion as to whether the song’s twerk-tastic music video perpetuates racial stereotypes, and, yes, many, many (many) GIFs. But what about the title of the full-length itself? Where does 1989 (so-named because it’s Swift’s birth year) fit into the tradition of albums named after years? The answer: somewhere between Van Halen’s 1984 and Daniel Johnston’s 1990.
In honor of Swift dubbing her Red follow-up 1989, here are several other albums named after years, arranged in titular chronological order:
Nine Inch Nails, Year Zero (2007)
Various Artists, 1776 (1969)
John Cale, Paris 1919 (1973)
John Williams, 1941: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1979)
The Beatles, 1962-1966 (1973)
The Beatles, 1967-1970 (1973)
The 1975, The 1975 (2013)
Ash, 1977 (1996)
Talking Heads, Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
Van Halen, 1984 (1984)
Taylor Swift, 1989 (2014)
Daniel Johnston, 1990 (1990)
The Temptations, 1990 (1973)
Azealia Banks, 1991 (2012)
Merle Haggard, 1994 (1994)
Merle Haggard, 1996 (1996)
Prince, 1999 (1982)
Dr. Dre, 2001 (1999)
Prince, 20Ten (2010)
Rush, 2112 (1976)
Zager & Evans, In the Year 2525 (1969)
Deltron 3030, Deltron 3030 (2000)
