@tony1954- interesting album, Lifeboat. It has a lot of the "usual suspects" including Stevie W. (also a Blackwell "discovery" via Spencer Davis) and John Bundrick and early cuts were done by George Peckham (aka "Porky"). 

Chris was one of those few guys who had an "ear" as a label chief and was very attuned to the music itself--he was someone who was considered artist "friendly."

Another outlier is John Martyn's Solid Air- not obscure, but it doesn't get the level of attention it probably deserves. Ditto Roy Harper's Stormcock--"The Same Old Rock" is an opus- with a fully primed Jimmy Page playing 12 string. Highly recommended if you haven't heard it. 

On Elton, I favor Tumbleweed, both for the writing and performance- I have multiple DJM pressings- oddly, the earliest UK cut has the least bombastic bass- some of them are bass monsters.

@tablejockey - throw in Disco Inferno too.

@Berner99- one early cover of "Can't find my Way Back Home" came out of that studio on LI where Bonnie Raitt was scheduled to perform and Lowell George sat  in with her crew. It's a good rendition. It's a shame the original album is a bad recording- the best version I've found is still the OG UK, with the controversial cover art.

To me, the importance is to dig in-- we can disagree about artists--e.g., Shuggie v. Bros. J but it puts us in a place where our brain is thinking about music. For that, I thank Tony1954 for his list. It got me thinking. 

I was barely alive, didn't live through that era per se, but have come to believe the answer to this question is an unequivocal yes.  Watch the movie on apple or read the book "Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded" and you'll be hard pressed to find a better single year.  

Who's next, LZ IV, Sticky Fingers are peak Rock and Roll.  Joni Mitchell, Carole King and James Taylor led the ascension of the singer songwriter.  Bowie and T Rex kicking glam into high gear.  Fragile, Meddle leading the way for psych rock and prog.  Sly and Marvin releasing some of their best work. 
 

It's an easy answer when you look at it objectively.   I'll add for the record i'm not one of these "they don't make any good music these days" types, in fact i completely scoff at that notion.  But this year truly shines as a transformative moment.  

Tony, I would add Trapeze’s Medusa. Out in US in 1971.

I do disagree with 1971 being the best year. Don’t even think the 67" -77" was the best decade, and I was right there. Lot’s of great music in those days though, and lots of great music before and after 1971.

@whart 

It was September 10, 1973 and Elton was in Vancouver with The Sutherland Brothers as the opening act.

I was pumped and probably reasonably high, only to have 3/4 of the Sutherland Brothers band held at the US border for some reason I can't remember. The two brothers came out and did a few songs "unplugged", but it wasn't the same.

Very disappointing. That is until Elton and his band hit the stage and absolutely killed it for 2+ hours.

1971, the year the music died? I don’t agree, but by the late seventies it had changed quite a bit. Don’t cha just still miss Disco😆😆😆