A new documentary tries to explain why so much great music came out in just one year.

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything makes the case for a year of great music, landmark albums, and seismic shifts in styles and methods.

Ask 50 people what year they think had the finest music. Answers will vary widely, but you’ll be amazed how many say “1971”. With good cause.

Blue, Sticky Fingers, What’s Going On, Aqualung, Cat Stevens, Elton John, ex-Beatle solo releases. The shift from singles to albums was accelerating. Radio playlists got bolder. Record companies took bigger risks. Performers were allowed, encouraged, to experiment.