60th Anniversary · 1966

60th Anniversary Albums (1966)

Sixty years and still the starting point. The class of 1966 remade what pop music could be.

All 2026 anniversaries 55th (1971)50th (1976)45th (1981)40th (1986)35th (1991)30th (1996)25th (2001)

Pet SoundsThe Beach Boys

1966 · Rock

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

Brian Wilson's orchestral pop masterpiece, a fragile, intricate song-cycle of longing that reshaped what a pop album could be. Endlessly influential, not least on the Beatles. One of the greatest records ever made.

Vinyl → CD →

RevolverThe Beatles

1966 · Rock

Revolver

The Beatles

The pivot from pop group to studio explorers: tape loops, backwards guitar and Indian drones sit beside some of their sharpest songwriting. It is short, varied and astonishingly forward-looking for 1966, closing with the proto-psychedelic 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. Many fans rate it the single best Beatles record, and it is the natural place to start.

Vinyl → CD →

Blonde on BlondeBob Dylan

1966 · Rock

Blonde on Blonde

Bob Dylan

Often called the first great double album, a sprawling, mercurial set of wild imagery and 'thin, wild mercury' sound. Dense and brilliant. A peak of his electric trilogy.

Vinyl → CD →

Sounds of SilenceSimon & Garfunkel

1966 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

Sounds of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel

An early peak built around its hushed, electrified title hit. Tuneful and beloved. A breakthrough.

Vinyl → CD →

AftermathThe Rolling Stones

1966 · Rock

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

The first all-original Stones album, where Jagger and Richards came into their own. Sharp and varied. A 60s turning point.

Vinyl → CD →

MeditationsJohn Coltrane

1966 · Jazz

Meditations

John Coltrane

A fierce, spiritual free-jazz peak. Intense and acclaimed. A late landmark.

Vinyl → CD →

Search for the New LandLee Morgan

1966 · Jazz

Search for the New Land

Lee Morgan

An ambitious, modal-leaning peak of adventurous hard bop. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.

Vinyl → CD →

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and ThymeSimon & Garfunkel

1966 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

A peak of intricate, literate folk-pop. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.

Vinyl → CD →

Today!Mississippi John Hurt

1966 · Blues

Today!

Mississippi John Hurt

A gentle, fingerpicked document of rediscovered country-blues. Warm and beloved. A genre treasure.

Vinyl → CD →

East-WestThe Paul Butterfield Blues Band

1966 · Blues

East-West

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

An adventurous peak of raga-influenced blues-rock jamming. Bold and influential. A genre landmark.

Vinyl → CD →

Blues Breakers with Eric ClaptonJohn Mayall and the Bluesbreakers

1966 · Blues

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers

The 'Beano' album that made Clapton a guitar god. Influential and hot. A British-blues landmark.

Vinyl → CD →