Essential Albums of the 1960s
The 1960s records we keep coming back to, listed in order of release.
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1Portrait in JazzBill Evans
Portrait in Jazz
The trio's debut, introducing the conversational interplay that changed jazz piano. Lyrical and influential. A cornerstone.
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2Blues & RootsCharles Mingus
Blues & Roots
A raucous, gospel-and-blues-charged peak of collective fire. Bold and beloved. A high point.
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3At Last!Etta James
At Last!
Lush, soulful blues balladry defined by the timeless title track. Powerful and warm. A standard-setting record.
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4Soul StationHank Mobley
Soul Station
A perfectly poised hard-bop peak of warm tenor. Smooth and beloved. A Blue Note classic.
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5Giant StepsJohn Coltrane
Giant Steps
A dazzling display of harmonic ambition, its title track a rite of passage for every aspiring jazz player. The writing is brilliant and the playing fearless. A cornerstone of bebop's evolution.
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6We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now SuiteMax Roach
We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite
A fierce civil-rights jazz statement of protest and power. Urgent and historic. A landmark record.
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7Sketches of SpainMiles Davis
Sketches of Spain
A lush orchestral collaboration with Gil Evans blending jazz and Spanish classical. Gorgeous and singular. A beloved record.
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8At Newport 1960Muddy Waters
At Newport 1960
A landmark live document of electric Chicago blues at its hottest. Thrilling and historic. A genre cornerstone.
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9Change of the CenturyOrnette Coleman
Change of the Century
A bold free-jazz peak of melodic liberation. Inventive and acclaimed. A genre cornerstone.
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10The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes MontgomeryWes Montgomery
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
A landmark of warm, octave-rich jazz guitar. Smooth and influential. A genre touchstone.
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11Sunday at the Village VanguardBill Evans
Sunday at the Village Vanguard
An intimate live trio recording of extraordinary interplay, captured shortly before bassist Scott LaFaro's death. Lyrical and conversational. One of the great piano-trio documents.
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12ExplorationsBill Evans
Explorations
A lyrical trio peak of conversational interplay. Beautiful and acclaimed. A high point.
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13My Favorite ThingsJohn Coltrane
My Favorite Things
A landmark soprano-sax reinvention of the show tune into hypnotic modal jazz. Inventive and beloved. A genre touchstone.
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14Free Jazz: A Collective ImprovisationOrnette Coleman
Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation
The double-quartet landmark that named free jazz. Radical and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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15King of the Delta Blues SingersRobert Johnson
King of the Delta Blues Singers
The foundational Delta-blues recordings that influenced virtually everyone who followed, from the Stones to Clapton. Eerie and essential. Where the electric blues lineage begins.
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16Waltz for DebbyBill Evans
Waltz for Debby
From the same legendary Vanguard afternoon, all delicacy and dialogue between three musicians listening hard. Tender and timeless. A desert-island jazz record.
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17Tijuana MoodsCharles Mingus
Tijuana Moods
A vivid, colourful peak of large-group invention. Bold and beloved. A high point.
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18GoDexter Gordon
Go
A relaxed, swinging hard-bop peak of big-toned tenor. Warm and assured. A Blue Note favourite.
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19Hub-TonesFreddie Hubbard
Hub-Tones
A vibrant hard-bop peak of fiery trumpet. Bold and acclaimed. A Blue Note classic.
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20Howlin' WolfHowlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
The 'rocking chair' album of foundational Chicago blues classics, Wolf's voice an elemental force. Raw and essential. A blues cornerstone.
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21Live at the Village VanguardJohn Coltrane
Live at the Village Vanguard
A fiery live document of the classic quartet pushing outward. Intense and acclaimed. A landmark.
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22Modern Sounds in Country and Western MusicRay Charles
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
A bold, genre-crossing landmark that reframed country through soul. Lush and influential. A historic record.
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23The BridgeSonny Rollins
The Bridge
A comeback after his famous sabbatical, sharp and assured. Strong and acclaimed. A return to form.
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24The Freewheelin' Bob DylanBob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The album that established Dylan as the voice of a generation, home to 'Blowin' in the Wind'. Spare and powerful. A folk landmark.
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25The Black Saint and the Sinner LadyCharles Mingus
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
An ambitious, through-composed suite blending jazz, classical and flamenco into something cinematic and intense. Singular even within Mingus's catalogue. A bold, rewarding listen.
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26Money JungleDuke Ellington, Charles Mingus & Max Roach
Money Jungle
A spirited, tense summit of three giants. Bold and acclaimed. A singular record.
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27Live at the ApolloJames Brown
Live at the Apollo
An electrifying live document that captured Brown's raw command. Thrilling and historic. One of the great live albums.
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28Page OneJoe Henderson
Page One
A strong hard-bop debut, home to 'Recorda Me' and 'Blue Bossa'. Tuneful and beloved. A Blue Note favourite.
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29BalladsJohn Coltrane
Ballads
A tender, lyrical record of standards played with restraint. Beautiful and beloved. A gentle entry point.
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30John Coltrane and Johnny HartmanJohn Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
A sublime ballads collaboration of tenor and baritone voice. Tender and timeless. A romantic classic.
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31Midnight BlueKenny Burrell
Midnight Blue
A relaxed, bluesy guitar gem of late-night cool. Smooth and beloved. A perfect mood record.
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32Night BeatSam Cooke
Night Beat
A late-night, bluesy set that shows the depth beneath Cooke's pop sheen. Intimate and soulful. An underrated classic.
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33Point of DepartureAndrew Hill
Point of Departure
An adventurous post-bop peak of knotty composition and stellar players. Challenging and rewarding. A Blue Note gem.
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34Free for AllArt Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Free for All
A fiery, hard-driving hard-bop peak. Powerful and acclaimed. A high point.
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35The Times They Are a-Changin'Bob Dylan
The Times They Are a-Changin'
A stark, protest-focused folk peak, home to its anthemic title song. Direct and influential. A 60s landmark.
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36Another Side of Bob DylanBob Dylan
Another Side of Bob Dylan
A more personal, playful turn away from protest. Witty and warm. A pivotal record.
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37Out to Lunch!Eric Dolphy
Out to Lunch!
Angular, adventurous avant-bop that still sounds startling, played by a fearless band. Challenging and rewarding. A landmark of the new thing.
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38Empyrean IslesHerbie Hancock
Empyrean Isles
A spare, adventurous quartet date, home to 'Cantaloupe Island'. Inventive and beloved. A Blue Note gem.
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39CrescentJohn Coltrane
Crescent
A reflective, spiritual peak of the classic quartet. Beautiful and acclaimed. A prelude to A Love Supreme.
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40The SidewinderLee Morgan
The Sidewinder
A funky, danceable hard-bop hit built on an irresistible title-track groove. Accessible and infectious. A crossover classic.
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41Folk SingerMuddy Waters
Folk Singer
A stripped-back, acoustic detour that became a sonic showcase and an audiophile favourite. Intimate and powerful. A different, essential side of Muddy.
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42Getz/GilbertoStan Getz and João Gilberto
Getz/Gilberto
The album that brought bossa nova to the world, smooth and sun-dappled, introducing 'The Girl from Ipanema'. Effortlessly beautiful. A massive, enduring success.
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43A Hard Day's NightThe Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
The first all-original Beatles album, bursting with jangle and youthful energy. Tight and joyful. The sound of Beatlemania at full tilt.
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44Spiritual UnityAlbert Ayler
Spiritual Unity
A raw, foundational free-jazz landmark of overblown tenor and feeling. Intense and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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45Live at the RegalB.B. King
Live at the Regal
Widely held to be the greatest live blues album, capturing King's call-and-response mastery and impeccable phrasing. Joyful and electric. A blues essential.
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46Bert JanschBert Jansch
Bert Jansch
A landmark British folk-guitar debut. Influential and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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47Highway 61 RevisitedBob Dylan
Highway 61 Revisited
Dylan plugs in fully and the results are electric in every sense, opening with 'Like a Rolling Stone' and never letting up. The wordplay is savage and funny, the band loose and wild. A foundational rock record that still sounds dangerous.
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48Bringing It All Back HomeBob Dylan
Bringing It All Back Home
Half electric, half acoustic, the record where Dylan reinvented folk and rock at once. Witty, surreal and prophetic. A pivotal moment in 1960s music.
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49I've Got a Tiger by the TailBuck Owens
I've Got a Tiger by the Tail
A peak of bright Bakersfield honky-tonk. Tuneful and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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50Idle MomentsGrant Green
Idle Moments
A mellow, late-night Blue Note gem of warm guitar and space. Smooth and beloved. A perfect mood record.
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51Maiden VoyageHerbie Hancock
Maiden Voyage
An elegant, oceanic post-bop classic with an unforgettable title track. Cohesive and beautifully played by an all-star band. A graceful entry point to Blue Note.
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52Song for My FatherHorace Silver
Song for My Father
Soulful, Latin-tinged hard bop with one of jazz's most recognisable basslines. Warm and groovy. An accessible classic.
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53A Love SupremeJohn Coltrane
A Love Supreme
A four-part spiritual suite of overwhelming intensity and devotion, recorded by Coltrane's classic quartet. It moves from searching to ecstatic to serene. A towering statement that rewards close, uninterrupted listening.
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54Hoodoo Man BluesJunior Wells
Hoodoo Man Blues
A landmark Chicago-blues record of harmonica and grit, with Buddy Guy on guitar. Tough and authentic. A genre classic.
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55UnityLarry Young
Unity
A landmark of modal jazz organ. Inventive and beloved. A Blue Note classic.
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56I Put a Spell on YouNina Simone
I Put a Spell on You
A commanding set spanning jazz, soul and chanson, sung with unmatched gravity. 'Feeling Good' anchors it. Essential Simone.
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57Otis BlueOtis Redding
Otis Blue
Recorded in a single marathon session, it captures Redding's raw, generous soul at its peak, covers and originals alike. Urgent and deeply felt. Essential 1960s soul.
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58Father of Folk BluesSon House
Father of Folk Blues
A raw, powerful document of Delta-blues rediscovery. Intense and historic. A foundational record.
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59Rubber SoulThe Beatles
Rubber Soul
The hinge between the early pop group and the studio innovators, folding in folk-rock, soul and a new lyrical maturity. Cohesive and warm, it set the template for the album as a unified work. A turning point that still charms.
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60Help!The Beatles
Help!
A transitional peak balancing pop and folk-rock, home to its title track and 'Yesterday'. Tuneful and beloved. A bridge to greater ambition.
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61The Paul Butterfield Blues BandThe Paul Butterfield Blues Band
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
A landmark white-blues debut that bridged Chicago blues and rock. Tough and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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62Out of Our HeadsThe Rolling Stones
Out of Our Heads
An early peak, home to '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'. Tuneful and beloved. A breakthrough.
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63My GenerationThe Who
My Generation
A raw, explosive debut of mod fury, home to its iconic title track. Vital and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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64Solo MonkThelonious Monk
Solo Monk
An intimate solo-piano peak of idiosyncratic touch. Singular and beloved. A high point.
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65Speak No EvilWayne Shorter
Speak No Evil
Elegant, mysterious post-bop with an all-star band, balancing accessibility and depth. Beautifully composed. A Blue Note classic.
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66JujuWayne Shorter
Juju
A modal, Coltrane-influenced peak of mysterious composition. Bold and acclaimed. A Blue Note classic.
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67Smokin' at the Half NoteWes Montgomery
Smokin' at the Half Note
A peak of live jazz guitar with a swinging rhythm section. Warm and beloved. A genre classic.
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68Blonde on BlondeBob Dylan
Blonde on Blonde
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.
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69MeditationsJohn Coltrane
Meditations
A fierce, spiritual free-jazz peak. Intense and acclaimed. A late landmark.
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70Blues Breakers with Eric ClaptonJohn Mayall and the Bluesbreakers
Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton
The 'Beano' album that made Clapton a guitar god. Influential and hot. A British-blues landmark.
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71Search for the New LandLee Morgan
Search for the New Land
An ambitious, modal-leaning peak of adventurous hard bop. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.
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72Today!Mississippi John Hurt
Today!
A gentle, fingerpicked document of rediscovered country-blues. Warm and beloved. A genre treasure.
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73Sounds of SilenceSimon & Garfunkel
Sounds of Silence
An early peak built around its hushed, electrified title hit. Tuneful and beloved. A breakthrough.
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74Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and ThymeSimon & Garfunkel
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
A peak of intricate, literate folk-pop. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.
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75Pet SoundsThe Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
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.
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76RevolverThe Beatles
Revolver
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.
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77East-WestThe Paul Butterfield Blues Band
East-West
An adventurous peak of raga-influenced blues-rock jamming. Bold and influential. A genre landmark.
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78AftermathThe Rolling Stones
Aftermath
The first all-original Stones album, where Jagger and Richards came into their own. Sharp and varied. A 60s turning point.
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79Born Under a Bad SignAlbert King
Born Under a Bad Sign
Stax-backed electric blues of enormous influence, King's string-bending guitar setting a template for rock players. Tough and tuneful. Essential.
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80I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love YouAretha Franklin
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
The album where Aretha found her voice at Atlantic, fusing gospel fire with secular soul on 'Respect' and the title track. Raw, commanding and historic. The Queen of Soul announces herself.
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81John Wesley HardingBob Dylan
John Wesley Harding
A spare, parable-like retreat from psychedelia toward acoustic mystery. Quiet and influential. A pivotal record.
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82Buffalo Springfield AgainBuffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield Again
A peak of folk-rock songcraft from a star-laden band. Tuneful and acclaimed. A high point.
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83Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club'Cannonball Adderley
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club'
A soulful, funky live peak, home to its gospel-tinged title hit. Joyful and beloved. A crossover classic.
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84Disraeli GearsCream
Disraeli Gears
A psychedelic blues-rock landmark, home to 'Sunshine of Your Love' and Clapton's heavy riffing. Colourful and influential. A 60s classic.
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85Surrealistic PillowJefferson Airplane
Surrealistic Pillow
A defining record of the San Francisco sound, home to 'Somebody to Love' and 'White Rabbit'. Psychedelic and tuneful. A 60s classic.
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86CornbreadLee Morgan
Cornbread
A soulful hard-bop peak, home to 'Ceora'. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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87Songs of Leonard CohenLeonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen
A debut of literary, world-weary folk that introduced 'Suzanne' and 'So Long, Marianne'. Spare and poetic. The foundation of a long, great career.
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88West Side SoulMagic Sam
West Side Soul
A landmark of the West Side Chicago-blues sound. Soulful and acclaimed. A genre classic.
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89The Real McCoyMcCoy Tyner
The Real McCoy
A powerful post-Coltrane peak of muscular modal piano. Dynamic and acclaimed. A Blue Note classic.
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90Branded ManMerle Haggard
Branded Man
An early peak of plain-spoken Bakersfield country. Warm and beloved. A high point.
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91Miles SmilesMiles Davis
Miles Smiles
A peak of the second quintet's elastic, exploratory post-bop. Sophisticated and acclaimed. A landmark.
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92The Piper at the Gates of DawnPink Floyd
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
A whimsical, psychedelic debut led by Syd Barrett. Inventive and strange. A 60s landmark.
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93Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The album that reframed the LP as a complete artistic statement rather than a singles vehicle, dressed in orchestral flourishes, music-hall whimsy and studio trickery. Its influence on production and album-as-concept thinking is hard to overstate. Best heard start to finish, the way it was designed.
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94Magical Mystery TourThe Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour
A patchy but rich psychedelic set gathering film songs and singles, including 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'I Am the Walrus'. Colourful and inventive. A trippy snapshot.
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95Younger Than YesterdayThe Byrds
Younger Than Yesterday
A peak of jangly, psychedelic folk-rock invention. Tuneful and acclaimed. A high point.
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96The DoorsThe Doors
The Doors
A dark, hypnotic debut balancing pop singles with the sprawling 'The End'. Morrison's poetry and Manzarek's organ define it. A definitive 60s record.
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97Strange DaysThe Doors
Strange Days
A darker, more assured follow-up to the debut. Atmospheric and beloved. A strong second record.
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98Are You ExperiencedThe Jimi Hendrix Experience
Are You Experienced
A debut that rewrote the rules of electric guitar, full of fuzz, feedback and psychedelic invention. Revolutionary and thrilling. Where modern rock guitar begins.
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99Something Else by the KinksThe Kinks
Something Else by the Kinks
A witty, melodic peak, home to 'Waterloo Sunset'. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.
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100The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground & Nico
Commercially ignored on release and quietly one of the most influential records ever made, pairing pop melody with feedback, drone and unflinching lyrics. Nico's icy vocals and Reed's street poetry still feel startling. Countless bands started after hearing it.
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101The Who Sell OutThe Who
The Who Sell Out
A playful concept album framed as pirate radio, complete with jingles, home to 'I Can See for Miles'. Inventive and fun. A pop-art gem.
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102Adam's AppleWayne Shorter
Adam's Apple
A warm, melodic post-bop peak, home to 'Footprints'. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.
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103Lady SoulAretha Franklin
Lady Soul
A run of near-perfect soul singles gathered into one essential set, sung with unmatched power and feeling. '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' is a high point. Peak Aretha.
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104Cheap ThrillsBig Brother and the Holding Company
Cheap Thrills
A raw, electric peak of Janis Joplin's blues-rock fire. Powerful and beloved. A 60s landmark.
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105Boogie with Canned HeatCanned Heat
Boogie with Canned Heat
A peak of late-60s blues-boogie, home to 'On the Road Again'. Warm and beloved. A high point.
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106Wheels of FireCream
Wheels of Fire
A half-studio, half-live double album of blues-rock virtuosity. Bold and beloved. A high point.
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107Tell MamaEtta James
Tell Mama
A fiery, Muscle Shoals soul-blues peak. Powerful and beloved. A standout.
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108We're Only in It for the MoneyFrank Zappa
We're Only in It for the Money
A scabrous satire of 60s counterculture and Sgt. Pepper. Inventive and biting. A cult landmark.
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109Wichita LinemanGlen Campbell
Wichita Lineman
A lush, melancholic countrypolitan landmark built on a perfect Jimmy Webb song. Beautiful and beloved. A genre classic.
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110Speak Like a ChildHerbie Hancock
Speak Like a Child
A gentle, impressionistic peak of lush harmony. Beautiful and acclaimed. A Blue Note gem.
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111At Folsom PrisonJohnny Cash
At Folsom Prison
Recorded live for an audience of inmates, it captures Cash at his most charismatic and human. Raw, funny and moving. One of the great live albums.
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112Mama TriedMerle Haggard
Mama Tried
A landmark of Bakersfield country, plain-spoken and powerful. Direct and beloved. His signature record.
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113NefertitiMiles Davis
Nefertiti
A peak of the second great quintet, melody and rhythm subtly inverted. Sophisticated and acclaimed. A modern-jazz landmark.
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114Electric MudMuddy Waters
Electric Mud
A divisive, psychedelic reimagining of Muddy's blues. Bold and strange. A cult curiosity.
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115The Dock of the BayOtis Redding
The Dock of the Bay
A posthumous peak built around its timeless title song. Soulful and beloved. A high point.
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116BookendsSimon & Garfunkel
Bookends
A reflective, beautifully crafted song-cycle on aging and America. Tuneful and thoughtful. One of their best.
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117Taj MahalTaj Mahal
Taj Mahal
A warm, eclectic blues debut of country and rootsy invention. Lively and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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118Music from Big PinkThe Band
Music from Big Pink
A rustic, soulful debut that turned rock back toward Americana, home to 'The Weight'. Warm and influential. A landmark of the roots revival.
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119The Beatles (White Album)The Beatles
The Beatles (White Album)
A sprawling, contradictory double album recorded amid growing tensions, lurching from hard rock to folk to musique concrète. Its inconsistency is part of the charm, capturing four songwriters pulling in different directions. Endlessly debated, endlessly rewarding.
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120Sweetheart of the RodeoThe Byrds
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
The album that birthed country-rock, a brave pivot guided by Gram Parsons. Influential and gentle. A genre origin point.
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121Waiting for the SunThe Doors
Waiting for the Sun
A varied peak, home to 'Hello, I Love You'. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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122Electric LadylandThe Jimi Hendrix Experience
Electric Ladyland
A sprawling double album of studio experimentation and blues-rock fire, climaxing in a definitive 'All Along the Watchtower'. Ambitious and brilliant. Hendrix's fullest statement.
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123The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation SocietyThe Kinks
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
A wry, nostalgic song-cycle about a vanishing England, overlooked then revered. Charming and English to the core. A cult masterpiece.
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124Beggars BanquetThe Rolling Stones
Beggars Banquet
The return to raw, rootsy form after psychedelic detours, opening with 'Sympathy for the Devil'. Loose, dark and the start of their greatest run. Essential.
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125Astral WeeksVan Morrison
Astral Weeks
A mystical, free-flowing fusion of folk, jazz and soul, unlike anything before or since. Improvisational and transcendent. Frequently named among the greatest albums ever.
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126Completely WellB.B. King
Completely Well
A peak that produced the immortal 'The Thrill Is Gone'. Smooth and powerful. An essential record.
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127Nashville SkylineBob Dylan
Nashville Skyline
A gentle country turn of warm, simple songs, home to 'Lay Lady Lay'. Mellow and beloved. A surprising pivot.
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128Green RiverCreedence Clearwater Revival
Green River
A peak of lean, swampy roots-rock, home to its title song and 'Bad Moon Rising'. Tight and beloved. A high point.
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129Crosby, Stills & NashCrosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
A harmony-rich debut that defined a soft-rock era. Beautiful and beloved. A landmark.
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130Liege & LiefFairport Convention
Liege & Lief
A landmark that invented British folk-rock. Bold and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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131UnhalfbrickingFairport Convention
Unhalfbricking
A pivotal record bridging folk and rock, home to 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?'. Beautiful and influential. A landmark.
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132Hot RatsFrank Zappa
Hot Rats
A dazzling jazz-rock instrumental record of virtuosic playing and 'Peaches en Regalia'. Inventive and warm. His most accessible.
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133Hot Buttered SoulIsaac Hayes
Hot Buttered Soul
A radical, expansive soul record of long, orchestral reinventions that changed the genre's scope. Lush and bold. A landmark.
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134The Turning PointJohn Mayall
The Turning Point
An acoustic, drummer-less blues peak of intimate invention. Bold and acclaimed. A creative high.
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135At San QuentinJohnny Cash
At San Quentin
A raw, charismatic prison live record, home to 'A Boy Named Sue'. Electric and beloved. A live landmark.
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136Johnny WinterJohnny Winter
Johnny Winter
A blistering blues-rock debut of Texas guitar fire. Hot and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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137Second WinterJohnny Winter
Second Winter
A blistering blues-rock peak of Texas guitar. Hot and beloved. A high point.
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138CloudsJoni Mitchell
Clouds
An early folk peak, home to 'Both Sides, Now'. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.
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139In the Court of the Crimson KingKing Crimson
In the Court of the Crimson King
The album that launched progressive rock, dark and majestic from '21st Century Schizoid Man'. Ambitious and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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140Led Zeppelin IILed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II
The album that defined heavy rock, built on Page's riffs and Bonham's thunder, from 'Whole Lotta Love' on. Loud, swaggering and hugely influential. The blueprint for hard rock.
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141Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
A thunderous debut welding blues to heavy riffing, announcing a new kind of band. Raw and electrifying. The start of a legend.
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142Kick Out the JamsMC5
Kick Out the Jams
A ferocious live proto-punk document of revolutionary energy. Loud and raw. Hugely influential.
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143Okie from MuskogeeMerle Haggard
Okie from Muskogee
A live peak built around its famous, much-debated title song. Tuneful and iconic. A genre landmark.
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144In a Silent WayMiles Davis
In a Silent Way
A serene, proto-ambient fusion landmark of hushed electric textures. Spacious and influential. A pivotal record.
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145Fathers and SonsMuddy Waters
Fathers and Sons
A warm summit pairing Muddy with younger rock-blues players. Loose and beloved. A high point.
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146Everybody Knows This Is NowhereNeil Young
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
The first with Crazy Horse, ragged and electric, home to 'Cinnamon Girl'. Loose and powerful. A landmark.
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147Five Leaves LeftNick Drake
Five Leaves Left
A gorgeous, string-laced debut of melancholy English folk, understated and beautifully arranged. A grower that becomes essential. One of the genre's most affecting records.
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148Basket of LightPentangle
Basket of Light
A peak of British folk-jazz fusion of intricate playing. Beautiful and beloved. A genre classic.
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149KarmaPharoah Sanders
Karma
A transcendent spiritual-jazz statement built around the side-long 'The Creator Has a Master Plan'. Ecstatic and immersive. A genre cornerstone.
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150Stand!Sly and the Family Stone
Stand!
Joyful, integrationist funk-soul at its peak, idealistic and irresistible. 'Everyday People' anchors it. A high point of the era.
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151Stand by Your ManTammy Wynette
Stand by Your Man
A peak of classic country balladry, home to its iconic title song. Powerful and beloved. A landmark.
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152The BandThe Band
The Band
The 'brown album' of vivid, lived-in songs about an older America, beautifully played. Timeless and warm. Often called their masterpiece.
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153Abbey RoadThe Beatles
Abbey Road
The Beatles' last recorded album and arguably their most polished, balancing Lennon's bite, McCartney's melody and a side-two medley that ties loose song fragments into one sweeping finale. Harrison contributes two of his finest in 'Something' and 'Here Comes the Sun'. A warm, confident farewell from a band at the peak of its studio craft.
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154The Gilded Palace of SinThe Flying Burrito Brothers
The Gilded Palace of Sin
A foundational country-rock landmark led by Gram Parsons. Beautiful and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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155Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)The Kinks
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
A witty, melodic concept album on British life. Sharp and beloved. A high point of their run.
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156Let It BleedThe Rolling Stones
Let It Bleed
A dark, swampy classic bookended by 'Gimme Shelter' and 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', capturing the Stones at their most ominous and assured. Country, blues and gospel all feed in. A peak-era essential.
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157The StoogesThe Stooges
The Stooges
A primal proto-punk debut of raw riffs and boredom, home to 'I Wanna Be Your Dog'. Crude and influential. A genre origin point.
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158Cloud NineThe Temptations
Cloud Nine
A psychedelic-soul pivot toward funk and social themes. Bold and influential. A turning point.
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159TommyThe Who
Tommy
The rock opera that proved the form could carry a full narrative, following a 'deaf, dumb and blind' pinball prodigy. Ambitious and occasionally overwrought, it remains a landmark of scale and intent. Townshend's songwriting holds it together.
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160Happy SadTim Buckley
Happy Sad
A jazzy, exploratory folk peak of fluid beauty. Adventurous and acclaimed. A high point.
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161Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
A spare, devastating record of peerless songwriting. Beautiful and beloved. A genre cornerstone.