Essential Albums of the 1960s
The 173 essential 1960s records — the albums from the sixties that hold up on every listen.
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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
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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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5Joan BaezJoan Baez
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6Giant 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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7We 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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8Sketches 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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9At 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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10Change 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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11The 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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12Sunday 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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13ExplorationsBill Evans
Explorations
A lyrical trio peak of conversational interplay. Beautiful and acclaimed. A high point.
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14Joan Baez, Vol. 2Joan Baez
Joan Baez, Vol. 2
The follow-up deepened the debut's promise, widening the repertoire and cementing her place at the centre of the Greenwich Village scene.
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15My 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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16Free 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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17King 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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18Waltz 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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19Tijuana MoodsCharles Mingus
Tijuana Moods
A vivid, colourful peak of large-group invention. Bold and beloved. A high point.
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20GoDexter Gordon
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21Hub-TonesFreddie Hubbard
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22Howlin' 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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23Live 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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24Modern 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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25The BridgeSonny Rollins
The Bridge
A comeback after his famous sabbatical, sharp and assured. Strong and acclaimed. A return to form.
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26The 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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27The 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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28Money 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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29Live 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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30Page OneJoe Henderson
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31BalladsJohn Coltrane
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32John 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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33The Big Soul of John Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker
The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker
The Boom Boom album — Hooker at Vee-Jay, one riff and total command.
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34Midnight BlueKenny Burrell
Midnight Blue
A relaxed, bluesy guitar gem of late-night cool. Smooth and beloved. A perfect mood record.
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35Night 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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36Point 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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37Free 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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38The 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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39Another 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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40Out 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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41Empyrean IslesHerbie Hancock
Empyrean Isles
A spare, adventurous quartet date, home to 'Cantaloupe Island'. Inventive and beloved. A Blue Note gem.
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42CrescentJohn Coltrane
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43The 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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44Folk 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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45Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.Simon & Garfunkel
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
The debut, mostly traditional folk, with hints of the sound that would make them one of the decade's defining acts.
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46Getz/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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47A 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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48Spiritual 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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49Live 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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50Bert JanschBert Jansch
Bert Jansch
A landmark British folk-guitar debut. Influential and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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51Highway 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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52Bringing 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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53I'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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54Idle 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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55Maiden 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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56Song 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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57Farewell, AngelinaJoan Baez
Farewell, Angelina
Dylan songs and traditional ballads in a set that showed how far her interpretive range had grown since the debut.
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58A 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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59Hoodoo 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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60UnityLarry Young
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61I 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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62Otis BlueOtis Redding
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63Father 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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64Rubber 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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65Help!The Beatles
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66Mr. Tambourine ManThe Byrds
Mr. Tambourine Man
The album that launched folk-rock as a genre — twelve-string jangle and Dylan translations that redefined what a rock band could sound like.
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67The 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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68Out 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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69My 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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70Solo MonkThelonious Monk
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71Speak 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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72JujuWayne Shorter
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73Smokin' 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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74Blonde 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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75MeditationsJohn Coltrane
Meditations
A fierce, spiritual free-jazz peak. Intense and acclaimed. A late landmark.
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76Blues 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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77Search 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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78Today!Mississippi John Hurt
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79Sounds 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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80Parsley, 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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81Pet 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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82RevolverThe 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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83East-WestThe Paul Butterfield Blues Band
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84AftermathThe Rolling Stones
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85Born 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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86I 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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87John 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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88Buffalo 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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89Mercy, 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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90Disraeli 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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91Gentle on My MindGlen Campbell
Gentle on My Mind
The Jimmy Webb-driven breakthrough that showed Campbell at his most lyrical — country warmth wrapped in immaculate Nashville production.
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92By the Time I Get to PhoenixGlen Campbell
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Three Webb songs in one album cycle; this one cemented the standard and confirmed Campbell as country's most gifted interpreter.
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93Surrealistic 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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94CornbreadLee Morgan
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95Songs 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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96West 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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97The 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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98Branded ManMerle Haggard
Branded Man
An early peak of plain-spoken Bakersfield country. Warm and beloved. A high point.
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99Miles SmilesMiles Davis
Miles Smiles
A peak of the second quintet's elastic, exploratory post-bop. Sophisticated and acclaimed. A landmark.
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100The 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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101Sgt. 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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102Magical 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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103Younger Than YesterdayThe Byrds
Younger Than Yesterday
A peak of jangly, psychedelic folk-rock invention. Tuneful and acclaimed. A high point.
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104The DoorsThe Doors
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105Strange DaysThe Doors
Strange Days
A darker, more assured follow-up to the debut. Atmospheric and beloved. A strong second record.
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106Are 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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107Something 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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108The 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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109The 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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110Goodbye and HelloTim Buckley
Goodbye and Hello
His second album and first masterwork — folk-rock ambition colliding with his extraordinary vocal range across an ambitious, orchestrated set.
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111Adam'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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112Lady SoulAretha Franklin
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113Cheap 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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114Boogie 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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115Wheels 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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116Tell MamaEtta James
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117We'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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118Wichita 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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119Speak 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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120At 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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121Eli and the Thirteenth ConfessionLaura Nyro
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
Soul, gospel, and folk woven together by a singular compositional voice; widely covered, quietly influential, endlessly rewardable.
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122Mama TriedMerle Haggard
Mama Tried
A landmark of Bakersfield country, plain-spoken and powerful. Direct and beloved. His signature record.
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123NefertitiMiles Davis
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124Electric MudMuddy Waters
Electric Mud
A divisive, psychedelic reimagining of Muddy's blues. Bold and strange. A cult curiosity.
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125The 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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126BookendsSimon & Garfunkel
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127Taj MahalTaj Mahal
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128Music 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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129The 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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130Sweetheart 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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131Waiting 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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132Electric 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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133The 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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134Beggars 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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135Astral 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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136Completely 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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137Nashville 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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138Green 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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139Crosby, 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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140Liege & LiefFairport Convention
Liege & Lief
A landmark that invented British folk-rock. Bold and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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141UnhalfbrickingFairport 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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142Hot RatsFrank Zappa
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143GalvestonGlen Campbell
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144Hot 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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145The 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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146At 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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147Johnny WinterJohnny Winter
Johnny Winter
A blistering blues-rock debut of Texas guitar fire. Hot and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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148Second WinterJohnny Winter
Second Winter
A blistering blues-rock peak of Texas guitar. Hot and beloved. A high point.
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149CloudsJoni Mitchell
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150In 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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151Led 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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152Led 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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153Kick 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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154Okie 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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155In 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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156Fathers 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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157Everybody 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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158Five 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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159Basket 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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160KarmaPharoah Sanders
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161Stand!Sly and the Family Stone
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162Stand 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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163The BandThe Band
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164Abbey 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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165The 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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166Arthur (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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167Look-Ka Py PyThe Meters
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168Let 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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169The 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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170Cloud NineThe Temptations
Cloud Nine
A psychedelic-soul pivot toward funk and social themes. Bold and influential. A turning point.
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171TommyThe Who
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172Happy SadTim Buckley
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173Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
A spare, devastating record of peerless songwriting. Beautiful and beloved. A genre cornerstone.