Albums of 1969

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1. 1
   Completely WellB.B. King

   Completely Well

   B.B. King · 1969 · Blues

   A peak that produced the immortal 'The Thrill Is Gone'. Smooth and powerful. An essential record.

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   Nashville SkylineBob Dylan

   Nashville Skyline

   Bob Dylan · 1969 · Rock

   A gentle country turn of warm, simple songs, home to 'Lay Lady Lay'. Mellow and beloved. A surprising pivot.

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   Green RiverCreedence Clearwater Revival

   Green River

   Creedence Clearwater Revival · 1969 · Rock

   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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   Crosby, Stills & NashCrosby, Stills & Nash

   Crosby, Stills & Nash

   Crosby, Stills & Nash · 1969 · Rock

   A harmony-rich debut that defined a soft-rock era. Beautiful and beloved. A landmark.

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   Liege & LiefFairport Convention

   Liege & Lief

   Fairport Convention · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   A landmark that invented British folk-rock. Bold and influential. A genre cornerstone.

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6. 6
   UnhalfbrickingFairport Convention

   Unhalfbricking

   Fairport Convention · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   A pivotal record bridging folk and rock, home to 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?'. Beautiful and influential. A landmark.

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   Hot RatsFrank Zappa

   Hot Rats

   Frank Zappa · 1969 · Rock

   A dazzling jazz-rock instrumental record of virtuosic playing and 'Peaches en Regalia'. Inventive and warm. His most accessible.

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   GalvestonGlen Campbell

   Galveston

   Glen Campbell · 1969 · Country & Americana

   The Vietnam-era ballad as hit single gave the album its emotional heart — Campbell's voice at its most tender and restrained.

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   Hot Buttered SoulIsaac Hayes

   Hot Buttered Soul

   Isaac Hayes · 1969 · Soul & R&B

   A radical, expansive soul record of long, orchestral reinventions that changed the genre's scope. Lush and bold. A landmark.

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    The Turning PointJohn Mayall

    The Turning Point

    John Mayall · 1969 · Blues

    An acoustic, drummer-less blues peak of intimate invention. Bold and acclaimed. A creative high.

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    At San QuentinJohnny Cash

    At San Quentin

    Johnny Cash · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    A raw, charismatic prison live record, home to 'A Boy Named Sue'. Electric and beloved. A live landmark.

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    Johnny WinterJohnny Winter

    Johnny Winter

    Johnny Winter · 1969 · Blues

    A blistering blues-rock debut of Texas guitar fire. Hot and acclaimed. A genre highlight.

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    Second WinterJohnny Winter

    Second Winter

    Johnny Winter · 1969 · Blues

    A blistering blues-rock peak of Texas guitar. Hot and beloved. A high point.

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    CloudsJoni Mitchell

    Clouds

    Joni Mitchell · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    An early folk peak, home to 'Both Sides, Now'. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.

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    In the Court of the Crimson KingKing Crimson

    In the Court of the Crimson King

    King Crimson · 1969 · Rock

    The album that launched progressive rock, dark and majestic from '21st Century Schizoid Man'. Ambitious and influential. A genre cornerstone.

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    Led Zeppelin IILed Zeppelin

    Led Zeppelin II

    Led Zeppelin · 1969 · Rock

    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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    Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin

    Led Zeppelin

    Led Zeppelin · 1969 · Rock

    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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    Kick Out the JamsMC5

    Kick Out the Jams

    MC5 · 1969 · Punk & New Wave

    A ferocious live proto-punk document of revolutionary energy. Loud and raw. Hugely influential.

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    Okie from MuskogeeMerle Haggard

    Okie from Muskogee

    Merle Haggard · 1969 · Country & Americana

    A live peak built around its famous, much-debated title song. Tuneful and iconic. A genre landmark.

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    In a Silent WayMiles Davis

    In a Silent Way

    Miles Davis · 1969 · Jazz

    A serene, proto-ambient fusion landmark of hushed electric textures. Spacious and influential. A pivotal record.

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    Fathers and SonsMuddy Waters

    Fathers and Sons

    Muddy Waters · 1969 · Blues

    A warm summit pairing Muddy with younger rock-blues players. Loose and beloved. A high point.

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    Everybody Knows This Is NowhereNeil Young

    Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

    Neil Young · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    The first with Crazy Horse, ragged and electric, home to 'Cinnamon Girl'. Loose and powerful. A landmark.

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    Five Leaves LeftNick Drake

    Five Leaves Left

    Nick Drake · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    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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    Basket of LightPentangle

    Basket of Light

    Pentangle · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    A peak of British folk-jazz fusion of intricate playing. Beautiful and beloved. A genre classic.

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    KarmaPharoah Sanders

    Karma

    Pharoah Sanders · 1969 · Jazz

    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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    Stand!Sly and the Family Stone

    Stand!

    Sly and the Family Stone · 1969 · Soul & R&B

    Joyful, integrationist funk-soul at its peak, idealistic and irresistible. 'Everyday People' anchors it. A high point of the era.

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    Stand by Your ManTammy Wynette

    Stand by Your Man

    Tammy Wynette · 1969 · Country & Americana

    A peak of classic country balladry, home to its iconic title song. Powerful and beloved. A landmark.

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    The BandThe Band

    The Band

    The Band · 1969 · Rock

    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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    Abbey RoadThe Beatles

    Abbey Road

    The Beatles · 1969 · Rock

    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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    The Gilded Palace of SinThe Flying Burrito Brothers

    The Gilded Palace of Sin

    The Flying Burrito Brothers · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    A foundational country-rock landmark led by Gram Parsons. Beautiful and influential. A genre cornerstone.

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    Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)The Kinks

    Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

    The Kinks · 1969 · Rock

    A witty, melodic concept album on British life. Sharp and beloved. A high point of their run.

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    Look-Ka Py PyThe Meters

    Look-Ka Py Py

    The Meters · 1969 · Funk & Disco

    New Orleans funk at its most raw — the Neville Brothers prototype.

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    Let It BleedThe Rolling Stones

    Let It Bleed

    The Rolling Stones · 1969 · Rock

    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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    The StoogesThe Stooges

    The Stooges

    The Stooges · 1969 · Punk & New Wave

    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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    Cloud NineThe Temptations

    Cloud Nine

    The Temptations · 1969 · Soul & R&B

    A psychedelic-soul pivot toward funk and social themes. Bold and influential. A turning point.

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    TommyThe Who

    Tommy

    The Who · 1969 · Rock

    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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    Happy SadTim Buckley

    Happy Sad

    Tim Buckley · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    A jazzy, exploratory folk peak of fluid beauty. Adventurous and acclaimed. A high point.

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    Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt

    Townes Van Zandt

    Townes Van Zandt · 1969 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

    A spare, devastating record of peerless songwriting. Beautiful and beloved. A genre cornerstone.

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