SamuraiFrog has ” been doing a massive project for the past couple of years: listening to all of the music I ever wanted to listen to, in chronological order… I thought I’d jump back into the sixties and make a big list of favorites… So, in my journey through the 1960s, here are my 100 favorites of the many, many albums I listened to, 20 a day for the rest of the week.”
He wrote about them HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.
“A couple of ground rules, though:
“First, I count in units of 10, so the years active here are 1961-1970.”
Well, OK. Must say, though, that most of the albums I listed for 1970 I played in college, while the ones from 1969 and earlier were from high school, so it represents a sea change in perspective, though there was some carryover.
“Second, no greatest hits albums or compilations. I always feel like that’s cheating to have them on the same list as proper albums because compilations are the cherry-picked best.”
True, though most of my albums early on WERE the greatest hits. Herman’s Hermits, much of my early Motown, Donovan, and especially Sly and the Family Stone.
“Third, I apologize if this list isn’t really that different from the myriad of greatest album lists already in existence.
“Fourth, as always, I reserve the right to cheat my rules because they’re my rules.”
In deference to the originator, I will play by most of these rules. That said, I did NOT engage in a massive listening. I took a couple of greatest albums of the period lists, added some top sellers lists, and augmented with my rapidly fading memory to come up with the raw list from which to pare down. The chances I’m forgetting SOMETHING is very high. Also, some of the dates have come from secondary sources, so if they are wrong, you can tell me and I will correct them.
Also, I couldn’t stop with 100, so I went to 150, and I’ll go through them 25 at a time. I won’t post every day, but it’ll be every three or four days.
150. Blind Faith: Blind Faith (1969)
That group with 2/3s of Cream, Steve Winwood, and a guy I hadn’t hear of.
149. Neil Young: Neil Young (1968)
148. Judy Collins: Whales & Nightingales (1970)
147. Jefferson Airplane: Crown Of Creation (1968)
146. Iron Butterfly: In A Gadda Da Vida (1968)
What else was even ON that album?
145. Rolling Stones: Beggar’s Banquet (1968)
144. Diana Ross: Diana Ross (1970)
Her first solo album, with ‘Reach Out And Touch’, and ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’.
143. The Byrds: Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
Came to this album this century.
142. Silver Apples: Silver Apples (1968)
A “psychedelic electronic music duo”. Got the LP in the 1980s. “Oscillations, oscillations. Electronic evocations of sound’s reality.” Opening lyrics to the single from the album.
141. Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
I found it revolutionary at the time, and much imitated (often badly), but, to me, it feels its age. Still I listened to it a lot. And my friends in high school referred to themselves as Holiday Unlimited. Our motto came from ‘Mr. Kite’ – “A splendid time is guaranteed for all.”
140. Beach Boys: Wild Honey (1968)
139. Jimi Hendrix: Axis: Bold As Love (1967)
I think I bought this album twice, by mistake.
138. Temptations: Cloud Nine (1969)
The first side was the first iteration of psychedelic soul on Motown, with songs written by the late Norman Whitfield with Barrett Strong, and produced by Whitfield.
137. Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
136. King Crimson: In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)
135. Jeff Beck Group: Truth (1968)
134. The Band: Stage Fright (1970)
The third album, which I played a lot in my dorm room freshman year in college.
133. Rascals: Once Upon a Dream (1968)
I was a sucker for the Rascals, even when they got a bit – weird.
132. Three Dog Night: It Ain’t Easy (1970)
131. Diana Ross and the Supremes and Temptations: Join (1968)
‘Try It Baby’, a cover of a Marvin Gaye song, is my favorite.
130. Cream: Wheels Of Fire (1968)
129. Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys (1970)
Buddy Miles’ ‘Them Changes’ featured here.
128. Blood, Sweat, and Tears: 3 (1970)
127. Diana Ross and the Supremes: Reflections (1968)
There is this Motown compilation I have on LP, and I think it was Mary Wilson who said, in the intro, that the title tune, is a “weird, weird song.”
126. Stephen Stills: Stephen Stills (1970)
Stills could be rather preachy, but I was OK with that at the time.