1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums by Mercury

NOTE: I actually did rank this. Some of these ranks go against where they were initially ranked in my Music Diary. But Here ya go. I did not rank the honorable mentions YET. They are in order of when they appeared on the Music Diary.

I had a Diary, maybe even still do, where I listened to a bunch of Singer/Songwriter albums. First from pre 66, then 67, then 68, and then I went absolutely nuts deep dive into 69. This chart basically lists out every album mentioned with its corresponding review or note in that September-October 2017 Music Diary project. That is why some things won't make sense, references to videos posted in that thread won't make sense. References to rank won't make much sense. My system even changed, the number of albums ranked per year changed. The first thing though was I essentially pointed out that Dylan 63-66 dominated. After the dylan you have my top 10 pre 67 singer songwriter albums, then some albums which were honorable mentions for that period, then top 8 1967 albums, then some honorable mentions, then top 5 1968, followed by honorable mentions, then you have hella honorable mentions for 69 followed by the top 25(!) 69 singer songwriter albums ranked.

The total number of albums mentioned came out to 95. I added 5 albums i hadn't mentioned to get it to an even number.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and okay bye.

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#2 of 1967

Of All these classic singer-songwriter statements in 1967, this album seems the most unassuming. It sounds the least adventurous and the least flashy with its wordplay. There are no epic lyrical intensities of Leonard Cohen. Nor is there the brilliant rhythm section heroics or Biblical parables and mysteries of John Wesley Harding. Nor is there the fearless experimentation and vocal flights of Goodbye and Hello. Nor is there the quiet political tensions of Jerry Moore, or the classical aspects and chamber folk experimentations or 7-9 minute poems of Pleasures of the Harbor or the psychedelic experimentation and child-like flights of fancy of Donovan, or the Proto-Buckley dreamy production and velvety pipes of Fred Neil. And yet this album may just be the most succintly well-rounded and best written and most affecting of all these albums in many ways. Its a perfectly distilled 23 minute set of songs with absolutely no wasted anything. The vocals ache and the words ring completely true, and the band adds non-showy yet brilliant touches with a gorgeous horn here and a killer drum fill there, the guitars shimmer and cut, etc. The whole Tim Hardin 2 album floats through, completely serene, completely immaculate, untainted by silliness or extravagance. Its just about as perfect an album as was released in the 1960s.

Grade: 9.6/10
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
235
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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#3 Pre-1967

Damn! These first 2 Hardin albums just hit the sweet spot, don't they? Painfully short (this is 27 min, Tim Hardin 2 is 23 min), perfectly balanced between introspective and downright poetic tracks and blues rockers, and they feature obviously truly excellent and soulful vocals by the man himself. If Jansch's album was all about stripping away all but simple vocal and guitar, this album is about taking simple, elegant songs and imagining them in all sorts of new and pristine ways with the occasional orchestra, the occasional full on blues rock band (with HARMONICA!) , with the occasional straight forward folkie rock tune, etc. This album despite its length is beautifully scattered stylistically. I should say, not scattered, but varied. It could have come across as Scattered if not for the absolutely human and likable and brilliant anchor holding this thing down - Timmy H hisself.

Every song is a short nugget, a gem, they all have their own personality and soul and they are all so beautifully self contained and presented so excellently. Every track is unique in this way. That is not to say there are not obvious stand outs. The mournful, subtly orchestral, soul song "It'll Never Happen Again" is just absolutely gorgeous and tearful and earnest. The opener "Don't Make Promises" is just an earworm classic. "Reasons To Believe" is a classic soulful pop gem, all about the struggle of loving someone, with just virtuosicly spare use of words. "Smugglin Man" is balls to the wall blues rock, while not as intense as stuff from Highway 61 Revisited, its a nice companion to that immensely influential sound, and holds its own even against such a peer's work as that. Okay, that last comment made not much sense, but finally the closer here :How Can We Hang On To A Dream" is another absolutely breathtaking breakup song.

And etc etc, this is fabulous. And what's more, Tim Hardin 2 is a bit better. Also a 1967 album. 67 is a stacked year.

Grade: 9.1/10
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
291
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Honorable Mention for 1968 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1

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1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums composition

Year Albums %


1960 0 0%
1961 0 0%
1962 0 0%
1963 3 3%
1964 7 7%
1965 12 12%
1966 6 6%
1967 12 12%
1968 22 22%
1969 38 38%
Artist Albums %


Bob Dylan 8 8%
Phil Ochs 5 5%
Tim Hardin 3 3%
Bert Jansch 3 3%
Laura Nyro 3 3%
Tim Buckley 3 3%
Fred Neil 3 3%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 75 75%
United Kingdom 14 14%
Canada 8 8%
Mixed Nationality 2 2%
Zimbabwe 1 1%
Live? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%

1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 99 from 100th to 1st
Looks Like Rain
by Mickey Newbury
Climber Up 93 from 99th to 6th
John
by John Phillips (ZW)
Climber Up 91 from 98th to 7th
Songs From A Room
by Leonard Cohen
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 45 from 8th to 53rd
The Paul Simon Songbook
by Paul Simon
Faller Down 41 from 17th to 58th
Songs Of Our Times
by P.F. Sloan
Faller Down 41 from 18th to 59th
Songs Of Protest And Anti-Protest
by Chris Lucey
TitleSourceTypePublishedCountry
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s Mercury1960s decade chart2021
Normlore Norman BatesCustom chart2017
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960sMoondance1960s decade chart2025
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960sWilliamFrayer1960s decade chart2021Unknown
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s jnfbn1960s decade chart2020
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s Norman Bates1960s decade chart2025
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s samistake2ice1960s decade chart2016
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s bertrandu1960s decade chart2017
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s MrFrogger1960s decade chart2015
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960sBorderFreeAndrew1960s decade chart2025

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1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
90/100 (from 5 votes)
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1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums comments

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100/100
From 12/03/2023 01:53
Absolutely love this chart - I can feel the passion you had in creating it. I came to this chart via exploring Vince Martin's anthology - and I will certainly return here as I notice a few artists that have escaped me to date on my own journey through singer/songwriters.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 10/14/2017 11:33
I think the biggest surprise for me is how low you rank Nick Drake's debut which I consider a masterpiece. I know that you are just getting into Tim Buckley and his charms take a little time, but I know that you've adored Drake for a long time.

But, there is so much stuff here I do not know that's it's impossible to really argue with these ratings. You've become the master in a genre and time period that I thought I knew rather well. Proving yet again that I know nothing. Damn you for that, Mercury. lol

But, yeah this is really, really great stuff. You should definitely continue this project for as long as it still inspires you. Just don't feel compelled to move at such a breakneck speed. lol. When you do, well hop on over to my Mellow Zone. lol.

Peace, brother. Truly phenomenal work, here! Keep it up!!!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 10/14/2017 07:12
Awesome. I'm going to make one right now myself. It's going to look very different from yours. I'm more of a pop/rock singer songwriter type of guy. But your chart is awesome anyway, just different than mine will be.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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