Top 61 Music Albums of 1963
by 
Repo 
Films
================
1. The Silence
2. 8 1/2
2. Pink Panther
3. The Haunting
4. The Sword & The Stone
- Chart updated: 07/24/2025 05:15
- (Created: 07/09/2019 19:58).
- Chart size: 61 albums.
There are 0 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and this chart has not been rated yet. Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 57,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from The Beach Boys. (Remove this filter)
Buy album
- #Sponsored
The Lost Beach Boy (1963)
I was maybe nine or 10 and I saw ’ Stratocaster and something clicked inside my soul. Anyway Johnny, he taught me some stuff, and I transferred it over to Carl . Carl and I both got guitars around the same time. I was 10. He was about 12. And so every day after school we’d practice at my house listening to records, learning Chuck Berry, all these guitar riffs mainly and all the surf genre stuff. John was actually connected with Ritchie Valens. He was a pallbearer for Ritchie’s funeral, God bless him, and he was giving us the stuff that he was learning from Ritchie Valens which was at that time, when you’re a nine or ten-year-old, was like the king of rock and roll to me. That guitar sound just never left me. – David Marks aka The Lost Beach Boy
WTF! I cannot believe how ignorant I was about how great The Beach Boys were right from the start. I like this one EVEN MORE than Surfin’ Safari, which is no mean feat. In the early to mid-nineties, influenced by Pulp Fiction's soundtrack I think, I bought a few “surf” albums by bands like The Ventures, and the surf guitar interplay between The Beach Boys' David Marks and Carl Wilson is right up there with the best of them. David & Carl have GREAT guitar tones and a real feel for these songs. You can tell tell that they had been jamming together for a while and their chemistry is simply sublime. It’s too bad that this interplay between David & Carl in the early days and its HUGE contribution to the Beach Boys sound does not get more attention.
Not to say that Brian Wilson doesn't deserve all the credit he does get either though ! He does! His production takes a step up on Surfin' USA and it's the first album that Brian himself would later call “a Brian Wilson production.” The sound on "Finders Keepers" in particular showcases his jump in studio prowess. Despite its cheesy lyrics, to me, it’s one of the hidden the gems on this album, and the song that most shows the future direction Brian would take in the studio.
The Ranking: To me, this sounds very different from Surfin' Safari. Surfin' Safari has more of a proto-punk, '60s girls group feel whereas Surfin' USA is more of a true Surf Rock album. Both are GREAT in those sub-genres and certainly some of the best albums of early '60s rock! [First added to this chart: 07/03/2023]
I was maybe nine or 10 and I saw ’ Stratocaster and something clicked inside my soul. Anyway Johnny, he taught me some stuff, and I transferred it over to Carl . Carl and I both got guitars around the same time. I was 10. He was about 12. And so every day after school we’d practice at my house listening to records, learning Chuck Berry, all these guitar riffs mainly and all the surf genre stuff. John was actually connected with Ritchie Valens. He was a pallbearer for Ritchie’s funeral, God bless him, and he was giving us the stuff that he was learning from Ritchie Valens which was at that time, when you’re a nine or ten-year-old, was like the king of rock and roll to me. That guitar sound just never left me. – David Marks aka The Lost Beach Boy
WTF! I cannot believe how ignorant I was about how great The Beach Boys were right from the start. I like this one EVEN MORE than Surfin’ Safari, which is no mean feat. In the early to mid-nineties, influenced by Pulp Fiction's soundtrack I think, I bought a few “surf” albums by bands like The Ventures, and the surf guitar interplay between The Beach Boys' David Marks and Carl Wilson is right up there with the best of them. David & Carl have GREAT guitar tones and a real feel for these songs. You can tell tell that they had been jamming together for a while and their chemistry is simply sublime. It’s too bad that this interplay between David & Carl in the early days and its HUGE contribution to the Beach Boys sound does not get more attention.
Not to say that Brian Wilson doesn't deserve all the credit he does get either though ! He does! His production takes a step up on Surfin' USA and it's the first album that Brian himself would later call “a Brian Wilson production.” The sound on "Finders Keepers" in particular showcases his jump in studio prowess. Despite its cheesy lyrics, to me, it’s one of the hidden the gems on this album, and the song that most shows the future direction Brian would take in the studio.
The Ranking: To me, this sounds very different from Surfin' Safari. Surfin' Safari has more of a proto-punk, '60s girls group feel whereas Surfin' USA is more of a true Surf Rock album. Both are GREAT in those sub-genres and certainly some of the best albums of early '60s rock! [First added to this chart: 07/03/2023]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
315
Rank in 1963:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Brian Wilson’s God (1963)
There’s a world where I can go
And tell my secrets to
In my room
In this world I lock out
All my worries and my fears
In my room
Lie awake and pray
Do my sighing and my crying
Laugh at yesterday
Now it’s dark and I’m alone
But I won’t be afraid
In my room - In My Room
It’s like a psalm from the Old Testament. But instead of God, Brian (and his two brothers) found sanctuary in their room. In their music. Especially their sibling sing-alongs night after night in their shared room on Hawthorne Street. As Brian would recall years later…
There is a story behind . When Dennis, Carl and I lived in Hawthorne as kids, we all slept in the same room. One night I sang the song "Ivory Tower" to them and they liked it. Then a couple of weeks later, I proceeded to teach them both how to sing the harmony parts to it. It took them a little while, but they finally learned it. We then sang this song night after night. It brought peace to us. When we recorded "In My Room", there was just Dennis, Carl and me on the first verse ... and we sounded just like we did in our bedroom all those nights. – Brian Wilson
The production is simply bonkers for an album from 1963. Leaps & bounds better than ANYONE else at the time. And it wasn’t just the production either. The songs and arrangements were certainly FAR more sophisticated, complex, and mature than even those of the fledgling Beatles in 1963 Every song sounds radically different from each other which, funnily enough, is the exact OPPOSITE of how I always imagined these early Beach Boys tracks would sound. On the Surfer Girl LP in particular, Brian take us on a tour of the many different sub-genres of early rock n’ roll and oldies. If you’re a fan of old-timey rock n’ roll, this album is a gem and showcases Brian and da gang’s eternal love for these classic sounds.
The Ranking: Well so much for the notion that all the early Beach Boys albums sound the same. Absolute rubbish! Third album. Third completely different sound. Gone is the Surf Rock of Surfin' USA (to my chagrin a bit) to a more mature and sometimes even melancholy sound (best exemplified by “In My Room,” “Surfer Moon”, and "Your Summer Dream." This is Brian’s best production yet (with "Hawaii" being its peak sort of like "Finders-Keepers" on Surfin' USA). And his most diverse batch of songs too. Each song occupies its own little niche of early rock n’ roll. Even the 2 instrumental tracks sound nothing like the five from Surfin’ USA. Although, for whatever reason, our heroes from the last album – David & Carl – are relegated to the sidelines. And that choice results in the albums only flaw, to me. I would have liked more guitar! I’m, a rocker at heart so it’s not surprising that I slightly prefer the rougher and rawer sounding Surfin’ USA. But the more remarkable thing is that all THREE so far are very worth owning and completely stand on their own as GREAT LPs. [First added to this chart: 07/03/2023]
There’s a world where I can go
And tell my secrets to
In my room
In this world I lock out
All my worries and my fears
In my room
Lie awake and pray
Do my sighing and my crying
Laugh at yesterday
Now it’s dark and I’m alone
But I won’t be afraid
In my room - In My Room
It’s like a psalm from the Old Testament. But instead of God, Brian (and his two brothers) found sanctuary in their room. In their music. Especially their sibling sing-alongs night after night in their shared room on Hawthorne Street. As Brian would recall years later…
There is a story behind . When Dennis, Carl and I lived in Hawthorne as kids, we all slept in the same room. One night I sang the song "Ivory Tower" to them and they liked it. Then a couple of weeks later, I proceeded to teach them both how to sing the harmony parts to it. It took them a little while, but they finally learned it. We then sang this song night after night. It brought peace to us. When we recorded "In My Room", there was just Dennis, Carl and me on the first verse ... and we sounded just like we did in our bedroom all those nights. – Brian Wilson
The production is simply bonkers for an album from 1963. Leaps & bounds better than ANYONE else at the time. And it wasn’t just the production either. The songs and arrangements were certainly FAR more sophisticated, complex, and mature than even those of the fledgling Beatles in 1963 Every song sounds radically different from each other which, funnily enough, is the exact OPPOSITE of how I always imagined these early Beach Boys tracks would sound. On the Surfer Girl LP in particular, Brian take us on a tour of the many different sub-genres of early rock n’ roll and oldies. If you’re a fan of old-timey rock n’ roll, this album is a gem and showcases Brian and da gang’s eternal love for these classic sounds.
The Ranking: Well so much for the notion that all the early Beach Boys albums sound the same. Absolute rubbish! Third album. Third completely different sound. Gone is the Surf Rock of Surfin' USA (to my chagrin a bit) to a more mature and sometimes even melancholy sound (best exemplified by “In My Room,” “Surfer Moon”, and "Your Summer Dream." This is Brian’s best production yet (with "Hawaii" being its peak sort of like "Finders-Keepers" on Surfin' USA). And his most diverse batch of songs too. Each song occupies its own little niche of early rock n’ roll. Even the 2 instrumental tracks sound nothing like the five from Surfin’ USA. Although, for whatever reason, our heroes from the last album – David & Carl – are relegated to the sidelines. And that choice results in the albums only flaw, to me. I would have liked more guitar! I’m, a rocker at heart so it’s not surprising that I slightly prefer the rougher and rawer sounding Surfin’ USA. But the more remarkable thing is that all THREE so far are very worth owning and completely stand on their own as GREAT LPs. [First added to this chart: 07/03/2023]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
425
Rank in 1963:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Retreaded Tires (1963)
When it comes to speed, man, I'm just outa luck
I'm even shut down by the ice cream truck – No-Go Showboat
THREE WEEKS! That's how long it took Little Deuce Coup to come out after their last LP, Surfer Girl. Nowadays, it’s three years. If we’re lucky. Jeez. No one wonder poor Brian had a nervous breakdown (or whatever it was) four years later during the Smile sessions. An emotionally abusive Dad/Manager (Isn't there a slang term for that? Think ) AND an overbearing record company. Poor Brian couldn't win! He wrote hit after hit. And it was never enough. "More! More! More!" they pleaded. In the end, he even had to fire his Dad, but not before his Dad forced out Lost Beach Boy and local kid across the street turned guitar hero, David Marks.
So, Little Deuce Coup shouldn’t work, right? I mean I don’t even like cars all that much. BUT, damn, I have to admit that Brian does crank out another fresh batch of originals with "Ballad of Ol' Betsy", "Be True to Your School," "Car Crazy Cutie" and more.
The Ranking: This one’s tough to rate. One third of its tracks are recycled so it’s partially a compilation. And none of the new tracks are as good as three of these retreads. Not a one. BUT, all four of the new tracks on Side A side are really good (including Gwyneth Paltrow’s theme song! – “Cherry, Cherry Goop”). And if you were a kid back in 1963, and this was the first album you ever bought, it would definitely be outta site. Until… until.. your friends’ started teasing you a bit that you were listening to "the oldies". Because this is NOT a rock album. The guitars are pretty much gone now that their guitarist David Marks has been pushed out of the band by their Dadager. The Beach Boys had become, and this was already apparent on Surfer Girl, a "Surf Vocals" band And compared with what was coming out across the pond, they sounded a bit square in the second half of 1963. They'd become a bit of an oldies band with super sonic production. BUT, luckily I like quaint and fun oldies like "Car Crazy Cutie" and "Spirit of America."
My biggest knock on the album is "A Young Man Is Gone." I cannot even listen to it. It just feels opportunistic and borderline cringe. I’m sure their intentions were not crass, but it just doesn’t jibe with me.
Anyways, a bunch of retreads and a noticeably inferior Side B make this my least favorite Beach Boy album thus far by quite a large margin.
Also of note, I re-ranked Surfin' Safari ahead of Surfer Girl. As Albummaster mentions, Surfin' Safari just works better as an album. Plus, I really like it's proto-punk vibe and feel.
The Rating: Side A: Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil (detracting a full star because 2 of the tracks are recycled)
Side B: Twisted Evil Twisted Evil (weaker originals c/w Side A; I pretty much hate "A Young Man Is Gone")
In Totality: Twisted Evil Twisted Evil 1/2 [First added to this chart: 07/03/2023]
When it comes to speed, man, I'm just outa luck
I'm even shut down by the ice cream truck – No-Go Showboat
THREE WEEKS! That's how long it took Little Deuce Coup to come out after their last LP, Surfer Girl. Nowadays, it’s three years. If we’re lucky. Jeez. No one wonder poor Brian had a nervous breakdown (or whatever it was) four years later during the Smile sessions. An emotionally abusive Dad/Manager (Isn't there a slang term for that? Think ) AND an overbearing record company. Poor Brian couldn't win! He wrote hit after hit. And it was never enough. "More! More! More!" they pleaded. In the end, he even had to fire his Dad, but not before his Dad forced out Lost Beach Boy and local kid across the street turned guitar hero, David Marks.
So, Little Deuce Coup shouldn’t work, right? I mean I don’t even like cars all that much. BUT, damn, I have to admit that Brian does crank out another fresh batch of originals with "Ballad of Ol' Betsy", "Be True to Your School," "Car Crazy Cutie" and more.
The Ranking: This one’s tough to rate. One third of its tracks are recycled so it’s partially a compilation. And none of the new tracks are as good as three of these retreads. Not a one. BUT, all four of the new tracks on Side A side are really good (including Gwyneth Paltrow’s theme song! – “Cherry, Cherry Goop”). And if you were a kid back in 1963, and this was the first album you ever bought, it would definitely be outta site. Until… until.. your friends’ started teasing you a bit that you were listening to "the oldies". Because this is NOT a rock album. The guitars are pretty much gone now that their guitarist David Marks has been pushed out of the band by their Dadager. The Beach Boys had become, and this was already apparent on Surfer Girl, a "Surf Vocals" band And compared with what was coming out across the pond, they sounded a bit square in the second half of 1963. They'd become a bit of an oldies band with super sonic production. BUT, luckily I like quaint and fun oldies like "Car Crazy Cutie" and "Spirit of America."
My biggest knock on the album is "A Young Man Is Gone." I cannot even listen to it. It just feels opportunistic and borderline cringe. I’m sure their intentions were not crass, but it just doesn’t jibe with me.
Anyways, a bunch of retreads and a noticeably inferior Side B make this my least favorite Beach Boy album thus far by quite a large margin.
Also of note, I re-ranked Surfin' Safari ahead of Surfer Girl. As Albummaster mentions, Surfin' Safari just works better as an album. Plus, I really like it's proto-punk vibe and feel.
The Rating: Side A: Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil (detracting a full star because 2 of the tracks are recycled)
Side B: Twisted Evil Twisted Evil (weaker originals c/w Side A; I pretty much hate "A Young Man Is Gone")
In Totality: Twisted Evil Twisted Evil 1/2 [First added to this chart: 07/03/2023]
Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 61 Music Albums of 1963 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 5% | |
| The Searchers | 2 | 3% | |
| Sam Cooke | 2 | 3% | |
| Lesley Gore | 2 | 3% | |
| Charles Mingus | 2 | 3% | |
| The Beatles | 2 | 3% | |
| Buck Owens | 2 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 61 Music Albums of 1963 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 7 from 11th to 4th Please Please Me by The Beatles |
| Up 3 from 9th to 6th Surfin' U.S.A. by The Beach Boys |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 2 from 5th to 7th Money Jungle by Duke Ellington / Charlie Mingus / Max Roach |
| Down 2 from 6th to 8th Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell |
| Down 2 from 7th to 9th Back At The Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith |
Top 61 Music Albums of 1963 similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
- Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Repo has created 71 other 1963 year charts - click here to explore them all.
Top 61 Music Albums of 1963 ratings
Not enough data Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Top 61 Music Albums of 1963 favourites
Top 61 Music Albums of 1963 comments
Be the first to add a comment for this Chart - add your comment!
Your feedback for Top 61 Music Albums of 1963
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
| Best Artists of 1995 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Radiohead | |
| 2. Oasis | |
| 3. The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| 4. Pulp | |
| 5. Björk | |
| 6. GZA/Genius | |
| 7. Alanis Morissette | |
| 8. PJ Harvey | |
| 9. Elliott Smith | |
| 10. Mobb Deep | |
| 11. Pavement | |
| 12. Foo Fighters | |
| 13. Garbage | |
| 14. Raekwon | |
| 15. Tricky | |
| 16. The Flaming Lips | |
| 17. No Doubt | |
| 18. Death (Metal) | |
| 19. Blur | |
| 20. Guided By Voices |
