Best Albums of the 1960s

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11.

Blonde On Blonde 

 Bob Dylan

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"The way I feel about this album is best represented by the scene in High Fidelity in which Jack Black's character, Barry, describes not owning it as "perverse." That about sums it up. Song for song, this is finest folk rock album ever made. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is probably the highligh...""The way I feel about this album is best represented by the scene in High Fidelity in which Jack Black's character, Barry, describes not owning it as "perverse." That about sums it up. Song for song, this is finest folk rock album ever made. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is probably the highlight for me, but there's not a weak track here."  [+]  Reply

- buzzdainer | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1966

Appears in:

2,052 charts

Rank Score:

24,236

Rank in 1966:

3

Rank in 1960s:

11

Overall Rank:

31

Average Rating:

 88 (2,423 votes)

Comments:

175

12.

Are You Experienced 

 The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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"A simply phenomenal album. The American version, and yes, the American cover, are superior."  Reply

- Romanelli | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (8 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

2,229 charts

Rank Score:

21,187

Rank in 1967:

4

Rank in 1960s:

12

Overall Rank:

38

Average Rating:

 87 (2,524 votes)

Comments:

170

13.

Led Zeppelin II 

 Led Zeppelin

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"Not sure if this is Zeppelin's best album, but it is my favorite. Plant's vocals have never been better, Bonham's drums are insane, and whether the lyrics are about sex, citrus, or Lord of the Rings, every track is essential. It's tough to pick core tracks, but for me Thank You, Heartbreaker, Ram...""Not sure if this is Zeppelin's best album, but it is my favorite. Plant's vocals have never been better, Bonham's drums are insane, and whether the lyrics are about sex, citrus, or Lord of the Rings, every track is essential. It's tough to pick core tracks, but for me Thank You, Heartbreaker, Ramble On, Moby Dick, and Bring it on home really make the album for me."  [+]  Reply

- saltysurprise | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

1,971 charts

Rank Score:

20,717

Rank in 1969:

3

Rank in 1960s:

13

Overall Rank:

40

Average Rating:

 87 (2,779 votes)

Comments:

177

14.

Electric Ladyland 

 The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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"By the time he began to record 'Electric Ladyland', Jimi Hendrix had already learned enough about studio recording to be able to reproduce all the sounds he had in his head, note for note. The result was, in my opinion, the ultimate Jimi Hendrix experience and a testament to his songwriting and p...""By the time he began to record 'Electric Ladyland', Jimi Hendrix had already learned enough about studio recording to be able to reproduce all the sounds he had in his head, note for note. The result was, in my opinion, the ultimate Jimi Hendrix experience and a testament to his songwriting and performance abilities. The whole thing is amazing, from the cosmic blues of 'Voodoo Chile' to the psychedelic 'Gypsy Eyes' to the jazzy prog-rock epic, '1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be), Hendrix managed to incorporate all of his musical influences without it sounding too convoluted or pretentious. Even near the end, the album keeps surprising us, its most memorable songs being its last two: 'All Along the Watchtower', probably the best cover ever made, and 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)', a standard for rock guitarists all over the world. "  [+]  Reply

- chivocosmico | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +12 votes (12 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1968

Appears in:

1,702 charts

Rank Score:

17,036

Rank in 1968:

2

Rank in 1960s:

14

Overall Rank:

59

Average Rating:

 86 (2,008 votes)

Comments:

109

15.

Let It Bleed 

 The Rolling Stones

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"The brilliance of Let It Bleed-one of the finest in the Stone's catalog and one of the greatest albums ever recorded-is the brilliance of the Stones themselves. The album is so varied with a heavy reliance on country rhythms and chord structures, starting off with the terrifying Gimme Me Shelter ...""The brilliance of Let It Bleed-one of the finest in the Stone's catalog and one of the greatest albums ever recorded-is the brilliance of the Stones themselves. The album is so varied with a heavy reliance on country rhythms and chord structures, starting off with the terrifying Gimme Me Shelter and ending with what might be their best song, You Can't Always Get What You Want. On an apocalyptic album recorded as an decade winded down, Monkey Man is a sleek and classy as it is wild. It's also pretty damn scary, unique, and armed with Jaggers acid lyrics and vocal bite. Much as The Beatles Revolver feels like a continuation of Rubber Soul, this is on the same wavelength as Beggars Banquet released the year before for me. Both rank as two of the most amazing achievements in modern music."  [+]  Reply

- NathanTen | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

1,792 charts

Rank Score:

16,800

Rank in 1969:

4

Rank in 1960s:

15

Overall Rank:

60

Average Rating:

 85 (2,123 votes)

Comments:

140

16.

Led Zeppelin 

 Led Zeppelin

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"LED ZEPPELIN (I) is magnificent showcase for a band that has since attained almost godlike status among their diehard fans. The bombastic volume of their heavier numbers easily matched (and often surpassed) the intensity of their contemporaries in 1969. At the same time, their songs were quite dy...""LED ZEPPELIN (I) is magnificent showcase for a band that has since attained almost godlike status among their diehard fans. The bombastic volume of their heavier numbers easily matched (and often surpassed) the intensity of their contemporaries in 1969. At the same time, their songs were quite dynamic and borrowed widely from different genres including folk & blues. It seems obvious that Jimmy Page had been paying close attention to Jeff Beck's debut TRUTH while crafting the sound of his new band, even going as far as covering "You Shook Me". It's never been any great secret that Zeppelin borrowed & stole many of its ideas from other songwriters. Still, they were great interpreters and often knew how to elevate these songs & ideas to their full potential. Their debut album remains a towering achievement to behold, both for musicians wanting to follow in their footsteps and more casual music fans."  [+]  Reply

- Robbit | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

1,811 charts

Rank Score:

16,623

Rank in 1969:

5

Rank in 1960s:

16

Overall Rank:

61

Average Rating:

 86 (2,612 votes)

Comments:

146

17.

Astral Weeks 

 Van Morrison

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"This remains for me one of those albums where its clear something strange and abstract and almost divine happened. Like few albums before or since such as A Love Supreme, this album almost feels like it has a Godly influence. I don't know how to explain it, but almost every aspect of this record ...""This remains for me one of those albums where its clear something strange and abstract and almost divine happened. Like few albums before or since such as A Love Supreme, this album almost feels like it has a Godly influence. I don't know how to explain it, but almost every aspect of this record seems soft as air, like a fleeting moment of clarity, like some gossamer in the air which when you reach for it, it is gone, never quite attainable in terms of full conception. The music, a brilliant mix of irish folk, soul, jazz, blues, and a hundred other things seemingly, is impossible for me to really pin down or categorize. There are moments here of musical beauty and ascendance which is rarely heard. And the vocals by a 23 year old master Van Morrison are mercurial, passionate, they sweep from extreme to extreme as if guided by some unseen hand of some unseen higher power. And the words keep the theme of dichotomy going. Insofar as there are words here that just feel right, they conjure up images and feelings so innate in us as human beings, so true to our conceived form or essence, and yet when you really try to analyze them they, again, seem completely unknowable and abstract. A Specific moment which for some reason never fails to send shivers down my body is in "Madame George". You know that point at the very beginning when you've just gotten done being happy and exuberant on the previous track "The Way Young Lovers Do" when the bass comes in all slack and earthy like and at that moment Van comes in with his sweet soul? That part for some reason, that exact moment and the whole concatenation of moments leading up to it for some reason makes me think of mental clouds opening, like a person (could be me or you when you listen or Van) is having a moment of spiritual oneness, when he is experiencing a moment of true epiphany and clarity. That for some reason just blows me away every time. Also the horn on "Slim Slow Rider" is unearthly. Anyway, I won't go into all the points which are exemplary of this albums majesty, cuz, I just don't wanna. Just listen to it again (and again and again and again...) or for the first time. Just a little inside baseball, I have had this post open and being edited for 3 days. I'm a freak about these lists. I do a lot of listening and dorky "Research". Anyway, you know you have a true towering classic when you find it nearly impossible to move away from an album long enough to even consider other albums for a list. Well, that's been the struggle with Astral Weeks lately. In closing, How this album came to be is one of those truly miraculous moments. 50 years later and there has still been nothing like Astral Weeks. And every time I go to listen to this profound statement of humanism and spiritual inspiration, I know that I am in for some sort of unearthly reward. This album... my God... Love Applause Love Applause Love "In another world In another world In another time Got a home on high Ain't nothing but a stranger in this world I'm nothing but a stranger in this world I got a home on high In another land So far away So far away Way up in the heaven Way up in the heaven Way up in the heaven Way up in the heaven" - Astral Weeks Grade: 10/10"  [+]  Reply

- Mercury | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1968

Appears in:

1,538 charts

Rank Score:

15,722

Rank in 1968:

3

Rank in 1960s:

17

Overall Rank:

69

Average Rating:

 84 (1,724 votes)

Comments:

139

18.

Forever Changes 

 Love

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"This album just supports my reasons why 1967 is the single greatest year of music; The Doors, Sargent Pepper, The Who Sell Out, Strange Days, The Velvet Underground, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Jefferson Airplane, and so many more."  Reply

- Ironic Karma | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +14 votes (16 helpful | 2 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

1,509 charts

Rank Score:

15,139

Rank in 1967:

5

Rank in 1960s:

18

Overall Rank:

75

Average Rating:

 85 (1,643 votes)

Comments:

151

19.

A Love Supreme 

 John Coltrane

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"It opens with a Chinese gong that carries its vibrations across Coltrane's saxaphone bursting through, with a light series of percussion gently bustling beneath, before the bass groove of his now signature "A Love Supreme" theme, a humble, beautiful dedication to God, casts its spell on the work....""It opens with a Chinese gong that carries its vibrations across Coltrane's saxaphone bursting through, with a light series of percussion gently bustling beneath, before the bass groove of his now signature "A Love Supreme" theme, a humble, beautiful dedication to God, casts its spell on the work. Coltrane continues to increase a series of wonderful variations on the theme throughout Acknowledgement, a masterstroke of an opening, brilliantly coaxing us along until, kneeled down, a voice comes forth in a gentle, relaxed mantra, singing "A Love Supreme" over and over again, meditating on the theme, before all instruments subside, excepting a lone bass number searching for the way. Coltrane will show them. He will be led forth by God. Resolution breaks through with a monumental melody, towering above all else, and then holds back while a solo for piano dominates the next couple minutes, rising chords move upwards towards the sky, relentless drumming ecstatically following suit, weaving in and out and working off one another. Suddenly Coltrane charges into the mix, repeating a controlled assault on variations of the opening melody, huge phrases calling out to the Lord as he swiftly climbs upwards. Pursuance one of the most emotional, awe-inspiring, towering masterpieces in all of music, is the pinnacle of Coltrane's career. After opening with an amazing series of drum rolls and an outstanding, flawlessly crafted piano number that builds perfectly right into the second phase of the song, Coltrane arrives with such conviction and abandon that it is hard to believe. Here walls come down, we are transported straight into the very essence of undying conviction and spirituality. Each time Coltrane and the climaxing drum rolls meet are moments of the most intense powers colliding. The song ends with a massive percussion climax before some intimate minutes of lone bass are spent repeating Coltrane's meditative themes. The conclusion of Pursuance leads straight into the mesmerizing finale of Psalm. A completely overwhelmed Coltrane plays as if being touched by God. Beneath his extravagant, poignant melody arises great rumblings of percussion, casting an epic spell and a divine conclusion on the work, before each instrument eventually coalesces in unison as the psalm closes. As John Coltrane's masterpiece, A Love Supreme is the most humble offering, a true miracle, an intensely emotional prayer that manages to carry forth undivided by religion or belief. Regardless of faith, it speaks personally to each of us. It is a beacon showing light on the beauty and artistry that raises the humanity in us all."  [+]  Reply

- AfterHours | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +13 votes (13 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1965

Appears in:

1,332 charts

Rank Score:

15,075

Rank in 1965:

3

Rank in 1960s:

19

Overall Rank:

76

Average Rating:

 87 (1,515 votes)

Comments:

102

20.

Magical Mystery Tour 
Soundtrack

 The Beatles

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"This is easily the Beatles' most overlooked release. Although glued together from some singles, and the film's soundtrack, Magical Mystery tour holds together. Although psychedelic like Sgt. Pepper's, Mystery Tour relies less on narrative and more on atmosphere. The heavy instrumentation of Straw...""This is easily the Beatles' most overlooked release. Although glued together from some singles, and the film's soundtrack, Magical Mystery tour holds together. Although psychedelic like Sgt. Pepper's, Mystery Tour relies less on narrative and more on atmosphere. The heavy instrumentation of Strawberry Fields Forever, the druggy layers on Blue Jay Way. Even the straightforward ballads feel more put together than usual for a Beatles' LP. (Your Mother Should Know, Fool on the Hill). Even the title track (a less successful version of Sgt. Pepper's opener) and Flying (a simple instrumental) are solid. But when this album is good its amazing. Strawberry Fields, All you Need is Love, and I am a Walrus are not only some of the Beatles' best, but some of the greatest songs of all time. P.S. I would recommend any Beatles fan get this record on vinyl. It comes with a large and gorgeous twenty page picture book."  [+]  Reply

- gabrielbeiner | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

1,518 charts

Rank Score:

14,915

Rank in 1967:

6

Rank in 1960s:

20

Overall Rank:

77

Average Rating:

 86 (2,591 votes)

Comments:

182

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 2 of 100

Best Albums of the 1960s composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Year	Albums	%
1960	58	6%
1961	66	7%
1962	50	5%
1963	52	5%
1964	69	7%
1965	89	9%
1966	98	10%
1967	140	14%
1968	188	19%
1969	190	19%

Artist	Albums	%
The Beatles	17	2%
The Beach Boys	15	2%
The Rolling Stones	14	1%
John Coltrane	13	1%
Miles Davis	12	1%
Bob Dylan	10	1%
Nina Simone	10	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	637	64%
	200	20%
	38	4%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	17	2%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	971	97%
Yes	29	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	960	96%
Yes	40	4%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	979	98%
Yes	21	2%