Best Albums of 1967

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Listed below are the best albums of 1967 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 1 hour ago).

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1967 year summaryThe best artists of 1967 were The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground & Nico, The Doors, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jimi Hendrix, Love, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd and Jefferson Airplane.

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41.

The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion

The Incredible String Band

"The name of the band checks out. This is such a whimsical, colorful psychedelic folk record. So much going on, but it's never distracting. I don't feel overwhelmed at all. This album is a must-listen for anyone interested in the 60s psychedelic scene." Reply

Anti | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

107 charts

Rank Score:

474

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

278

Overall Rank:

3,180

Average Rating:

76 (121 votes)

Comments:

42.

Scott

Scott Walker

"Once, coiled soundly beneath the kaleidoscopic cornucopia of musical excess that was the 1960's, a tidal wave which reached sacred heights but synchronically cannibalized itself ten times over, there was a man. A man who, fit with somber body language and European sensibilities, wore dark sunglas...""Once, coiled soundly beneath the kaleidoscopic cornucopia of musical excess that was the 1960's, a tidal wave which reached sacred heights but synchronically cannibalized itself ten times over, there was a man. A man who, fit with somber body language and European sensibilities, wore dark sunglasses indoors and crooned with regard to the fraudulent nature of suburban, posh societies and serial drinkers who typify carnal, animalistic yearnings on midnight pub parades. The man's name was Scott Walker and he's seemingly lived a thousand lifetimes, shuffling along in the footwear of names past and present, rich and poor, angelic and depraved in equal measure. Here, on 'Scott', Walker begins to chisel out his first, significant artistic personality, free from the restraints of the pop band expectations of the Walker Brothers and into a new era of thought-provoking, thematically challenging baroque pop. On his first solo record, the enigmatic songster registers a mere trio of writing credits, however, it's the ascendancy and grandeur of the LP that transfigures the collective into something wholly idiosyncratic. On 'Scott', a caged, creative genius breathed new air that billowed with currents of Belgian chanteurs and classical composers and laid the bedrock for one of the most beguiling careers of the modern era. The album begins with 'Mathilde', an English rendition of Jacques Brel's 1964 chanson that details an abusive, romantic entanglement that forever resurrects like a pitiful, desperate phoenix. This is an opportune time to discuss Walker's admiration and veneration for Brel's work, once even calling him the "most important singer-songwriter in the world". Brel's pension to uncover and rhapsodize on all things strange and uncomfortable in society appealed to Walker, during a period where such things weren't touched or even discussed in pop music, let alone music at large. As a result, Walker christened his exodus from the mainstream by breathing life into Brel's haunting, challenging and sunless parables. At their moral best, they're hopeless, demoralizing accounts of unrequited love and at their worst, accounts of molestation, both mentally and physically at the hands of Army officers. Despite Walker's radical and firmly adult direction, his albums began to fall on a more gradually disinterested audience. Yet, it began to plot the roadmap for a rapidly escalating sonic approach that few (if any) could find parallels to. On 'Mathilde', Walker channels Brel while proclaiming, "My hands, you'll start to shake again when you remember all the pain; Mathilde's come back to me; You'll want to beat her black and blue but don't do it, I beg of you." The track is framed within an up-tempo sheen, reminiscent of a march into battle or a swaggering anthem of boisterous victory. The subject's early indecision is apparent with his mind made up by the end of the piece. Walker employed the assistance of three composers on 'Scott', perhaps most synonymously, Angela Morley (then Wally Stott), who would go on to further heights as Walker's arranger. On track two, Montague Terrace (In Blue), one of three penned by Scott himself, Morley crafts a dizzying, yet chic sheen before propelling walls of brass that instantly unionize with Walker's baritone hollers. There's an air of satire purveying here, like a thick vapor. "The girl across the hall makes love; Her thoughts lay cold like shattered stone; Her thighs are full of tales to tell of all the nights she's known," Walker details. It's unclear if the image is one of a much yearned for, idyllic, societal upgrade or a disdain for others' possessions and dispositions. Arriving third, LP highlight 'Angelica' softly vibrates before segueing into Walker's cries for the song's titular maiden. The organ tones from the onset color the track with melancholy, conjuring images of eulogization for lost love. Walker explains, "Now in my solitude, I tend the flowers that I buy, As they slowly fade and die, watered by the tears I cry." 'Angelica' represents a landmark in the early days of Walker's solo odyssey, as an indication of his desire to routinely croon overtop pessimist anthems far before it was vogue, complete with a dim worldview that would become progressively overcast. Fourth Track, 'The Lady from Baltimore', is Walker's attempt at Tim Hardin's classic. Scott's take is fittingly folky, with the prose in lock-step with his bleak paradigm. His voice sports a twangy timbre, faintly foreshadowing his self-assessed "Wilderness Years" in the early 1970's. However, his foray into folk and flirtation with country is marvelously executed. Walker's most ardent statement on the LP is the final track, 'Amsterdam', a swooning, cinematic recoloring of Jacques Brel's famous live staple. It's through this piece that Walker proves himself to be most worthy to succeed Brel as the patron saint of fatalistic allegories. The track opens with accordion hisses that wash over the empty pockets of sonic space like a patient sunrise as eyelids softly open to greet it. Walker sets the the scene for the finale with a tale of the rawest kind of human desperation, with a pistol of willful ignorance tucked away in its holster. The tale is as much about revelry as it is despair, or maybe more astutely, how the two co-exist in the minds of the downtrodden. 'Amsterdam' steadily ascends, starting as a lone man recounting a drunken memory out loud. Soon, it seems as if others join in (characterized by the power of Walker's vocals). Finally, the collective emerges, taking the form of the swirling instrumentation that rises the tide lead by Walker's voice. It's a picture so vivid that it's hard to disassociate the visual from the track. It's a stunning statement ushered off by Walker's repeated chants. 'Amsterdam' is without question Walker's finest Brel interpretation and one of his career's most prolific efforts. Noel Scott Engel died on March 22, 2019, but the world knew him as Scott Walker. However, few people knew that he died in 1967 as well. This death did not serve as a passageway to the afterlife, but rather, a reincarnation. An invigoration. A rebirth. 'Scott' remains the genesis of a career that words couldn't succinctly articulate. The Scott Walker of the Walker brothers walked and died, dried up in a desert of creative disillusionment and disgust so that the Scott Walker that would follow could run and consequently, swim oceans fiercely cavernous and artistically unbound. The transaction included trading in a handsome, youthful face for a stern demeanor and a military cap that slumped lower and lower throughout the years, reflecting the thematic directions his music would take while hiding the weathered, hardened features of his face. The seedlings planted within 'Scott' would grow to spawn a wonderous garden whose fruits few would taste. Walker saw very little monetary success throughout the remainder of his career and by 1978, he was a recluse. He would occasionally resurface with records that would scorch earth and send those with their ears to the ground into a frenzy. By some, he is regarded as the most unheralded genius in music history. To others, he was a passing shadow of an assembly line industry of musical malaise. In 1967, with a brilliant, stark solo debut, he began a journey of endless ambition fit with thankless repercussions. It's a journey we all should take, for it is rooted in the very soul of what music should be, endlessly imaginative and unyielding. However, few have the inclination to look at the natural world as Walker did. It's a blessing and a curse. "In the port of Amsterdam there's a sailor who drinks And he drinks, and he drinks, and he drinks once again, He drinks to the health of the whores of Amsterdam Who have promised their love to a thousand other men They've bargained their bodies and their virtue long gone For a few dirty coins, and when he can't go on, He plants his nose in the sky and he wipes it up above, And he pisses like I cry for an unfaithful love." -Amsterdam Standout Tracks: 1. Amsterdam 2. Angelica 3. The Lady from Baltimore 91.6" [+] Reply

DriftingOrpheus | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

113 charts

Rank Score:

457

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

283

Overall Rank:

3,283

Average Rating:

75 (135 votes)

Comments:

43.

Francis Albert Sinatra And Antonio Carlos Jobim

Frank Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim

"The best voice of all time singing like never, Claus Ogerman´s delicate and inspired arrangements and a first line Tom Jobim and American Standards repertoire, all in a sofisticated Bossa Nova style. Everything here is perfect." Reply

- FHCA72 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

100 charts

Rank Score:

450

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

284

Overall Rank:

3,316

Average Rating:

76 (109 votes)

Comments:

44.

Walk Away Renée / Pretty Ballerina

The Left Banke

""Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina" reviews itself. Walk Away Renee and Pretty Ballerina are absolutely fantastic tracks, and the rest, although not bad, aren't worth a mention." Reply

- Xavygravy | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

101 charts

Rank Score:

427

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

295

Overall Rank:

3,472

Average Rating:

76 (91 votes)

Comments:

45.

Vanilla Fudge

"The album begins with some great cover versions. The second part dissolves in less coherent pieces and falls apart a bit. I really like the addition of the Hammond organ on this album, as well as the drumming, which is great. Overall a 70 or 75/100." Reply

antiloopje | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

90 charts

Rank Score:

415

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

303

Overall Rank:

3,553

Average Rating:

74 (102 votes)

Comments:

46.

Far East Suite

Duke Ellington

"A very interesting record. Mr. Ellington is a musical sponge. I guess that's what made him a genius." Reply

- Coconut | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

102 charts

Rank Score:

402

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

308

Overall Rank:

3,652

Average Rating:

77 (96 votes)

Comments:

47.

You Got My Mind Messed Up

James Carr

"One of the greatest soul albums ever recorded. Shame it's not held up as high as his contemporaries Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, etc." Reply

- Schnouttz | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

110 charts

Rank Score:

398

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

311

Overall Rank:

3,687

Average Rating:

79 (85 votes)

Comments:

48.

Tangerine Dream

Kaleidoscope (UK)

"Acclaimed by critics but strangely unknown to the general public. I think this is a great psychedelic album that deserves to be considered among the best albums of the 60's." Reply

- Rafion | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

100 charts

Rank Score:

390

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

316

Overall Rank:

3,753

Average Rating:

76 (81 votes)

Comments:

49.

Straight, No Chaser

Thelonious Monk

Share your opinion and help others discover this album. The top-voted comments are showcased in our aggregate charts!

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

84 charts

Rank Score:

373

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

330

Overall Rank:

3,895

Average Rating:

79 (77 votes)

Comments:

50.

Reach Out

Four Tops

"Three bangers. IMHO ( Reach Out, Bernadette, Standing in the shadows of Love) and one almost (walk away renee)" Reply

Jboy56 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

101 charts

Rank Score:

369

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

333

Overall Rank:

3,934

Average Rating:

76 (80 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 835. Page 5 of 84

Best Albums of 1967 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	7	1%
István Kertész / London Symphony Orchestra	6	1%
Donovan	5	1%
Aretha Franklin	4	0%
The Kinks	4	0%
The Hollies	4	0%
Sun Ra And His Myth Science Arkestra	4	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	468	56%
	130	16%
	27	3%
	19	2%
	18	2%
	18	2%
	17	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	785	94%
Yes	50	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	815	98%
Yes	20	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	826	99%
Yes	9	1%

« View best albums of 1966View best albums of 1968 »

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Best Albums of 1974
1. Red by King Crimson
2. On The Beach by Neil Young
3. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis
4. Crime Of The Century by Supertramp
5. Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt
6. Court And Spark by Joni Mitchell
7. Here Come The Warm Jets by Eno
8. Diamond Dogs by David Bowie
9. Sheer Heart Attack by Queen
10. A Tábua De Esmeralda by Jorge Ben
11. Mirage by Camel
12. Queen II by Queen
13. Radio City by Big Star
14. Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan
15. Autobahn by Kraftwerk
16. Kimono My House by Sparks
17. No Other by Gene Clark
18. Country Life by Roxy Music
19. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight by Richard & Linda Thompson
20. Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder