Best Album of the '60's

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

What album from the 1960's do you think was the best?

It's tough to winnow down a list of only 20 fair options: it's very much slanted towards rock/pop, mostly because R&B/Soul wasn't very album oriented until the '70s, the Blues was rarely an album format genre to begin with (plus Blues in the '60s was more revivalist than anything else) and the great Jazz albums were mostly in the '50s. If there are serious gripes about this poll and people want a different one, then just comment with your complaints.

Also, I think the Beatles probably deserved more than two albums on the list, but I think the White Album and Sgt Peppers do the job well enough, plus... I had to cut the list down somehow. So I will pre-empt complaints about Revolver not being on there, though it deserves to be.

Memorable albums I had to cut out of the choices:

The Beatles:
Abbey Road
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Help!

The Band:
Music From Big Pink

Jimi Hendrix Experience:
Electric Ladyland
Axis: Bold As Love

Led Zeppelin:
Led Zeppelin II

The Rolling Stones:
Beggar's Banquet
Between the Buttons

Cream:
Disraeli Gears

Bob Dylan:
Blonde on Blonde
Bringing It All Back Home
(His Folkie Period)

Simon & Garfunkel:
Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme
Bookends

Otis Redding:
Otis Blue

and so on...

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

:eek: I can't decide on one, so I can't vote, but I will add that these are my choices for the best: Pet Sounds, Black Sabbath and Live @ Folsom Prison (I'm into Johnny Cash right now!). I would add Revolver and Rubber Soul (2 of yours you cut) to my list because they are by far my favorite Beatles albums... I'm not a huge Dylan fan, but my husband loves him, so he would agree with Blonde on Blonde...

[Ralph Baer]

I don't think that David Bowie was around until the 1970's. Also perhaps Black Sabbath.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I don't think that David Bowie was around until the 1970's. Also perhaps Black Sabbath.
Well, you're right and wrong. I screwed up on the Bowie album. "Space Oddity" was a single in 1969 and wound up being released on an album later that year, Man of Words/Man of Music. The album Space Oddity wasn't released until '72. So, change the title, and it still fits. My mistake, though for the mixup.

And Sabbath gets mixed around a lot. A lot of people credit this album as starting heavy metal, and that heavy metal began in 1969. I never hear exact dates (or at least when I do, they conflict). I give Black Sabbath a technicality since it was released in the U.S. in the spring of 1970, but I believe was released in the U.K. several months earlier.

To be fair, this poll really should have been, Best Album of the Golden Period of Pop Music (1965-1973).

Geez, I thought this poll would last at least through the weekend before being thoroughly debunked. And I didn't think I'd be the one to debunk it. Blast.

[Nathan]

The best album of the 1960's is Revolver. There is no second.

That being said, from your list, I'd have a tough time deciding between Tommy and the White Album.

[CarlS]

I went with Sgt. Pepper, but was surprised to see Revolver off the list. This is generally always listed in the top two or three from the 60s with Sgt Pepper and Pet Sounds.

[ShirtlessBob]

Off this list, I had to go with Sgt. Pepper. So much excellence on one album, from "A Day In The Life" to "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" to "With A Little Help from My Friends"... wow.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Ok, I fixed it (http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?t=59585): Took off Black Sabbath (it was released Feb. 13th, 1970 - I was off by two months) and Space Oddity (for my aforementioned mix up with the single release) and replaced them with Disraeli Gears and Revolver.

Just don't complain about Rubber Soul not being on there. We already know the Beatles are the kings without putting half of their catalogue on there. The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys deserved more than one album each, but I had to show similar restraint to keep the list at 20.

[brookyone]

I'm nearly positive CSNY's Deja Vu was released in the late 60's, as such, the hands down winner IMHO.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I'm nearly positive CSNY's Deja Vu was released in the late 60's, as such, the hands down winner IMHO.
Deja Vu was (barely) released after Black Sabbath- though I was positive that this one was after the decade mark.

Allmusic.com (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:dtkcikc6bb79) lists the album as being released March of '70.

Great album, though. A stong contender for the '70's crown.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

The best album of the 1960's is Revolver. There is no second.


Best album of all time...

[The Paragon of Virtue]

The best album of the 1960's is Revolver. There is no second.

That being said, from your list, I'd have a tough time deciding between Tommy and the White Album.

I always go with Abbey Road, although Revolver is certainly great too.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I always go with Abbey Road, although Revolver is certainly great too.
I always loved the concept of Side 2 basically being a long medley, but other than that, I never really thought that the songs were as strong as a few of their other late period albums.

Although, I suppose The White Album gets the exact opposite complaint: great songs, no continuity whatsoever.

[eaglehockeyrules]

Completely subjective to individual tastes. Perhaps you could have researched initial sales: gold, platnum, etc. and then ask for personal favorite.

Also, aren't some of these releases from the 1970s? Black Sabbath, Bowie and I am sure Tommy was made in the early 1970s.

[MoFan]

Also, aren't some of these releases from the 1970s? Black Sabbath, Bowie and I am sure Tommy was made in the early 1970s.
Tommy - released 1/1/69

Black Sabbath and Bowie are addressed below.

[5mn_Major]

Tough to vote against the Beatles...but early Led Zep most influenced today's rock music (and as it came later was more sophisticated than the B's).

OK...I just like it more :p

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

It's funny that this poll is the one that still gets votes considering that there is a better, less flawed version (http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?t=59585) elsewhere.

[French Rage]

It's funny that this poll is the one that still gets votes considering that there is a better, less flawed version (http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?t=59585) elsewhere.

The only flaw there is that the true best album is in 3rd place.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

The only flaw there is that the true best album is in 3rd place.

I think the people have spoken.

[pgb-ohio]

To be fair, this poll really should have been, Best Album of the Golden Period of Pop Music (1965-1973).My feeling is that what everyone calls "The 60's" began with the JFK assasination and ended with Nixon's resignation. Your revised definition dovetails with that pretty nicely. As the examples from the various posts suggest, the music from 1969 & 1970 is all from the same era. Splitting hairs between that pair of years doesn't really make sense; only the calendar changed.