Greatest Albums of 1966 & Onward

[yonderhillside]

I've compiled many greatest albums lists in my day and would like to see how others would compile, in their own opinions, their personal greatest albums lists. I chose to share with the board my 1966 list, as Pet Sounds is my favorite album of all and is relevant to this board, in particular. If this thread is relatively successful I have many other lists compiled that I would enjoy sharing. *In no way have I come up with a scientific process to accurately portray these albums in order, aside from perhaps the top 10 or 20, varying from list to list.*

• 1.   The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
  2.   The Beatles - Revolver
  3.   Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
  4.   The Kinks - Face To Face
  5.   The Rolling Stones - Aftermath
  6.   The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out!
  7.   John Coltrane - Ascension
  8.   The Who - A Quick One
  9.   Otis Redding - Complete & Unbelievable
  10.   The 13th Floor Elevators - Psychedelic Sounds
  11.   Cream - Fresh Cream
  12.   Donovan - Sunshine Superman
  13.   Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
  14.   Yardbirds - Roger The Engineer
  15.   The Byrds - Fifth Dimension
  16.   Love - S/T
  17.   Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence
  18.   Buffy Sainte-Marie - Little Wheel Spin & Spin
  19.   The Young Rascals - S/T
  20.   The Animals - Best of
  21.   The Mamas & The Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears
  22.   The Rolling Stones - Big Hits
  23.   The Fugs - S/T
  24.   The Small Faces - S/T
  25.   Buffalo Springfield - S/T
  26.   The Beatles - Yesterday & Today
  27.   The Incredible String Band - S/T
  28.   Otis Redding - Soul Album
  29.   The Seeds - S/T
  30.   The Troggs - From Nowhere
  31.   Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off
  32.   The Seeds - A Web of Sound
  33.   John Fahey - The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party
  34.   The Misunderstood - The Lost Acetates
  35.   The Monks - Black Monk Time
  36.   John Mayall w/ Eric Clapton - Blues Breakers
  37.   Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind
  38.   Tim Buckley - S/T
  39.   Roy Harper - Sophisticated Beggar
  40.   Fred Neil - S/T
  41.   The Lovin' Spoonful - Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful
  42.   The Sonics - Boom
  43.   The Supremes - A Go-Go
  44.   The Godz - Contact High
  45.   Sun Ra - Other Planes of There
  46.   The Monkees - S/T
  47.   Lee Hazlewood - The Very Special World of...
  48.   Bert Jansch - Jack Orion
  49.   The Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
  50.   Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Comin'
  

[Ovi]

Great list man, you must own a lot of music. I'd love to see your top for other years.

[yonderhillside]

Thank you kindly. I do take pride in my collection. Listening to music takes up a substantial fraction of my time. I currently have so far: Top 50 albums of every year from 1965 - 1978 as well as a Top 600 Albums of All Time. The latter is very biased so I've left that on the back burner for now. Everyone feel free to post your own lists, be they Top 5 or Top 50.

[Aum Bop Diddit]

The best year ever for music, although much of it was on 45rpm.  However, both the Beach Boys and Beatles released their finest albums in 1966, which says something.

[The Demon]

Great list.  I cannot claim to have heard them all, but it was a year of many worthy releases.

I would add, perhaps obviously, Zappa's Freak Out!.  This was to pop music what Ulysses was to fiction, adding a new dimension to the familiar.  Though few have wanted to follow its path, that is their own loss.  66 brought us a lot of great music, both wonderful and yet trivialized by Freak Out!.  Though powerful, I'd even argue this album, which should have been released in 66, was made irrelevant by Freak Out! too:

[danieljack]

Best or not, '66 was a good 'un. I'd add the Sonics' "Boom" to the list, as well.

[Loaf]

Jefferson Airplane's Takes Off was 1965, no? Surrealistic Pillow was 1966, making the best year ever even better

[yonderhillside]

Well according to wikipedia, which is my main source for information sadly, Takes Off was 66 and SP was 67. I think I'm just going to designate this thread for all years so I'm not flooding the board with these lists. '67 coming up.

[Loaf]

Well according to wikipedia, which is my main source for information sadly, Takes Off was 66 and SP was 67. I think I'm just going to designate this thread for all years so I'm not flooding the board with these lists. '67 coming up.

I stand corrected!

[yonderhillside]

•        The Greatest Albums of 1967
  
  1.   The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
  2.   Love - Forever Changes
  3.   Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
  4.   The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile
  5.   The Kinks - Something Else
  6.   The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
  7.   The Who - The Who Sell Out
  8.   The Rolling Stones - Between The Buttons
  9.   Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
  10.   Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
  11.   The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request
  12.   The Doors - S/T
  13.   The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
  14.   Cream - Disraeli Gears
  15.   The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday
  16.   Love - Da Capo
  17.   Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates of Dawn
  18.   Leonard Cohen - The Songs of Leonard Cohen
  19.   Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love
  20.   Moby Grape - S/T
  21.   Donovan - A Gift From a Flower To a Garden
  22.   The Beach Boys - Wild Honey
  23.   Frank Sinatra - Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
  24.   Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
  25.   Buffalo Springfield - Again
  26.   Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk
  27.   The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
  28.   Scott Walker - Scott
  29.   Donovan - Mellow Yellow
  30.   The Grateful Dead - S/T
  31.   Country Joe & The Fish - Electric Music for the Mind & Body
  32.   Magic Sam - West Side Soul
  33.   Nina Simone - Sings The Blues
  34.   Incredible String Band - 5000 Spirits or Layers of the Onion
  35.   Young Rascals - Groovin'
  36.   The Beau Brummels - Triangle
  37.   Kaleidoscope (US) – Side Trips
  38.   Big Brother & The Holding Company - S/T
  39.   Tim Buckley - Goodbye & Hello
  40.   Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign
  41.   The Doors - Strange Days
  42.   Phil Ochs - Pleasures of the Harbor
  43.   Nico - Chelsea Girl
  44.   Kaleidoscope (UK) - Tangerine Dream
  45.   13th Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere
  46.   Mississippi John Hurt - Immortal
  47.   Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's
  48.   Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
  49.   Otis Redding - King & Queen
  50.   Harry NIlsson - Pandaemonium Shadow Show
  

[Ovi]

My top 10:

1. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (life-changing)
2. The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (overrated or not, I still think this is genius)
3. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding (in many ways the opposite of Blonde on Blonde, but just as good)
4. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
5. Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

6. Love - Forever Changes
7. The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request
8. The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile
9. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
10. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow

[Ovi]

We're gonna do this up to 2014, no? 

[Gertie J.]

ad infinitum 

[alf wiedersehen]

I'll give 1967 a shot.
My top seventeen:

01. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
02. Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
03. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
04. Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk
05. The Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free
06. The Kinks - Something Else by the Kinks
07. The Beach Boys - Wild Honey
08. Scott Walker - Scott
09. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
10. Sinatra/Jobim - Sinatra/Jobim
11. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
12. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
13. The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
14. Harry Nilsson - Pandemonium Shadow Show
15. The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile
16. Gene Clark - Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers
17. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?


Tough list, but I'm feeling good about it for the moment.

[alf wiedersehen]

Slightly out of order, but I live life on the edge, so...
My top 5 for 1966:

1. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (Did you really expect anything else)
2. The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out!
3. The Beatles - Revolver (John's "And Your Bird Can Sing" and "Doctor Robert" really drag this album down for me)
4. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
5. The Kinks - Face to Face

[yonderhillside]

We're gonna do this up to 2014, no? 

And how! God willing...

[Gabo]

 I haven't heard many albums from 1966. I don't buy many albums, don't fileshare, and am just usually slow to try new things. I also just prefer listening to individual tracks on youtube and greatest hits comps. I'll rank what i've heard. 

1. Face to Face (rocking, concise, witty -- i love it)
2. Pet Sounds (peerless production and arrangements but not the lyrics are nothing special)
3. Revolver (tight arrangements but a bit cobbled together -- The Beatles 20/20)
4. Blonde on Blonde - (too much shrieking harmonica ouch)

[Please delete my account]

Despite my love of 1960s Kinks, I can't get into Face to Face at all, apart from Fancy, Dandy and Sunny Afternoon. The albums either side of it seem worlds better to me. Any tips for how I can "get it"?


All my life I have thought Velvet Underground and Nico came out in 1966! Must have read somewhere the year it was recorded and it just lodged in my head.

[Gabo]

Its my second favorite after VGPS which probably means its one of my ten favorite albums ever. I'll Remember is such a cute closer, try that one out.

[alf wiedersehen]

Funny, "I'll Remember" is probably my least favorite off of Face to Face.
You've named most of my favorites with your short list, UR, although I think you're missing out on "Rainy Day in June". The lyrics, sparse arrangement, and sound effects create a cool mood, and the chorus and the way it builds up is great.
"Party Line" and "Holiday in Waikiki" are fun, super-catchy, rollicking songs, and I really love the guitar on "Little Miss Queen of Darkness."

[Gabo]

 i also love Session Man, incredible melody and a clever lyric. I like the high voices in the refrain. Too Much On My Mind is a song that touches the heart. Youre Looking Fine is a stupid, but fun blues tune. Dave's vocal sounds good for once. Ill Remember is another simple one, but the sentiment is irressistable. The guitar also sounds cool.

[Loaf]

I'll risk another JA-related faux-pas... can we add After Bathing at Baxter's to the 1967 list?

That's my favourite psychedelic album of all time.

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Id throw in a classic motown album from 1966 Ive been listening to a lot lately

The Temptations - Gettin Ready

all killer no filler...

Id say the same for the Smokey and the Miracles albums - Going to a go-go (1965) and Make it happen (1967)

[leggo of my ego]

The '66 list needs more Garage...

The Shadows of Knight - Gloria

and in '67

The Electric Prunes - s/t

[yonderhillside]

Back by popular demand I, herein, shall resurrect this thread. My lists have not been updated since this thread was started, so in the last 2 years, I'm sure I would have added or removed some from the lists, but I do not have the time to review them all - so I will post as-is. Here goes the neighborhood..

Greatest Albums of 1965

• 1.   Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
  2.   The Beatles - Rubber Soul
  3.   Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
  4.   The Beach Boys - Today!
  5.   The Rolling Stones – Out of Our Heads
  6.   The Who - My Generation
  7.   The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
  8.   The Kinks - Kink Kontroversy
  9.   The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights)
  10.   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Going To A Go-Go
  11.   Yardbirds - Having A Rave-Up
  12.   Otis Redding - Otis Blue
  13.   The Beatles - Help!
  14.   The Rolling Stones – Now!
  15.   The Zombies - S/T
  16.   The Temptations - Sing Smokey
  17.   The Impressions - People Get Ready
  18.   John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
  19.   The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics
  20.   The Kinks - Kinda Kinks
  21.   The Supremes - More Hits By The Supremes
  22.   Bert Jansch - S/T
  23.   Patty Waters - Sings
  24.   Miles Davis - My Funny Valentine
  25.   Donovan - What's Been Did & What's Been Hid
  26.   Donovan - Fairytale
  27.   Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Rip, Rig & Panic
  28.   Them - The Angry Young Them
  29.   Buck Owens & His Buckaroos – I’ve Got a Tiger By The Tail
  30.   Johnny Cash - Sings The Ballads of the True West
  31.   Paul Butterfield Blues Band - S/T
  32.   Toots & The Maytals – The Sensational Maytals
  33.   Martin Carthy – S/T
  34.   The Shangri-Las – Shangri-Las-65!
  35.   Temptations - The Temptin' Temptations
  36.   John Fahey – Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites
  37.   Miles Davis - ESP
  38.   The Rolling Stones - December's Children
  39.   The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
  40.   Skip James - Today!
  41.   The Fugs - First Album
  42.   Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
  43.   John Fahey - Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death
  44.   Jackson C. Frank - S/T
  45.   The Pretty Things - S/T
  46.   Phil Ochs - I Ain't Marching Anymore
  47.   Sun Ra - The Heliocentric Worlds, Volume 1
  48.   B.B. King - Live At The Regal
  49.   Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album
  50.   Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band – Hoodoo Man Blues