1,001 Albums

51–100

About

Listening to all albums (at least once) in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list. For the record, 1000 *pretty much anything* is an absurd undertaking. Each album has a little background and any tracks I particularly enjoyed.

TL;DR

Great means the whole album was fantastic. Good albums have at least 6 songs I like. Honorable albums have at least 4 songs I like. Ranked as entire albums, not by artist or isolated tracks.

Great: Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles), The Velvet Underground & Nico, Are You Experienced (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

Good: Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys), The Doors, Something Else (The Kinks)

Honorable: Mr. Tambourine Man (The Byrds), My Generation (The Who), Fred Neil, Black Monk Time (The Monks), Face To Face (The Kinks), Aftermath (The Rolling Stones), Chelsea Girl (Nico), Headquarters (The Monkees), Disraeli Gears (Cream), The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Pink Floyd), The Who Sell Out (The Who), Younger Than Yesterday (The Byrds), Groovin’ (The Young Rascals), Sunshine Superman (Donovan)

1965

#51 | John Coltrane — A Love Supreme

Recorded in a single session as a suite with four parts and selling over 500,000 copies by 1970. The hymn-like quality permeated modern jazz and rock music.

An alternative version of Acknowledgement was recorded the following day with tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp and bassist Art Davis, but not included. Guitarists John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana recorded Love Devotion Surrender in 1973 as a tribute.

• Acknowledgement

#52 | B.B. King — Live At The Regal

Jethro was originally scheduled to play the organ, but after his organ broke, King instructed Jethro to play the piano. When Jethro said he did not know how to play the piano, King replied “Well, just sit there and pretend — that’s what you do most of the time anyway!”

• How Blue Can You Get?
• You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now

#53 | The Beatles — Rubber Soul

First album of original songs, where the band was in complete control, and not to feature the band’s name on the cover. Also the first signs of artistic conflict between Lennon and McCartney — and McCartney and the rest of the band over the use of LSD. The band experimented with new sounds and even used the recording studio as an instrument (by altering playback speeds when mixing).

The title is derived from the colloquialism “plastic soul” (after hearing Mick Jagger’s singing described this way) as a way of acknowledging their lack of authenticity compared to the African-American soul artists. The stretched cover image was chosen after accidentally projecting it onto an uneven surface. A key influence on styles such as psychedelia and progressive rock.

The US release removed four songs (Drive My Car, Nowhere Man, What Goes On and If I Needed Someone) and add two (I’ve Just Seen a Face and It’s Only Love) making the album seven minutes shorter.

• Entire Album

#54 — Bert Jansch

Recorded on a reel-to-reel tape recorder with a borrowed guitar at engineer Bill Leader’s house and sold to Transatlantic Records for £100 — who then went on to sell 150,000 copies!

• Needle of Death
• Angie

#55 | The Byrds — Mr. Tambourine Man

Comprising of originals (primarily penned by Clark) and folk song covers — primarily by Bob Dylan (such as Mr. Tambourine Man and All I Wanna Do) who also released Mr. Tambourine Man that year! Introduced a new genre of folk rock.

The distinctive album cover fisheye lens photograph of the band was taken by Barry Feinstein at the bird sanctuary in Griffith Park.

• Mr. Tambourine Man
• I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better
• All I Really Wanna Do
• It’s No Use

#56 | Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited

Named the album after the American highway connecting Dylan’s birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota, to southern cities famed for their musical heritage — but met with resistance: “I wanted to call that album Highway 61 Revisited. Nobody understood it. I had to go up the fucking ladder...”

The organ in Like a Rolling Stone was improvised by Al Kooper, who was sitting in on the session and who never played an electric organ before. Pushed folk music forward by merging it with rock.

• Like a Rolling Stone
• Ballad of a Thin Man
• Highway 61 Revisited

#57 | The Who — My Generation

The first album features a handful of James Brown covers interspersed with Pete Townsend originals. Released in the US as The Who Sings My Generation with a different cover and slightly different track listing. In the UK the pressing was out of print from 1980 to 2002.

• I Don’t Mind
• My Generation
• The Kids Are Alright
• Daddy Rolling Stone

1966

#58 | The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds

Considered a Brian Wilson solo album in all but name and presented to the rest of the band after a substantial portion had been developed, causing some group infighting regarding the new direction. Designed as a “complete statement” with no filler tracks, inspired by Rubber Soul.

Wall of Sound-based orchestrations mixed conventional rock set-ups with elaborate layers of vocal harmonies, found sounds, and instruments never before associated with rock — such as glockenspiel, ukulele, accordion, bongos, harpsichord, violin, viola, cello, trombone, Coca-Cola bottles, French horn, string sections, flutes, barking dogs, trains, bicycle bells and Electro-Theremin (the first use on a rock album).

Unprecedented production cost of $70,000 ($550,000 today), backing tracks recorded by the classically-trained “Wrecking Crew” employed on Phil Spector records. Brian used a 43-piece orchestra to record instrumental pieces entitled Three Blind Mice and Trombone Dixie that were not included. To the band’s surprise Brian dropped Good Vibrations in order to spend more time on it — eventually released as a follow-up single that became a worldwide hit.

Before release the album was played in a hotel suite for John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Keith Moon. McCartney cited God Only Knows as his favorite song of all time, and acknowledged that Pet Sounds was the primary impetus for the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The working title was Our Freaky Friends, with the actual title named after the dogs on the album — plus a tribute to Phil Spector by matching his initials. Both the name and album cover betrayed the complexity of the album, and it didn’t sell as expected.

In 1990, one of the first CDs (with bonus tracks) to sell over a million copies. In 1997, the first true stereo version was released as The Pet Sounds Sessions. In 2000, Wilson performed the entire album live with an orchestra, released as Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds Live. In 2007, J-Dilla mashed the album with Bullion to produce Pet Sounds in the Key of Dee. In 2014, a biopic called Love & Mercy about the album’s making.

• Wouldn’t It Be Nice
• That’s Not Me
• Sloop John B
• God Only Knows
• Hang on to Your Ego
• Good Vibrations [released as follow-up single]

#59 | The Beatles — Revolver

Final recording project after taking a three-month break and before their retirement as live performers. With no plans to reproduce their new material in concert, the band made liberal use of studio techniques that would be impossible live. The sessions also produced the non-album singles Paperback Writer and Rain.

Reduced to 11 songs for the US release, which coincided with the Beatles’ final concert tour and controversy surrounding John Lennon’s remark that the band had become “more popular than Jesus.” Album cover designed by Klaus Voormann (a friend from the band’s time in Hamburg), combining Aubrey Beardsley-inspired line drawing with photo collage.

McCartney walking out of the studio during the final session due to a disagreement, two days before the band were due to start the first leg of their world tour (no Revolver songs played). The band spent over 220 hours recording — compare with under 80 for Rubber Soul — and introduced nine new recording techniques such as automated double tracking, backwards recording, and close-miked drums. Celebrated the project’s completion at Harrison’s nightclub, Sibylla’s.

Original names for the album include Abracadabra (taken), Four Sides to the Circle, After Geography (joke on Aftermath by the Rolling Stones), Bubble and Squeak, Beatles on Safari, Freewheelin’ Beatles and Pendulum.

• Entire album

#60 | Fred Neil

Named after the hit song included in the film Midnight Cowboy.

• The Dolphins
• That’s The Bag I’m In
• Everybody’s Talkin’
• Sweet Cocaine

#61 | Bob Dylan — Blonde On Blonde

One of the first double albums in rock — also with no text on the cover. After ten unsuccessful (only one song) recording sessions in New York, moved to Nashville. Dylan requested the partitions separating the musicians be removed to create ambiance, which also creates a distinctive sound.

The name was coined (not by Dylan) during recording sessions and possibly coincidentally has the initials B.O.B. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands was recorded during a session that started at 4am and took up the entire fourth side (11 minutes 23 seconds) of the album — the first rock song to take up an entire LP side!

The official release date is commonly listed as May 16, but was in fact June 20. In 2015, an 18-disc Collector’s Edition released containing “every note recorded.”

• Rainy Day Women № 12 & 35
• Visions of Johanna

#62 | The Monks — Black Monk Time

The only album released during the band’s original incarnation and considered important in the development of punk rock as possibly the first punk record.

• Boys and Boys and Girls are Choice
• I Hate You
• Oh How To Do Now
• He Went Down to the Sea

#63 | The Kinks — Face To Face

The first album consisting entirely of Ray Davies compositions, who suffered a nervous breakdown just prior to the major recording sessions. Considered by some as rock’s first concept album.

• Party Line
• Dandy
• Holiday in Waikiki
• Sunny Afternoon

#64 | The Mama’s And The Papa’s — If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears

The original cover was pulled from stores after the toilet was declared indecent and first pressings sell for over $300.

• Do You Wanna Dance
• California Dreamin’

#65 | Paul Revere & The Raiders — Midnight Ride

The only record by the band with songwriting credited to all members. Lead guitarist Drake Levin quick following due to differences. The Monkees had a hit covering I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone the following year.

• Kicks
• I’m Not Your Stepping Stone

#66 | The Mothers Of Invention — Freak Out!

One of the earliest concept and double albums (the first two-record debut) in rock. Frank Zappa joined after the previous guitar player quit after a fight — and encouraged the band to play original material and change their name. Guitar player Elliot Ingber performed under the pseudonym Winged Eel Fingerling. According to Zappa they were signed assuming they were a “white blues band.”

All tracks written (one co-written) by Zappa, with some featuring “Mothers’ Auxiliary” — additional session players including noted “Wrecking Crew” members. It was discovered later the producer had taken LSD during recording. Two lines were removed from Help, I’m a Rock for drug references, but a sped-up “fuck” was included in The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet. The band name also had to be changed from simply The Mothers because…

“… at the time, it was, you know, if you were a good musician, you were a motherfucker, and Mothers was short for collection of motherfuckers.” — Frank Zappa

The album cover includes a letter to fictional character Suzy Creamcheese. Early pressings included an ad for a send-in “Freak Out Hot Spots!” map containing Lost Angeles restaurants, clubs and information on police arrest areas. Influence on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

• Motherly Love
• Trouble Every Day
• Help, I’m A Rock (dedicated to Elvis Presley)

UK release

#67 | The Rolling Stones — Aftermath

First album consisting entirely of original compositions, first to recorded in true stereo, and longest (52 minutes) popular LP to that point. The US release has a different cover and substituted Paint It, Black for four UK songs. Inspired by Rubber Soul and conceived as a soundtrack for a planned film Back, Behind and in Front. Because Brian Jones was frequently absent or too high to play, Keith Richards ended up playing most of the guitar — a trend he would build upon.

Controversy around the proposed title Could You Walk on the Water? led to the band bitterly settling on Aftermath. Received some criticism for derisive lyrics towards women in some of the songs.

• Paint It, Black [US release]
• Take It Or Leave It [UK release]
• Mother’s Little Helper [UK release]
• Lady Jane
• Under My Thumb

#68 | Simon And Garfunkel — Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Largely consisting of acoustic pieces that took four months to produce at a cost of around $30,000 ($236,000 today). Copyright disputes over Cloudy (co-written by Bruce Woodley) and Scarborough Fair (introduced by Martin Carthy).

Vocal takes were overdubbed to get “decent separation” between Simon’s voice and guitar. In A Simple Desultory Philippic, Simon imitates Bob Dylans voice and harmonica interjections. 7 O’Clock News/Silent Night mixes news reports about the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, and the death of comedian Lenny Bruce with the Christmas carol Silent Night.

• Homeward Bound
• The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)
• A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission)

#69 | The 13th Floor Elevators — The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators

Purported to be the first album to use of the word “psychedelic” in reference to the music within. Track listing altered without the band’s consent.

#70 | Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton

“The Beano Album” (after the cover, which shows Clapton reading a Beano comic) consists of blues standards with a few originals, but mainly a showcase for Clapton’s playing. The 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard Clapton used was stolen in 1966 and never found — a replica was reissued in 2012.

Originally intended to be a live album recorded at the Flamingo Club, but scrapped due to bad recording quality. Horn player Derek Healey is misrepresented on the sleeve as the then-Secretary of State for Defence, Dennis Healey. After recording Clapton formed Cream. Ramblin’ On My Mind is Clapton’s first lead vocal song.

• Ramblin’ On My Mind
• Hideaway

#71 | Roger the Engineer

Originally released Yardbirds in the UK and Over Under Sideways Down in the US, Germany, France and Italy. The title is from the cover drawing of the audio engineer Roger Cameron by band member Chris Dreja. Happenings Ten Years Time Ago contains special effects and dual lead guitars by Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page; considered groundbreaking for the time.

• Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
• Over Under Sideways Down
• I Can’t Make Your Way

#72 | Nina Simone — Wild Is The Wind

Four Women gained attention when it was banned by New York jazz radio station WLIB due to concern over the lyrics.

• Four Women
• Wild is the Wind

#73 | Astrud Gilberto — Beach Samba

1967

#74 | Nico — Chelsea Girl

Named after Warhol’s 1966 film, Chelsea Girls, which Nico starred. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams by Lou Reed is one of the earliest Velvet Underground songs, but was not formally acknowledged until 1995; they also provided instrumental work for many of the songs. I’ll Keep It with Mine was written by Bob Dylan. Nico was dissatisfied with the finished product saying “The first time I heard the album, I cried and it was all because of the flute.”

• The Fairest of the Seasons
• These Days
• Chelsea Girls
• Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

#75 | The Beatles — Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Loosely conceptualized by McCartney (after taking LSD for the first time) as a performance by the fictional Sgt. Pepper band — inspired by the albums Pet Sounds (which was inspired by Rubber Soul) and Freak Out. Credited for bridging the cultural divide between popular music and high art (the first art rock album), its release heralded the Summer of Love. Incorporates rock and roll, vaudeville, big band, piano jazz, blues, chamber, circus, music hall, avant-garde, and Western and Indian classical music. The first pop album without gaps between tracks, giving the impression of a continuous live performance. The run-out groove contains random noises preceded by a high-pitched tone that could be heard by dogs but was inaudible to most human ears.

The cover collage includes 57 photographs and nine waxworks that depict a diversity of famous people including Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando, Tyrone Power, Tony Curtis, Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Sonny Liston, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Dylan Thomas, Self-Realization Fellowship gurus, and the Eastern deities Buddha, Lakshmi and Kali. Lennon requested Jesus, Gandhi and Hitler but was rejected. Actor Leo Gorcey’s image was painted out after he requested a fee. Cost nearly £3,000 (£55,000 today), an extravagant sum for the time.

Afforded the luxury of a nearly limitless recording budget and no deadline it took an estimated 700 hours and cost £25,000 (£457,000 today). Strawberry Fields Forever took an unprecedented 55 hours of studio time. Won four Grammy Awards and the first rock Album of the Year. Best-selling album of 1967, of the decade, and one of the best-selling (over 32 million copies) albums of all time.

After pressure from EMI, Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane were released as singles and left off the LP — later described as “the biggest mistake of my professional life.” First Beatles album with identical track listings for both UK and US versions. Before release the band took the album to Cass Elliot’s flat in Chelsea, London, where they played the album at full volume with speakers pointing out the windows (no complaints)! The BBC banned several songs for lyrical content.

Principal shooting for a Sgt. Pepper television film was scheduled and was to have been a 52-minute color film that featured musical segments for each of the album’s tracks, but never eventuated (although the ideas were used in Magical Mystery Tour).

• Entire album
• Strawberry Fields Forever [Single]
• Penny Lane [Single]

#76 | Country Joe And The Fish — Electric Music For The Mind And Body

One of the first psychedelic albums to come out of San Francisco. Due to deterioration of the original master tapes, the album was remixed in 1982 and subsequently used for the original CD release in 1990. In 2013, the original stereo mix was released. A version of Love was performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Grace is a tribute to Jefferson Airplane’s lead singer.

• Section 43
• Love

#77 | Buffalo Springfield — Buffalo Springfield Again

Recorded over nine months due to the bassist being deported (subsequently re-entered illegally to continue working) and Neil Young quitting and re-joining on several occasions — and notably absent for a gig at the Monterey Pop Festival (replaced by David Crosby). Broken Arrow begins with audience applause taken from a concert by The Beatles.

• Broken Arrow

#78 | Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band — Safe As Milk

Abba-Zaba is named after the candy bar and was originally meant to be the title of the album, but permission was refused. The black and yellow pattern on the back sleeve echoes the candy bar colors. John Lennon had two Safe As Milk promotional stickers on cupboard doors at his home. Until 2003, co-writer Herb Bermann (believed to be a pseudonym) was located and interviewed.

• Zig Zag Wanderer
• Electricity

#79 | Moby Grape

On the original release, Don Stevenson is shown “flipping the bird” on the washboard, which was airbrushed out in subsequent pressings. The American flag was also airbrushed red due to the political climate, then changed to black (communist connotations). Columbia chose also to place ten of the thirteen songs on five singles released on the same day — all with the same cover! Only two songs charted.

In 2007, a remastered CD (including bonus tracks) and LP (mono) were released — but taken out of print (along with Wow and Grape Jam) after the former manager threatened a lawsuit. Robert Plant covered 8:05 and Naked If I Want To while Bruce Springsteen has performed Omaha in live performances. In 2015, band member Peter Lewis’s daughter recorded a track-by-track cover of the album.

Note: Full album not on Spotify, playlist here.

• Omaha
• Sitting By The Window
• Indifference

#80 | Love — Da Capo

Revelation is a 19-minute song that was originally a live jam showcase, and one of the first rock songs to take an entire side of an LP. The introduction to Giga is from Partita №1 BWV 825 by J. S. Bach.

• Orange Skies

#81 | The Beau Brummels — Triangle

Psychedelic surrealist fantasy music. Old Kentucky Home was composed by Randy Newman. During the album’s recording sessions, was called to active duty in the Army Reserves and left the band.

#82 | The Monkees — Headquarters

The first album with substantial songwriting and instrumental performances by band members. Sold over two million copies within the first two months.

The original rear album cover featured a mislabelled photo and is known as the “producers cover,” which was corrected and became known as the “beard cover.” In 2000, a 3-disc box set of outtakes from the session as well as the album’s original monophonic mix presented in an alternate running order that was rejected before release.

• For Pete’s Sake
• Zilch
• Randy Scouse Git
• All of Your Toys
• 99 Pounds [Deluxe Edition bonus track]
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere [Deluxe Edition bonus track]
• Tema Dei Monkees [Deluxe Edition bonus track]
• Midnight Train [Deluxe Edition bonus track]
• Peter Gunn’s Gun [Deluxe Edition bonus track]

#83 | Tim Buckley — Goodbye And Hello

#84 | Love — Forever Changes

The final album by the original band and named after a story about a breakup where the woman exclaimed “you said you would love me forever” and the reply was “well, forever changes.” Neil Young agreed to co-produce the album, but later excused himself. Enlisted top session musicians — including those from Wrecking Crew.

In 2003, The Forever Changes Concert DVD features the entire album performed in its original running order and was the first time many of the songs had been performed live.

• Along Again Or

#85 | Cream — Disraeli Gears

The name is from malapropism for derailleur gears with cover art by Australian artist Martin Sharp, who lived in the same building as Clapton. Recorded in New York in only three-and-a-half days, a feat considering the length of the album, and on the day the band’s visas expired. A deluxe edition was released with an outtake of Blue Condition with Eric Clapton on lead vocals, and demos of the songs Weird of Hermiston and The Clearout.

• Sunshine of Your Love
• Blue Condition
• Tales of Brave Ulysses
• SWLABR
• We’re Going Wrong

#86 | Pink Floyd — The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Debut studio album after their first single, a song about a kleptomaniac transvestite titled Arnold Layne garnered mild controversy when Radio London refused to air it. EMI, unsure of exactly what kind of band they had signed, gave them free rein to record whatever they wanted.

Originally titled Projection, the final title is from chapter seven of The Wind in the Willows. The cover was shot by Vic Singh with a prism lens given to him by George Harrison and was displayed at the V&A Museum in 2017 as part of a Pink Floyd exhibition. One of several album covers used in a series of Royal Mail stamps in 2016. For Record Store Day 2018, Piper was reissued in its mono mix with a bespoke envelope package containing the original cover art.

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, it comprises lengthy improvisations from the band’s live performances and shorter songs that Barrett had written. This US version was officially titled simply Pink Floyd and replaced three songs with the UK non-album single See Emily Play, while the UK release featured the title on the back cover. Special limited editions of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn were issued to mark its thirtieth, fortieth, and fiftieth anniversaries.

Although there was never an official tour of the album, the band gigged in the UK and US (visa issues caused a number of cancellations) to promote the album. Barrett’s LSD-taking caused many live performance issues (not showing up, not playing) culminating in being sent home from the US after standing motionless during an appearance on The Pat Boone Show.

• Pow R. Toc H.
• Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
• Interstellar Overdrive
• The Gnome
• Bike

#87 | The Who — The Who Sell Out

Structured as a collection of unrelated songs interspersed with fake commercials and public service announcements, the album purports to be a broadcast by pirate radio station Radio London. Following release lawsuits from the real-world brands. The reference to “selling out” was an irony as the band had made real commercials during that time. Daltrey claims to have caught pneumonia after sitting for a prolonged period in the bathtub, as the beans had been frozen!

Original vinyl copies of the album end with an audio oddity that repeats into an instrumental locked groove (in response to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band runoff track). A poster was included in the first 1,000 copies and can sell for over £600.

• Armenia City in the Sky
• I Can See for Miles
• Early Morning Cold Taxi
• Hall of the Mountain King

#88 — The Velvet Underground & Nico

Debut Velvet Underground album recorded during Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable tour for under $3,000 ($24,000 today). A financial failure (only 30,000 copies sold) and mostly ignored (banned from record stores and radio stations), it started to gain recognition in the late 1970s and is now regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time. Notable for its overt descriptions of topics such as drug abuse, prostitution, sadism and masochism and sexual deviancy.

Although Andy Warhol is the only formally credited producer, he had little direct influence beyond paying for the recording sessions. Techniques used on the album include an ostrich guitar (all strings tuned to the same note), guitars turned down a whole step, and a viola with mandolin strings.

The cover features a Warhol print of a banana and early pressing could be peeled to reveal a flesh-colored banana, which required a special machine and delayed release by a year! Only the 1980s Japan and 2008 re-releases feature the sticker. The actor Eric Emerson’s image was used on the back cover and he threatened to sue, so copies were recalled and airbrushed. In 2012, the Velvet Underground sued the Andy Warhol Foundation over the rights to the banana image, and lost. In 2009, Beck recorded a track-for-track cover of the album and released it online as part of a project called Record Club.

• Entire album

#89 | Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim

Jobim had to wait for Sinatra to return from a holiday in Barbados where he was taking a mutually agreed “break” from his marriage to Mia Farrow. Guitarist Al Viola played on Change Partners due to Jobim’s difficulty with the track, but is not credited. A follow-up album Sinatra-Jobim was released the following year, but pulled by Sinatra due to poor sales.

• The Girl From Ipanema

#90 | The Doors

Debut album recorded in less than a month on a four-track tape machine. For The End, Morrison’s repeated use of the word “fuck” was mixed down to be unintelligible and two takes were edited together to achieve the final recording. Sold over 20 million copies to date and featured prominently in the film, Apocalypse Now.

Break On Through was the first single but relatively unsuccessful so the line “she gets high” was edited to promote airplay — most remasters from 1999 use the original lyrics. Light My Fire was a hit and a shorter single version was released. Alabama Song and Back Door Man are cover songs.

• Break On Through (To The Other Side)
• Soul Kitchen
• Twentieth Century Fox
• Alabama Song
• Light My Fire
• End of the Night
• The End

#91 | The Byrds — Younger Than Yesterday

The title is derived from the lyrics of My Back Pages, written by Bob Dylan and covered on the album. So You Want to Be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star is a good-natured swipe at the success of manufactured pop bands like The Monkees, but is also ironic as drummer Michael Clarke was recruited for his good looks rather than musical ability. For unknown reasons, the previously-released Why was re-recorded differently and included. Featured the sitar-like sound of backwards guitar effects.

• So You Want to Be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star
• Everybody’s Been Burned
• Mind Gardens
• My Back Pages

#92 | The Young Rascals — Groovin’

Last album before renaming to just The Rascals and eight of the eleven songs were released on singles. The cover was conceived (but not illustrated) by drummer Dino Danelli and had two stickers (“THIS LP HAS THE BIG HIT” followed by one of the two Top 10 tracks) affixed.

• A Girl Like You
• How Can I Be Sure
• Groovin’
• A Place in the Sun

#93 | Jefferson Airplane — Surrealistic Pillow

San Francisco photographer Herb Greene photographed the band for the album’s cover. The first UK release replaced some of the original songs with tracks from the group’s first US LP.

Some controversy exists as to the role of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia in the making of the album. His reputed presence on several tracks is denied by producer Rick Jarrard, but he is credited on the RCA label copy. A comment by Garcia about the music being “as surrealistic as a pillow is soft” was reportedly the inspiration for the title.

• Somebody to Love
• White Rabbit
• In the Morning

#94 | The Kinks — Something Else

Sold poorly in the US upon release there in January 1968, where the band was still the subject of a five-year ban on television performances due to a series of incidents culminating with an appearance on The Dick Clark Show.

• David Watts
• Death of a Clown
• Tin Soldier Man
• Lazy Old Sun
• Afternoon Tea
• Waterloo Sunset

#95 | Donovan — Sunshine Superman

Unreleased in the UK (for 18 months) due to a contractual dispute.

In the video for the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”, a close up of a spinning turntable shows the Epic Records version of Sunshine Superman playing.

• Sunshine Superman
• Season of the Witch
• The Trip
• The Fat Angel

#96 | Merle Haggard And The Strangers — I’m A Lonesome Fugitive

The song I’m a Lonesome Fugitive was inspired by the television show The Fugitive, not Haggard’s time in San Quentin prison.

#97 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced

One of the greatest rock debuts, with the band designed to showcase his guitar talents. In an effort to reduce expenditures and gain more creative control, Hendrix and the producer completed much of the album’s pre-production work at their shared apartment.

Hendrix’s penchant for using multiple amplifiers at extreme volume drew criticism and complaints from the people living and working near to the studio and was “so loud you couldn’t stand in the studio” and asked where to place the mic Hendrix responded “Oh, man, just put a mic about twelve feet away on the other side of the studio. It’ll sound great!” Because he was not a confident singer he had a privacy barrier constructed. He would also tell people where they were recording, which led to large numbers of female fans showing up to watch.

Purple Haze used an Octavia pedal and when tapes were sent for remastering had “Deliberate distortion. Do not correct.” written on them; it also opens with a tritone prohibited by the Catholic Church for its association with the devil! Without the benefit of rehearsals, the band recorded The Wind Cries Mary in one take (with guitar overdubs added). Although the song had long been a staple of the group’s live show, they failed to record Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone in the studio. Are You Experienced? features backwards rhythm guitar, bass, and drums (pre-dating scratching by a decade)— making it very difficult to perform live. Hey Joe is a folk song and only cover, but was one of the most-requested tracks. Foxy Lady was recorded (except for some overdubs) in a single session and is about the London socialite Heather Taylor. Red House was dropped from the US album.

The UK cover features Hendix in a cape, which he disliked resulting in the psychedelic US version that used a fisheye lens and color reversal (ultimately using the first shot taken) — and also resulted in Hendrix’s signature afro hairstyle.

• Entire album

#98 | The Electric Prunes

Sometimes referred to as I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night). In order to speed up the album seven of the twelve tracks were written and produced without input from the band — much to their frustration and disappointment.

• I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)

#99 | Loretta Lynn — Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)

Peaked at №1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Albums chart and the first by a female country singer to be certified Gold by the RIAA.

#100 | Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brijbhushan Kabra — Call Of The Valley

A milestone in world music, an instrumental album following a day in the life of an Indian shepherd from Kashmir. It is one of the most successful Indian albums and very important in introducing Indian music to Western ears. Fans include George Harrison, David Crosby, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn.