10 '60s Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own
The psychedelic treasure trove.
The '60s will always been known as the decade that rock broke. Though the start of rock and roll dates back to the '50s with Chuck Berry and Little Richard, the British Invasion really kicked the genre into high gear, with everyone now brandishing electric guitars.
The genre may have been becoming a household name, but little did we know we were just starting to scratch the surface of what rock could do.
As each year went by, it seemed like one more influential record would come along to change the way we thought about the genre, with fuzz pedals to psychedelic soundscapes becoming the new norm. Beyond the technical side, most of these records held up as fine pieces of art, with lyrical topics that dealt with the social unrest being felt in the world.
With the Vietnam War underway and the peace revolutions set in motion, these albums provided just the right backdrop of sonic chaos to fit right in amongst the shifting landscape. These might not be your favorite records, but there's a good chance they could be your favorite bands' favorite records.
Some of these albums may be more celebrated than others, but if these aren't somewhere in your record collection, it's time for a cold stare in the mirror.
10. Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - John Mayall
As the British Invasion bands started to invade American airwaves, the blues boom was sweeping the nation on their home turf.
Rather than play typical pop songs with guitars, plenty of bands were coming to the forefront with material that was indebted to the greats like Muddy Waters and Albert King. John Mayall doesn’t tend to get brought up as one of the greatest in the field, but what’s more important were the people around him.
Fresh off his work in the Yardbirds, Eric Clapton is all over this album as Mayall’s lead guitarist, where he annihilates practically every song. Though Clapton had already become a guitar star before this point, his work on tracks like “Steppin Out” marked the beginning of the whole “Clapton is God” ethos. The Yardbirds may have been fun, but these more outlandish forms of aggression was what foreshadowed Clapton’s later work with Cream.
Though Mayall writes a handful of the tunes on here, this is really one of the first proper Clapton solo albums in disguise. Clapton may have gotten a lot more mellow as the years went on, but if you want a taste of what he can really do with a guitar in his hand, this record has got you covered.