10 Best Classic Rock Albums Of The 1960s
The finest work of the birth of classic rock.
The ‘60s ushered in the era of the album, and while the format was in its infancy, it found its feet as the decade went on. The music of this decade stands as some of the most influential ever made, and much of that is due to the change in approach to its release.
Classic rock (or as it was known then, “rock”) began its heyday in the 1960s, in the UK as well as the USA. The best releases of the era are both timely and timeless - while they established a genre and set a precedent for the bands that followed in their wake, these are records that still sound fantastic today.
A time of great musical change in terms of studio technique, songwriting, and methods of release, the finest records of the time used this turbulence and churn to fuel their songwriting. Some of them threw back to older blues and soul influences; others used new technology and the open ears of audiences to invent something entirely new.
But all of these artists created evergreen albums that will be talked about and referred back to forever.
10. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Young’s critical and commercial heyday was the ‘70s, but he released some of his greatest rocking material alongside Crazy Horse in the late ‘60s. His reputation as the Godfather of grunge starts with the very first notes of this frazzled, ragged, enjoyably indulgent early album.
“Cinnamon Girl” starts as the album means to go on, with a simple, fuzz-laden set up. Young’s trademark nasal falsetto is put to great use on a track that sounds incredibly ahead of its time over a riff equal parts ugly, minimalisic, and stylish.
Elsewhere, “Down By The River” features one of the all time great guitar solos, built around barely more than a single note. “The Losing End” and the title track provide a little more warmth, the sort of country fried rock that Young would be taking pops at a few years down the line.
With Crazy Horse at his side, Young is prone to bouts of self indulgence, but Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere keeps things tight. It’s clear that Young enjoys playing with this band, and the freedom they afford him leads to some great music.