10 '60s Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own

By the time we reached the end of the decade, the utopian dream of the hippie generation had officially died out. With the Vietnam War kicking into high gear and social unrest happening at every corner, all the idyllic dreams for the future seemed to be going up in flames. America may have looked like it was in shambles, but the most accurate portrayal of the social decline actually came from overseas.

After outgrowing their British Invasion phase, the Rolling Stones ended up creating the ideal soundtrack to destruction on Let It Bleed. Though not everything on this record is a barnburner, each track is laced with a sense of hopelessness, as if the songs are being played during the endtimes.

Whether you’re listening to the sad lament of a jilted lover on “Love in Vain” or the oncoming doom of “Gimme Shelter,” there’s an underlying sadness as the band tries to come to terms with the sorrow surrounding them.

Though the album is pretty dour, the cheerful pick-me-up of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” helps us accept the darkness surrounding us and becoming stronger for having conquered it. Things might have looked bleak back then, but the beautiful art that rises from the ashes shines brighter than anything else in its path.