10 60s Albums That Shaped Rock
1. Sgt Pepper - The Beatles
The world's greatest rock band were at an impasse when the mid 60's hit. After a disasterous 1966 tour, the Beatles decided to stop touring completely and remain a studio-only act. With the studio as their canvas, the band was free to get as experimental as they desired.
On Sgt Pepper, each songwriter stepped up with artistic breakthroughs across the track listing. John Lennon shines on the colorful acid trip "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and takes us to the circus on "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." At the other end, Paul McCartney delivers beautiful ballads with "She's Leaving Home" and optimistic rock on "Getting Better." George Harrison also brings "Within You Without You," which is a tune inspired by Eastern scales and Indian instrumentation.
The crowning achievement has to be the song "A Day in the Life." The track is one of the greatest collaborations by Lennon and McCartney and a mini-musical journey unto itself. Overseas, the Summer of Love was just getting under way. Once Sgt. Pepper was released, it seemed to stop the clock. Now rock music was seen as true art whose effects could stay with you for decades to come.