10 60s Albums That Shaped Rock

By the mid-60's, the musical landscape had opened up and it seemed that everybody was...ahem..."experimenting" with drugs. In sunny California, many bands were emerging mining a certain psychedelic sound to their compositions. Out of this scene came a quartet with influences far beyond rock though.

The Doors began as keyboardist Ray Manzarek performing with drummer John Densmore and vocalist Jim Morrison. Along the way they adopted guitarist Robby Krieger, who was initially a folk-inclined guitar player. With Densmore and Manzarek's jazz background (and no bass player), the band made an eclectic sound that could still be raucous as hell when pushed to the brink.

At the center of it all was Jim Morrison, whose background as a poet gave his lyrics a certain depth. On this record, Morrison's trademark voice juggles crooning, Delta blues singing, and moody thoughtfulness with his baritone. This diversity combined with Morrison's personality helped invent the star frontman as we know it today.

All across this record, listeners will find subtle nuances that will pull you in and make you ache for more. Just listen to songs like "Light My Fire" or "The End," and you will instantly become fascinated in what this band has to offer.