The best rock album from each year of the 1960s (with a few extras)

It’s tough for today’s music fans to imagine the worry surrounding rock & roll in the 1950s. Rock was brand new then, and while artists like Bill Haley seem harmless now, at the time, many intellectuals warned it would destroy traditional values. (Honestly, warning about the downfall of society is just something intellectuals tend to do.)

Music exploded in the 1960s, quickly evolving from its simple beginnings into a sophisticated art form. Much like teenagers everywhere, it experimented, learned, and grew more complex. It absorbed influences from the world around it, using those experiences to become more powerful and meaningful.

I decided it would be interesting to pick what I consider the best rock and roll album from each year of the 1960s, as a way to show how the music developed over that decade. Just to be clear, ‘best’ is entirely my personal opinion.

The best rock album from each year of the 1960s

Look, I spend a ton of time reading about music, chatting with other fans, and, of course, actually listening to it. That’s where my opinions come from. But honestly, it’s just my take – I’m not a scientist or anything! Feel free to think differently, that’s cool with me.

Hopefully, this encourages you to reflect on your favorite music, and perhaps discover some albums you’ve missed. I’m also happy to hear your thoughts – you might introduce me to something new!

Enough of the disclaimer. On to the music.

Two qualifiers:

I’m being very inclusive in what I consider “rock & roll,” and you’ll see why soon enough.

Even though “decade” clearly means a period of ten years, I’m actually sharing fifteen albums with you. Plus, there are four extra collections and… well, keep reading to find out what else!

1960: The Sound of Fury by Billy Fury

Before The Beatles and other British bands became popular, musicians everywhere tried to imitate Elvis Presley. Billy Fury, a singer from Liverpool, was considered the most promising of these Elvis imitators. Remarkably, his first album, recorded when he was only 20, still sounds fresh today, 65 years later. Fury wrote all his own songs and was fortunate to have the talented guitarist Joe Brown playing with him.

While his hit song “That’s Love” had a sound reminiscent of Buddy Holly, the artist showed impressive versatility. “Phone Call” starts with a piano intro that evokes George Gershwin before becoming a unique blues song with strong string arrangements. And “Turn My Back on You” is simply a perfect example of early rock and roll at its finest.

1961: There’s Party Going On by Wanda Jackson

The album cover promises endless dancing and fun when you play these songs, and surprisingly, the hype is real. Wanda Jackson, often called the female Elvis or the queen of rockabilly, truly delivered high-energy performances alongside the biggest names in rock and roll.

The album starts with the energetic “There’s a Party Goin’ On” and ends with the celebratory “Man We Had a Party,” giving you a clear sense of its lively spirit. It features fantastic performances of songs like “Hard Headed Woman” and “Tongue Tied.” Wanda Jackson truly shines with her incredible voice, backed by the amazing guitar skills of Roy Clark.

Wanda’s music changed a lot over the years, going from rockabilly to country and then gospel. If you prefer her energetic, rock and roll sound, it’s best to listen to her earlier work.

1962: Burnin’ by John Lee Hooker

1962 had some good music, but as a rock fan, it felt like everything was building up to something bigger. The Beach Boys dropped their first album, but honestly, Surfin’ Safari wasn’t amazing – it had a lot of tracks that didn’t really hit. But something was brewing – this guy, a son of a sharecropper from Mississippi, headed north and started mixing the raw sound of delta blues with electric Chicago blues. And John Lee Hooker? He was just…different. You could never really pin him down to one genre.

The first song, “Boom Boom,” perfectly shows the blues evolving into rock and roll. While it’s arguably more of a blues album overall, the relaxed, spontaneous playing and interesting rhythms heavily influenced the first generation of rock and roll musicians later in the 1950s.

Extra bite: 1962: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol 1 by Ray Charles

I’ve included 15 songs, and a few aren’t strictly rock – they still played a big role in the music scene of that era. This collection of songs by Ray Charles was truly amazing and changed popular music. He famously covered songs like the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” and put his own unique spin on Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me.”

He performed songs by artists like Hank Williams and Don Gibson, and traditional country fans were surprised – and a little unsure – about this incredibly talented young Black musician. He was taking country music in a new and exciting direction, making it appealing to a much wider audience – not just country fans, but people all across the nation.

1963: Thunder ‘N Lightning by Hoyt Axton

By 1963, it was clear that things were about to change dramatically, with a new wave of music coming from Britain. However, American airwaves were still filled with energetic surf rock from bands like the Ventures, the Surfaris, Dick Dale, and the Beach Boys. Even with all that, I believe the country blues music being made by Hoyt Axton in Oklahoma was actually more impressive.

The album kicks off with a powerful, energetic rock and blues track. Later, the artist delivers a fantastic rendition of “Midnight Special,” connecting the original by Lead Belly with the sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He does something similar with “This Little Light of Mine,” introducing Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s gospel classic to a wider audience through his own energetic, rock-infused take.

I always loved how, later in his career, his song “Cocaine” really blended classic blues with a more modern rock sound. He went on to write some amazing songs for other artists, but honestly, he’s totally worth discovering as a performer himself!

1964: St. Louis to Liverpool by Chuck Berry

If I was making a list of the best rock albums from the 50s, it’d pretty much just be Chuck Berry. His stuff in the early 60s was still amazing, but he started getting lost in the shuffle – which honestly still happens to this day, considering he helped create the genre! But he really came back strong in 1964.

While the album’s title hints at English influences, the music is undeniably classic American rock and blues. Chuck Berry wrote the majority of the songs, including hits like “No Particular Place to Go,” “You Never Can Tell,” and “Promised Land,” which he adapted from an older folk melody, “Wabash Cannonball.” Berry frequently drew inspiration from his own previous work, but he remains a foundational figure in the development of the genre.

Extra bite: 1964: People by Barbara Streisand

Barbara Streisand’s fourth album isn’t rock & roll in the slightest – it’s straight-up pop, delivered by one of the decade’s greatest singers. However, her relaxed style combined with incredible vocal talent went on to inspire many rock singers, both male and female.

You don’t get to Beyonce or Adele or Gaga without passing through Babs.

1965: Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

Whether it’s the most important album of the decade is debatable, but Bob Dylan’s decision to fully incorporate rock instruments is certainly a landmark moment. Beyond its historical importance – bringing socially conscious folk lyrics to rock and roll – the album is simply a fantastic collection of songs.

As a huge fan, I think this album is packed with incredible songs! There are nine tracks, and honestly, even the ‘lesser’ ones, like “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,” are still amazing. But the title track? Forget about it – it’s a masterpiece, complete with this fun little slide whistle! And then you’ve got songs like “Ballad of a Thin Man,” which is just so atmospheric and strangely beautiful, and “Desolation Row,” which tells a story like nothing I’ve ever heard. Seriously, the songwriting on that one is just phenomenal.

Any of Bob Dylan’s albums from the middle of the 1960s were strong enough to be included, and his most famous work was still years in the future, but this one has always stood out as a personal favorite.

1966: Revolver by the Beatles

I’m going to share an unpopular opinion that usually gets me some flak. I don’t particularly enjoy three well-loved songs from Paul McCartney’s Revolver album: “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Good Day Sunshine,” and “Got to Get You Into My Life.” It’s not that they’re bad songs, they just don’t appeal to my personal taste.

Choosing Revolver as The Beatles’ best album reveals my opinion of their other work. I believe Paul McCartney is at his very best on tracks like “Eleanor Rigby” and “For No One.”

Okay, so John really delivers five amazing tracks on this album. George kicks things off with the intense “Taxman,” and throws in a couple other great songs too. And Ringo actually gets his biggest hit with “Yellow Submarine”! Even the songs I’m not crazy about just show how incredibly diverse and awesome this album is – seriously, it’s one of the best rock albums ever made.

Extra bite: 1966: Sinatra at the Sands by Frank Sinatra

By the mid-1960s, rock and roll had become the most popular type of music. However, singers from previous generations, like Frank Sinatra, were still well-known, though many saw them as stars from a bygone era. Sinatra proved them wrong by recording a live album with Count Basie’s orchestra, demonstrating he was still a powerful and relevant artist.

As a huge fan, I truly believe nobody taught rock singers how to really sing a song better than this guy, and he’s absolutely at the peak of his powers here. This album has 21 incredible tracks – you’ve got all the classics like “Come Fly With Me,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and even “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road).” And believe it or not, that’s only on the first CD – there’s a whole second one too!

1967: The Velvet Underground and Nicoby the Velvet Underground, and Are You Experienced by the Jimi Hendrick Experience

That’s also why this collection includes fifteen albums. I admit, it was hard to pick! How do you choose between a hugely important album and the first release by a master of the electric guitar? Bob Dylan certainly brought protest songs to rock music, but Lou Reed fearlessly explored a much wider range of topics.

Following the success of the Banana album, the band felt free to experiment with anything. Lou Reed’s passion for classic garage rock combined with John Cale’s interest in experimental music resulted in a truly unique backdrop for the songs. Jimi Hendrix, meanwhile, was an incredibly skilled guitarist with a groundbreaking and imaginative approach to music.

No guitarist delivers a more visceral, powerful sound. The start of “Fire” defines rock and roll energy. And the first three songs on Are You Experienced – “Purple Haze,” “Manic Depression,” and “Hey Joe” – are arguably the greatest opening sequence ever recorded.

1968: The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society by the Kinks

Rock fans frequently debate which album was the first “concept album.” While Frank Zappa and the Beatles are often mentioned – with albums like Freak Out! and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – many believe the Kinks’ Village Green Preservation Society actually achieved it more effectively. Ultimately, Ray Davies was a truly exceptional songwriter, arguably one of the best ever.

Years after helping to create punk with their hit “You Really Got Me,” the band created a wonderful song celebrating a fondly remembered Britain – a society that the songwriter would later both cherish and criticize in his most famous work. It beautifully combined elements of rock, pop, and folk music into a single, evocative piece.

Extra bite: 1968: At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash

Often hailed as one of the best live albums of all time, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison is also a hugely important cultural record. It was a bold move for Cash to perform a live concert inside a prison – especially one he’d famously sung about in an earlier song – for the inmates themselves.

Johnny Cash didn’t fit neatly into any single music genre like rock and roll or country. He blended styles, creating music that spoke to those who felt overlooked and marginalized. Many consider this album a key influence on the development of punk rock.

Songs like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Cocaine Blues,” and the instrumental break in Merle Travis’ “Dark as a Dungeon” are real highlights. “Long Black Veil” and “25 Minutes to Go” tell the stories of inmates facing execution, and playing those songs in a prison feels like the ultimate rock and roll moment.

1969: Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin

Man, when Led Zeppelin dropped their first album, it was a total game-changer. Seriously, it felt like rock music just grew up. These four guys were absolute pros, and they perfectly mixed blues with some seriously heavy rock. It was incredible!

As a huge fan, I always thought what really set Led Zeppelin apart was how they could be so incredibly powerful and heavy, yet still connect with everyone. They mostly played their own songs, but even when they covered classics, it felt fresh. And Jimmy Page? He was already a respected guitarist, but with Zeppelin, he truly came into his own – he wasn’t just following in the footsteps of players like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck anymore, he became a legend in his own right.

From the energetic ‘Communication Breakdown’ to the atmospheric ‘Dazed and Confused,’ this album is considered one of the best first releases in rock music history.

Here are 15 great songs that showcase how rock & roll developed during the pivotal 1960s. We’ve also included a few tracks from other genres to highlight the diverse music scene of the time.

2026-03-30 14:02