Perfect Albums

What is a perfect album? I define it as an album I can listen to and not skip a track. These are some of my favourite albums. Many of these albums I can listen to and it only gets better and better with each listen. Since this blog is mainly about the 60s and 70s, I’ll only be listing albums from those decades. If you have any suggestions for albums I should listen to, I highly encourage you to post a comment on my blog or send me a message on my contact form.

Maybe one day I’ll go through the perfect albums one by one and give you my thoughts and the key tracks to listen to.

Without further ado, here we go!

60s:

• The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery – Wes Montgomery (1960)
• Green Onions – Booker T and the MG’s (1962)
• Please Please Me – The Beatles (1963)
• Kinks – The Kinks (1964)
• The Five Faces of Manfred Mann – Manfred Mann (1964)
• A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles (1964)
• Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. – Simon & Garfunkel (1964)
• Knock Me Out – The Ventures (1964)
• Ray Charles Live In Concert – Ray Charles (1964)
• My Generation – The Who (1965)
• Begin Here – The Zombies (1965)
• Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul – Otis Redding (1965)
• Help! – The Beatles (1965)
• Rubber Soul – The Beatles (1965)
• The “Angry” Young Them – Them (1965)
• Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds (1965)
• Here Are The Sonics – The Sonics (1965)
• Action – ? And The Mysterians (1965)
• Get The Picture? – The Pretty Things (1965)
• Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds (1965)
• It Ain’t Me Babe – The Turtles (1965)
• Roger The Engineer – The Yardbirds (1966)
• A Quick One – The Who (1966)
• Small Faces – Small Faces (1966)
• Jefferson Airplane Takes Off – Jefferson Airplane (1966)
• Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton – John Mayall (1966)
• Autumn ‘66 – Spencer Davis Group (1966)
• Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys (1966)
• My Way – Paul Jones (1966)
• Revolver – The Beatles (1966)
• Moods of Marvin Gaye – Marvin Gaye (1966)
• Fresh Cream – Cream (1966)
• The Remains – The Remains (1966)
• Freak Out! – The Mothers of Invention (1966)
• Et moi, et moi, et moi – Jacques Dutronc (1966)
• Brave New World – Jack Hammer (1966)
• Face to Face – The Kinks (1966)
• 5D – The Byrds (1966)
• Bert & John – Bert Jansch & John Renbourn (1966)
• Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan (1966)
• Jack Orion – Bert Jansch (1966)
• Tequila – Wes Montgomery (1966)
• Velvet Underground and Nico – Velvet Underground (1967)
• Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
• The Doors – The Doors (1967)
• Surrealistic Pillow – Jefferson Airplane (1967)
• Disraeli Gears – Cream (1967)
• Procol Harum – Procol Harum (1967)
• After Bathing at Baxter’s – Jefferson Airplane (1967)
• Happy Together – The Turtles (1967)
• Groovin’ – The Young Rascals (1967)
• Forever Changes – Love (1967)
• Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1967)
• Incense and Peppermints – Strawberry Alarm Clock (1967)
• I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You – Aretha Franklin (1967)
• Days of Future Passed – The Moody Blues (1967)
• Left My Blues in San Francisco – Buddy Guy (1967)
• Their Satanic Majesties Request – The Rolling Stones (1967)
• Psychedelic Goes Latin – The Lebron Brothers Orchestra (1967)
• Vanilla Fudge – Vanilla Fudge (1967)
• Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina – The Left Banke (1967)
• London Conversation – John Martyn (1967)
• A Day In The Life – Wes Montgomery (1967)
• Odessey and Oracle – The Zombies (1968)
• Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake – Small Faces (1968)
• Shades of Deep Purple – Deep Purple (1968)
• The Book of Taliesyn – Deep Purple (1968)
• Tomorrow – Tomorrow (1968)
• The Graham Gouldman Thing – Graham Gouldman (1968)
• Traffic – Traffic (1968)
• Nazz – Nazz (1968)
• Dance To The Music – Sly and the Family Stone (1968)
• Eli and the Thirteenth Confession – Laura Nyro (1968)
• S.F. Sorrow – The Pretty Things (1968)
• In Search Of The Lost Chord – The Moody Blues (1968)
• Tighten Up – Archie Bell and the Drells (1968)
• Spirit – Spirit (1968)
• Miracle Mirror – Golden Earring (1968)
• Sweetwater – Sweetwater (1968)
• C.Q. – The Outsiders (1968)
• Battle Hymn of the Broken Hearted Horde – Freedom’s Children (1968)
• Heavy – Iron Butterfly (1968)
• Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow – Strawberry Alarm Clock (1968)
• Electric Ladyland – Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
• Wheatfield Soul – The Guess Who (1968)
• The Pentangle – Pentangle (1968)
• Aretha Now – Aretha Franklin (1968)
• The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks (1968)
• July – July (1968)
• The Inner Mystique – The Chocolate Watchband (1968)
• Sir John Alot Of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng & Ye Grene Knyghte – John Renbourn (1968)
• Led Zeppelin I – Led Zeppelin (1969)
• Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin (1969)
• Tommy – The Who (1969)
• Blind Faith – Blind Faith (1969)
• Yes – Yes (1969)
• The Age of Aquarius – The 5th Dimension (1969)
• Let it Bleed – The Rolling Stones (1969)
• Santana – Santana (1969)
• Stand Up – Jethro Tull (1969)
• Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) – The Kinks (1969)
• Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
• Second Winter – Johnny Winter (1969)
• Taste – Taste (1969)
• The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story – The Impressions (1969)
• Fat Mattress – Fat Mattress (1969)
• Beck-Ola – The Jeff Beck Group (1969)
• Abbey Road – The Beatles (1969)
• Liege & Lief – Fairport Convention (1969)
• Beginnings – Ambrose Slade (1969)
• Želva – Olympic (1969)
• Four Sail – Love (1969)
• 10 000 lépés – Omega (1969)
• Kick Out The Jams – MC5 (1969)
• The Stooges – The Stooges (1969)
• Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls – Coven (1969)
• Evolution – Tamam Shud (1969)
• Churchill’s – The Churchills (1969)
• The Meters – The Meters (1969)
• Hot Rats – Frank Zappa (1969)
• To Our Children’s Children’s Children – The Moody Blues (1969)
• In The Court of the Crimson King – King Crimson (1969)
• Five Leaves Left – Nick Drake (1969)
• 6 and 12 String Guitar – Leo Kottke (1969)
• A Gathering of Promises – Bubble Puppy (1969)
• Banchee – Banchee (1969)

70s:

• All Things Must Pass – George Harrison (1970)
• Hollywood Dream – Thunderclap Newman (1970)
• John Barleycorn Must Die – Traffic (1970)
• Abraxas – Santana (1970)
• On The Boards – Taste (1970)
• Tumbleweed Connection – Elton John (1970)
• Cosmo’s Factory – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
• A Question of Balance – The Moody Blues (1970)
• Here Comes Shuggie Otis – Shuggie Otis (1970)
• Them Changes – Buddy Miles (1970)
• Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One – The Kinks (1970)
• Vehicle – The Ides of March (1970)
• Ladies of the Canyon – Joni Mitchell (1970)
• Gypsy – Gypsy (1970)
• Fanny – Fanny (1970)
• Titanic – Titanic (1970)
• Tombstone Valentine – Wigwam (1970)
• Time to Suck – Suck (1970)
• Curtis – Curtis Mayfield (1970)
• Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek & The Dominos (1970)
• The American Dream – The American Dream (1970)
• East Bay Grease – Tower of Power (1970)
• Parachute – The Pretty Things (1970)
• Osmium – Parliament (1970)
• Free Your Mind – Funkadelic (1970)
• Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)
• Paranoid – Black Sabbath (1970)
• Magic Christian Music – Badfinger (1970)
• No Dice – Badfinger (1970)
• Live At Leeds – The Who (1970)
• Outlander – Meic Stevens (1970)
• Music Inspired By Lord of the Rings – Bo Hansson (1970)
• Who’s Next – The Who (1971)
• Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin (1971)
• Hunky Dory – David Bowie (1971)
• The Yes Album – Yes (1971)
• Electric Warrior – T. Rex (1971)
• Nursery Cryme – Genesis (1971)
• Tarkus – ELP (1971)
• Aqualung – Jethro Tull (1971)
• Fragile – Yes (1971)
• What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (1971)
• Second Album – Curved Air (1971)
• Shaft – Isaac Hayes (1971)
• Maggot Brain – Funkadelic (1971)
• Roots – Curtis Mayfield (1971)
• Gemini Suite – Jon Lord (1971)
• Rory Gallagher – Rory Gallagher (1971)
• 666 – Aphrodite’s Child (1971)
• Fairyport – Wigwam (1971)
• Blues – Breakout (1971)
• Kingdom of Life – The Blue Effect (1971)
• In The Garden – Gypsy (1971)
• Meddle – Pink Floyd (1971)
• Histoire de Melody Nelson – Serge Gainsbourg (1971)
• Bryter Layter – Nick Drake (1971)
• Choice Cuts – The Masters Apprentices (1971)
• Sunshine – Flaming Ember (1971)
• Master of Reality – Black Sabbath (1971)
• Close to the Edge – Yes (1972)
• Foxtrot – Genesis (1972)
• The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie (1972)
• Trilogy – ELP (1972)
• Machine Head – Deep Purple (1972)
• Something/Anything? – Todd Rundgren (1972)
• Thick as a Brick – Jethro Tull (1972)
• Super Fly – Curtis Mayfield (1972)
• Let’s Stay Together – Al Green (1972)
• Focus III – Focus (1972)
• Why Dontcha – West, Bruce, and Laing (1972)
• The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff (1972)
• Argus – Wishbone Ash (1972)
• Slade Alive! – Slade (1972)
• Storia di un minuto – PFM (1972)
• Exile On Main Street – The Rolling Stones (1972)
• Pink Moon – Nick Drake (1972)
• Squawk – Budgie (1972)
• Fanny Hill – Fanny (1972)
• Malo – Malo (1972)
• Life, Love and Faith – Allen Toussaint (1972)
• Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd (1973)
• Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin (1973)
• Quadrophenia – The Who (1973)
• Brain Salad Surgery – ELP (1973)
• The Six Wives of Henry VIII – Rick Wakeman (1973)
• Band On the Run – Paul McCartney and Wings (1973)
• Funky Kingston – Toots & The Maytals (1973)
• A Wizard, a True Star – Todd Rundgren (1973)
• Remember The Future – Nektar (1973)
• Grinding Stone – The Gary Moore Band (1973)
• Camel – Camel (1973)
• Tales From Topographic Oceans – Yes (1973)
• Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield (1973)
• Sipurei Poogy – Kaveret (1973)
• Buckingham Nicks – Buckingham Nicks (1973)
• Solid Air – John Martyn (1973)
• Yessongs – Yes (1973)
• Never Turn Your Back on a Friend – Budgie (1973)
• Rush – Rush (1974)
• Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Rick Wakeman (1974)
• Red – King Crimson (1974)
• Hamburger Concerto – Focus (1974)
• Autobahn – Kraftwerk (1974)
• Crime of the Century – Supertramp (1974)
• Rock n Roll Animal – Lou Reed (1974)
• Queen II – Queen (1974)
• Sheer Heart Attack – Queen (1974)
• In For The Kill! – Budgie (1974)
• Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd (1975)
• Fish Out of Water – Chris Squire (1975)
• Fly By Night – Rush (1975)
• Caress of Steel – Rush (1975)
• A Night at the Opera – Queen (1975)
• Universal Love – MFSB (1975)
• Recycled – Nektar (1975)
• Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd (1975)
• Fighting – Thin Lizzy (1975)
• Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (1975)
• Young Americans – David Bowie (1975)
• Ommadawn – Mike Oldfield (1975)
• Live in Montreux – Agorà (1975)
• Bandolier – Budgie (1975)
• Ramones – Ramones (1976)
• 2112 – Rush (1976)
• Dreamboat Annie – Heart (1976)
• Frampton Comes Alive! – Peter Frampton (1976)
• Olias of Sunhillow – Jon Anderson (1976)
• Wings Over America – Wings (1976)
• Disco Inferno  The Trammps (1976)
• The Book of Invasions – Horslips (1976)
• A Trick of the Tail – Genesis (1976)
• Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1976)
• Oxygène – Jean Michel Jarre (1976)
• Calling Card – Rory Gallagher (1976)
• Jailbreak – Thin Lizzy (1976)
• Sarabande – Jon Lord (1976)
• Wind & Wuthering – Genesis (1976)
• Leftoverture – Kansas (1976)
• The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976)
• A Day At The Races – Queen (1976)
• Little Queen – Heart (1977)
• Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
• Rocket to Russia – Ramones (1977)
• Marquee Moon – Television (1977)
• Out Of The Blue – ELO (1977)
• Talking Heads: 77 – Talking Heads (1977)
• Bat Out of Hell – Meat Loaf (1977)
• The Real Kids – The Real Kids (1977)
• Magazine – Heart (1977)
• Radios Appear – Radio Birdman (1977)
• LAMF – The Heartbreakers (1977)
• Animals – Pink Floyd (1977)
• An Insatiable High – Masayoshi Takanaka (1977)
• Aja – Steely Dan (1977)
• All Mod Cons – The Jam (1978)
• The Kick Inside – Kate Bush (1978)
• Yellow Magic Orchestra – Yellow Magic Orchestra (1978)
• London Calling – The Clash (1979)
• The Wall – Pink Floyd (1979)
• One Step Beyond… – Madness (1979)
• Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division (1979)
• Black Rose – Thin Lizzy (1979)
• Breakfast in America – Supertramp (1979)
• The Warriors Original Soundtrack (1979)
• Casiopea – Casiopea (1979)
• All Of Me – Masayoshi Takanaka (1979)