The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1965

3 January 2025, 13:00

Radio X turns back the clock 60 years to the days of The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks and The Who.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. The Rolling Stones - No. 2 (release date: 15th January 1965)

   The Stones' second album was the standard collection of covers and originals, featuring their takes on You Can't Catch Me, Under The Boardwalk and Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, plus the band's own compositions Off The Hook, What A Shame and Grown Up Wrong.

   

2. The Sonics - !!!Here Are The Sonics!!! release date March 1965

   The debut album from the pioneering garage rock band included the singles The Witch, Psycho and Boss Hoss, together with covers of Have Love Will Travel and Money (That's What I Want). Thousands of home-grown rock bands took note.

   

3. The Kinks - Kinda Kinks (release date 5th March 1965)

   The second album (and their first of two this year!) from the London band included the songs Tired Of Waiting For You and a cover of Dancing In The Street.

   

4. The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today! release date 8th March 1965

   The eighth album from the surfin' band included the tracks Do You Wanna Dance, Help Me Rhonda and When I Grow Up (To Be A Man).

   

5. The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things: release date 12th March 1965

   The pioneering British band issued their debut album, which included Rosalyn, Don't Bring Me Down, Road Runner and Honey I Need.

   

6. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home: release date 22nd March 1965

   Dylan's groundbreaking change to "electric" music - as opposed to his previously all-acoustic protest songs - split his fanbase down the middle, but there are some killer tunes within: Subterranean Homesick Blues, Maggie's Farm, It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), It's All Over Now Baby Blue and the original of Mr Tambourine Man.

   

7. The Zombies - Begin Here: release date 9th April 1965

   The debut album from the British R&B band included their massive hit She's Not There, plus The Way I Feel Inside and Sticks And Stones.

   

8. The Animals - Animal Tracks (release date 7th May 1965)

   The second album from the Geordie R&B specialists eatured covers of Mess Around, Hallelujah and Let The Good Times Roll.

   

9. Donovan - What's Bin Did And What's Bin Hid (release date 14th May 1965)

   The influential Scottish folk singer's debut album included one of his signature songs, Catch The Wind, plus You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond, Ramblin' Boy and Josie.

   

10. Tom Jones - Along Came Jones: release date 21st May 1965

    Jones The Voice issued his debut album, which included the huge hit It's Not Unusual.

    

11. Them - The "Angry" Young Them: release date 11th June 1965

    The Belfast R&B band featured Van Morrison on vocals and their debut album included the classic Gloria, plus a number of excellent covers such as Route 66, Don't Look Back and Bright Lights Big City.

    

12. The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man: release date 21st June 1965

    The debut album from the band influenced a generation thanks to Jim McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker guitar sound and included All I Really Want To Do, I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better and their cover of Bob Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man.

    

13. The Beach Boys - Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (release date: 5th July 1965)

    The boys' ninth studio album included the huge international hits Help Me Rhonda and California Girls.

    

14. The Moody Blues - The Magnificent Moodies: release date 23rd July 1965

    The Birmingham R&B band's first album featured the line-up that included future Wings member Denny Laine and included their worldwide hit Go Now. plus covers of James Brown's I'll Go Crazy and I Don't Mind, and George Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarily So.

    

15. Roy Orbison - There Is Only One Roy Orbison (released Ausgut 1965)

    The seventh album from The Big O went Top 10 in the UK and included the single Ride Away.

    

16. The Beatles - Help! release date 6th August 1965

    The Fabs' fifth album was half soundtrack to their second movie and featured Ticket To Ride, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away and the title track; the second half was all non-movie songs, including the landmark ballad from Paul McCartney, Yesterday.

    

17. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited: release date 30th August 1965

    Hot on the heels of Bringing It All Back Home came Dylan's second album of the year, which included the epic Like A Rolling Stone, It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry, Ballad Of A Thin Man and the epic Desolation Row.

    

18. The Rolling Stones - Out of Our Heads: release date 24th September 1965 (UK)

    The Stones' third album included Heart Of Stone, The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man and I'm Free, later covered by The Soup Dragons in 1990.

    

19. Dusty Springfield - Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty: release date 8th October 1965

    The second solo album from the British singer included Oh No Not My Baby, Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me and even a cover of La Bamba.

    

20. The Beach Boys - Beach Boys' Party! (release date: 8th November 1965)

    Beach Boys go unplugged on this special acoustic "party" album, which spawned the hit Barbara Ann and included covers of The Beatles' You've Got To Hide Your Love Away and Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin'.

    

21. The Yardbirds - Having A Rave Up With The Yardbirds: release date 15th November 1965

    The second album from the R&B titans featured Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton all on guitar duties at some stage and included the tracks I'm A Man, Evil Hearted You, You're A Better Man Than I and The Train Kept A-Rollin'.

    

22. The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy: release date 26th November 1965

    The third studio album from Ray and Dave Davies, Mick Avory and Pete Quaife included the storming Til The End Of The Day, Where Have All The Good Times Gone and When I See That Girl Of Mine.

    

23. The Beatles - Rubber Soul: release date 3rd December 1965

    The band's second album of '65 saw Lennon and McCartney branch out with more ambitious songwriting, including the first use of Indian instrumentation on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). Also included were Drive My Car, Nowhere Man, In My Life, Michelle and Girl.

    

24. The Who - My Generation: release date 3rd December 1965

    The debut album from the West London mods included the raucous title track, plus The Kids Are Alright and A Legal Matter.

    

25. The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn! release date 6th December 1965

    The second album from the pioneering folk rockers included the Bible-inspired title track - Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season - Set You Free This Time and It Wont Be Wrong.