The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1968

11 July 2024, 08:00 | Updated: 16 July 2024, 19:02

Rock gets heavier in the year of A Saucerful Of Secrets, Electric Ladyland, Beggars Banquet and Waiting For The Sun.

By Radio X

@RadioX

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1. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers: release date 15th January 1968

   The fifth album from the American band saw a number of personnel issues, including the departure of founding member David Crosby. The album includes Goin' Back, Wasn't Born To Follow and Old John Robertson, before Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman took the band in a country music direction.

   

2. Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum: release date 16th January 1968

   The debut album from the San Franciscan band included their hard rock cover of Eddie Cochran's Summertiem Blues and was a major milestone on the road heavy metal.

   

3. Canned Heat- Boogie With Canned Heat: release date 22nd January 1968

   The LA blues-rock band's second album included their UK Top 10 hit On The Road Again.

   

4. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat: release date 30th January 1968

   The VU's second album is the last to feature John Cale and is more art-rock than the first, with the narrative tale of The Gift and the 17-minute ramble of Sister Ray, while maintaining their hugely influential sound on the title track and Here She Comes Now.

   

5. Fleetwood Mac - Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac: release date February 1968

   Then under the leadership of guitarist Peter Green and the only Fleetwood Mac album not to feature the late Christine McVie, this debut album includes covers of blues classics like Hellhound On My Trail and Shake Your Moneymaker, plus a few original songs.

   

6. Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf: release date 29th February 1968

   The debut album from the LA rockers included their all-time classic Born To Be Wild, plus the singles Sookie Sookie and A Girl I Knew.

   

7. The Zombies - Odyssey And Oracle: release date 19th April 1968

   The British rock band's second studio album included one of their finest moments, Time Of The Season, plus Care Of Cell 44 and Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)

   

8. The Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake: release date 24th May 1968

   The British rock band - fronted by Steve Marriott - took on a psychedelic concept album about Happiness Stan's attempt to find the "missing half" of the moon. Tracks included Afterglow Of Your Love and the hit Lazy Sunday.

   

9. Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: release date 14th June 1968

   The title track of this classic rock and/or roll album takes up the whole of side 2 of the Californian band's second album - the title is a strung out way of saying "in the garden of Eden".

   

10. Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets: release date 28th June 1968

    The Floyd's second album saw decreasing input from their frontman Syd Barrett, whose mental health deteriorated during recording. The finished album includes only one of his songs, while new guitarist David Gilmour makes his first appearance. Highlights include the four part title track and Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.

    

11. The Band - Music From Big Pink: release date 1st July 1968

    A hugely influential album of Americana, recorded by the band that had been backing Bob Dylan for some time, most notably on the heavily bootlegged tracks known as The Basement Tapes. Tracks included the Dylan songs This Wheel's On Fire and I Shall Be Released, and Robbie Robertson's The Weight.

    

12. The Doors - Waiting For The Sun: release date 3rd July 1968

    The band's third album included the hit Hello I Love You, the controversial anti-war song The Unknown Soldier and the revolutionary Five To One. The song called Waiting For The Sun wouldn't appear until 1970's Morrison Hotel album.

    

13. Family - Music In A Doll's House: release date 19th July 1968

    The Leicester prog rock band featuring Roger Chapman issued their debut album, which was produced by Traffic man Dave Mason and included string and bras arrangements by Mike "Wombles" Batt.

    

14. The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord: release date 26th July 1968

    The third album from the Birmingham R&B band saw them head into more psychedelic territory with this series of far-out songs about the universal chord (it turns out to be "Om"). Singles included Voices In The Sky and Ride My See-Saw.

    

15. Jeff Beck - Truth: release date 29th July 1968

    The guitar legend left the Yardbirds and issued this first solo outing, which included Shapes Of Things, You Shook Me and Beck's Bolero.

    

16. Cream - Wheels Of Fire: release date 9th August 1968 (UK)

    Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce's blues rock trio issued their third album, which included The White Room and a cover of Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign.

    

17. Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills: 12th August 1968

    The final album from the San Franciscan band to feature singer Janis Joplin, their second album included the classics Ball & Chain and Piece Of My Heart.

    

18. Deep Purple - Shades of Deep Purple: released September 1968

    The debut album from the hard rock quintet of Rod Evans, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Nick Simper and Ian Paice included their hit Hush.

    

19. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland: release date 17th October 1968

    The final Experience album and the final studio album to be issued before Hendrix died in 1970, this double set summarises the musician's genius: from the apocalyptic Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) and All Along The Watchtower to the more chilled sounds of Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) and Burning of the Midnight Lamp. The UK edition featured a cover depicting a number of naked women, while the US edition was a little more restrained and showcased the man himself.

    

20. Neil Young - Neil Young: release date 12th November 1968

    The singer-songwriter's debut solo album after leaving Buffalo Springfield included the singles The Loner and Sugar Mountain, plus I've Been Waiting For You, later covered by the Pixies.

    

21. The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society: release date 22nd November 1968

    Ray Davies' tribute to the mythical golden age of Britain was the band's sixth album and their best collection of songs. Tracks included Big Sky, Picture Book, Johnny Thunder, and - on copies in Europe - the single Days.

    

22. The Beatles - The Beatles: release date 22nd November 1968

    The Fab Four's only studio double album was an eclectic selection of songs written while out in India studying meditation with the Maharishi. Ranging from the rock of Back In The USSR, Helter Skelter and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, the balladry of Dear Prudence, Blackbird to the avant garde noise of Revolution 9, it's their most diverse album, with songs written by all four members. The self-titled record earned its nickname by having a completely blank cover - apart from the band's name subtly embossed on the sleeve.

    

23. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks: release date 29th November 1968

    Morrison's second solo album is perhaps his most famous, with the Northern Irish singer-songwriter penning songs like Sweet Thing, Cyprus Avenue and The Way Young Lovers Do.

    

24. The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet: release date 6th December 1968

    After a messy year of legal problems and their underwhelming take on psychedelia with Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Stones were back on fiery form in '68 with a revolutionary attitude that can be found in songs like Sympathy For The Devil and Street Fighting Man. This toilet cover was the original design, nixed by thir label Decca for many years.

    

25. The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow: release date 20th December 1968

    The fourth album from the Kent-based rock band stakes a claim as being one of the first rock opera album, following the life of the title character.