The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1967

3 August 2024, 18:00

The best albums from the year that brought you Are You Experienced, Strange Days The Who Sell Out, Sgt Pepper and the Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

Turn up Radio X Classic Rock on Global Player here- dedicated to the greatest classic rock music of all time

1. The Doors - The Doors: release date 4th January 1967

   The classic debut album from the LA art rockers led by Jim Morrison included Break On Through (To The Other Side), Light My Fire and the mystical epic The End.

   

2. The Rolling Stones - Between The Buttons: release date 20th January 1967

   The Stones' fifth album emerge at the start of a difficult year for the band and included Yesterday's Papers, Something Happened To Me Yesterday and She Smiled Sweetly - the US edition added Ruby Tuesday and Let's Spend The Night Together.

   

3. The Electric Prunes - The Electric Prunes: released February 1967

   With titles like I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) and Get Me To The World On Time, even the most naive onlooker must have known something was afoot with this, the debut album from the Los Angeles quintet. Released quickly to cash in on their singles chart success, it's the ideal snapshot of the time.

   

4. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow: release date 1st February 1967

   The second album from the San Franciscan psych-rockers included the Summer Of Love classics Somebody To love and White Rabbit.

   

5. The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday: release date 6th February 1967

   The fourth album from the Californian band included So You Want To be A Rock 'N' Roll Star, Have You Seen Her Face and a cover of Bob Dylan's My Back Pages.

   

6. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico: release date March 1967

   The hugely-influential debut album from the New York art rockers included the tracks All Tomorrow's Parties, Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, Venus In Furs, Heroin and bore a cover designed by Andy Warhol.

   

7. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? release date 12th May 1967

   The debut album from guitar legend Hendrix, bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell included the classics Foxy Lady, Manic Depression, Fire and the super-psychedelic title track.

   

8. The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: release date 26th May 1967

   The Fab Four gave up touring in 1966, which allowed them to retreat into the studio and created their masterpiece, which included Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, When I'm Sixty-Four and A Day In The Life.

   

9. David Bowie - David Bowie: release date 1st June 1967

   Bowie's debut album failed to chart and was pretty much ignored by critics, but its since gained some acclaim as a snapshot of the musician's songwriting skills. Tracks included Love You Till Tuesday, Silly Boy Blue and Rubber Band.

   

10. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Safe As Milk: release date June 1967

    The debut album from Don Van Vliet and co included Yellow Brick Road, Plastic Factory and Where There's Woman.

    

11. Moby Grape - Moby Grape: release date 6th June 1967

    The debut album from the San Francisco rock band included Fall On You, Sitting By The Window, Omaha and Hey Grandma.

    

12. Small Faces - Small Faces: release date 23rd June 1967

    The second album from the R&B rockers was eponymous (like their first LP!) and included Green Circles, (Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me?, Get Yourself Together and Talk To You

    

13. Vanilla Fudge - Vanilla Fudge: released August 1967

    The Long Island band's debut album featured acid rock covers of You Keep Me Hanging On, Ticket To Ride and She's Not There.

    

14. Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn: release date 4th August 1967

    The debut album by the iconic psych band was made under the leadership of songwriter Syd Barrett and made in London's Abbey Road studios at the same time The Beatles were in there making Sgt Pepper. Tracks included Astronomy Domine, Interstellar Overdrive and Bike.

    

15. The Kinks - Something Else: release date 15th September 1967

    The fifth album from the British band included the all-time classic Waterloo Sunset, plus Davis Watts, Afternoon Tea and the Dave Davies-fronted Death of A Clown.

    

16. The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile: release date 18th September 1967

    With Brian Wilson's ambitious Smile project put on hold, this replacement still bore some progressive tracks, including Heroes And Villains and Good Vibrations. The original Smile sessions sat on the shelf for the best part of 30 years, and Wilson performed a live version in 2004.

    

17. The Doors - Strange Days: release date 25th September 1967

    The band's second album of '67, followed hot on the heels of their debut and included People Are Strange, Love Me Two Times and the epic When The Music's Over.

    

18. Love - Forever Changes: release date 1st November 1967

    The third album from the LA psych pop band led by Arthur Lee included the classics Alone Again Or and A House Is Not A Motel.

    

19. Cream - Disraeli Gears: release date 2nd November 1967

    The power trio of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce released their second album which included Strange Brew and Sunshine Of Your Love.

    

20. The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed: release date 10th November 1967

    Tasked by their label Deram to come up with an album that would show off the new stereo equipment that was beginning to find its way into British homes, the Moodies strayed from their R&B roots and came up with a psychedelic, orchestral epic. A concept album about the day in the life of an ordinary person, the LP ends with the band's signature tune Nights In White Satin.

    

21. Procol Harum - Procol Harum: released December 1967

    This Southend-based band had a massive hit in the Summer Of Love with A Whiter Shade Of Pale, but it was nowhere to be found on their debut album. No matter: the first seeds of prog rock are laid in Procol Harum's ambitious, classically-influenced music.

    

22. The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request: release date 8th December 1967

    After battling arrests and court cases, the Stones ended '67 with their take on psychedelia. Tracks included She's A Rainbow and 2,000 Light Years From Home.

    

23. Traffic - Mr Fantasy: release date 8th December 1967

    The Birmingham psych band - which featured Steve Winwood - issued their debut album, which included No Face, No Name and No Number, Berkshire Poppies and Dear Mr Fantasy.

    

24. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding: release date 17th December 1967

    Dylan's eighth studio album included I'll Be Your Baby Tonight and the original version of All Along The Watchtower, later covered by Jimi Hendrix.

    

25. The Who - Sell Out: release date 15th December 1967

    The mod band's third album was a pioneering conceptual collection that celebrated the rapidly-disappearing culture of pirate radio stations. Tracks were linked by authentic radio jingles and fake ads and included I Can See For Miles and Armenia City In The Sky.