These seven "must hear" albums really tell you a lot about what 1967 means in the history of rock music and it means quite a bit. The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, & Frank Zappa's The Mothers of Invention are the bands that created these albums. These are without a doubt some of the most important rock bands ever.
Amazingly four of the seven albums I'm including in my list are debut albums by some of the most legendary bands in history of rock music. I think that's a good indication of just what a breakthrough year 1967 really was. Who are those four bands? Pink Floyd (who were known as The Pink Floyd at the time), The Velvet Underground, The Doors, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Pretty amazing, isn't it?
These great albums are listed by their title alphabetically. It was difficult enough to pick only 7 albums for this list, so I decided to just list those 7 albums by the alphabet rather than trying to put them in some sort of order of greatness!
Absolutely Free by The Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa) - This album could be looked at as merely a "joke" (and sadly many people do dismiss Zappa's music as just that) but the music is just too good to be dismissed in that sort of way. This the perfect album for anyone who is under the false impression that '67 was only about "flower power."." Zappa brought the weird with force, but he also brought sophistication and complexity. The music on Absolutely Free often referenced Stravinsky and other classical music.
Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience - This was Hendrix's debut album and what a way to start a career. It included the classic Hendrix tracks "Foxy Lady," "Manic Depression," & "Red House" (these are actually the first three songs on the album) along with "Fire" and of course the title track. While I don't think it's his best album, it's definitely a great album. Without a doubt 1 of the 7 essential LPs of '67.
The Doors by The Doors - This is the band's debut. It was recorded in 1966 and released in January of '67. It includes some of the band's most well known like "Break On Through (To the Other Side)", "The Crystal Ship," "Light My Fire," & "The End." Many fans & critics consider it to be The Doors best album.
Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles - Certainly not the masterpiece that Sgt. Pepper is, hell it wasn't even really an album but an EP. But so what? It still contains a whole lot of incredible songs like "The Fool on the Hill" & "Blue Jay Way," & "I Am The Walrus."
Piper at the Gates of Dawn by The Pink Floyd - This was Pink Floyd before they got rid of Syd Barrett (due to his mental issues and erratic behavior) and the The at the beginning of their name. In some ways they were a completely different band than the one that would become hugely popular in the 1970s with Dark Side of the Moon. But while they do sound very different, the seeds for the '70s Pink Floyd can be heard in this album which is brilliant in it's own right. If you are interested in experimental psychedelic music then you must listen to this album.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles - Sometimes people say Sgt. Pepper is "overrated." I say nonsense! Any album that contains songs as great as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "With a Little Help From My Friends," & "A Day in the Life" cannot be overrated. It was a big step forward for The Beatles, not so much in that the songs were better or even more complex (listen to Revolver after all) but because the songs all fit together in a new way. Sgt. Pepper was the arrival of the album as "art" and not just a collection of songs. To me it still stands up as an incredible work of art today.
The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground wasn't a huge commercial success but it is arguably the most influential album on this list. It includes "Heroin," "Sunday Morning," "European Son," & "I'm Waiting for the Man"" among its 11 tracks.