1968…whew, what a year

[Michedelic]

1968: the 21 greatest albums from rock's psychedelic hangover — BBC Music Magazine

From psychedelic dreams to gritty roots-rock, 1968 was the year the counterculture exploded into its most diverse and daring masterpieces February 17, 2026 The year 1968 was a volatile crucible that reshaped the world and its music. Against a backdrop of global political upheaval...

apple.news

The peak of the great arc of creativity in rock from ‘65 to ‘71. After that, things got less adventurous, and more recycling of ideas occurred, at least of what I was hearing on the radio.

While I didn’t own all of these(weekly allowance could only go so far)I was familiar with all of them…my friends and I had something of a co-op situation where we’d buy different titles, and they’d all get circulated around to everybody. That, or else the freeform FM rock station would play whole sides or the entire album late at night. Others, ultimately I picked them up later. While the one from the Monkees got the least attention from me, I didn’t dismiss it, but the singles were the main thing.

The ones on that list that impacted me the most were the Tull, the U.S.of A., the Small Faces, the Beck, the Byrds, the Velvets, the Stones, and the Hendrix, but conspicuous in its absence is Cream’s “Wheels Of Fire”. That, and the “Super Session” album. Doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the others, but those ran the distance for me. Hey, I was a kid.

 

[Bob_Ross]

With equal parts amazement/surprise and smug pride, I can confidently state that I’ve only ever owned *one* of the albums on that list.

 

[mikeoso]

There's a terrible gap in my awareness of new music between spring of '67 and spring of '75. I saw Sgt Pepper, then nothing until Eagles Greatest Hits. And no, I did not "get stoned and missed it". Was just busy....or something.

 

[CryingBass]

Deffidently did that. We were lucky.

 

[jim nolte]

1968: the 21 greatest albums from rock's psychedelic hangover — BBC Music Magazine

From psychedelic dreams to gritty roots-rock, 1968 was the year the counterculture exploded into its most diverse and daring masterpieces February 17, 2026 The year 1968 was a volatile crucible that reshaped the world and its music. Against a backdrop of global political upheaval...

apple.news

The peak of the great arc of creativity in rock from ‘65 to ‘71. After that, things got less adventurous, and more recycling of ideas occurred, at least of what I was hearing on the radio.

While I didn’t own all of these(weekly allowance could only go so far)I was familiar with all of them…my friends and I had something of a co-op situation where we’d buy different titles, and they’d all get circulated around to everybody. That, or else the freeform FM rock station would play whole sides or the entire album late at night. Others, ultimately I picked them up later. While the one from the Monkees got the least attention from me, I didn’t dismiss it, but the singles were the main thing.

The ones on that list that impacted me the most were the Tull, the U.S.of A., the Small Faces, the Beck, the Byrds, the Velvets, the Stones, and the Hendrix, but conspicuous in its absence is Cream’s “Wheels Of Fire”. That, and the “Super Session” album. Doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the others, but those ran the distance for me. Hey, I was a kid.

Saw Cream in ‘68 in Santa Barbara, Electric Flag opened, to see both Clapton and Bloomfield on the same stage was pretty impressive to this 15 year old kid.

 

[5StringBlues]

Possibly the best Zappa album.

 

[Ritter667]

Possibly the best Zappa album.

The best Zappa album, though also with the Mothers, is Absolutely Free!

 

[IanStephenson]

I wasn't there... but to me it looks less of a peak and more of a cross-over between 60's bands like the Beatles who had done great things, but were about to split and go on to never produce anything of any value ever again (apart from perhaps the highlight of Ringo's narration on Thomas the Tank engine kids tv series [fight me ]), and 70's bands who were taking first steps before embarking towards greatness.

Exceptions are probably Zappa (who just kept being weird into the 90s), and Hendrix, who was both and ending and a beginning - while it was his last recording, his influence over 70's rock is impossible to understate.

 

[Aberdumbie]

I remember following along with my older uncle to outside music affairs with young folks dancing a lots of peace signs. I was but ten at the time. I remember him catching me in his room listening to his Doors album on his stereo that he didn't appreciate one bit. And I do remember the shock of picking up one of my uncles music magazines and reading that Paul was dead! Shortly after that uncle Ron went to Vietnam. He got through his tour but was never the same when he came home. He bought a piece of property high in the Sierra mountains and I have only seen him twice since then. He became the stereotypical "mountain man" shunning civilized society.

 

[TyBo]

I wasn't there... but to me it looks less of a peak and more of a cross-over between 60's bands like the Beatles who had done great things, but were about to split and go on to never produce anything of any value ever again (apart from perhaps the highlight of Ringo's narration on Thomas the Tank engine kids tv series [fight me ]), and 70's bands who were taking first steps before embarking towards greatness.

Exceptions are probably Zappa (who just kept being weird into the 90s), and Hendrix, who was both and ending and a beginning - while it was his last recording, his influence over 70's rock is impossible to understate.

Nah, the Beatles still had gas in the tank in '68. A couple more terrific albums yet to come, quickly followed by George Harrison's All Things Must Pass (and then his Concert for Bangladesh). And later the Wilburys.Also Lennon, and McCartney's, post Beatle output, making for some really good "best of" albums. Stones continued to kick butt. And so on ...

 

[IanStephenson]

Lennon, and McCartney's, post Beatle output

Such groundbreaking music as Ebony and Ivory, Mull of Kintyre, the Frog Chorus, Give My Regards to Broadstreet, Vegan Sausage Rolls, Imagine, give peace a chance... which is your personal favourite?

Thomas the Tank Engine really is the highlight of all their post Beatles output...

 

[Jaycat]

Dr. John and Laura Nyro win that list.

 

[DownRound]

Pretty much in agreement with respect to the general span of years as being the overall peak of creativity in rock music.
But also for pretty much all of the albums listed, there were others that for various reasons I would choose over those specifically coming out in '68 by the groups and individuals.
I think of more in terms of Ground Zero 66-70.
Quibbling, I know.

 

[BassBrass]

The peak of the great arc of creativity in rock from ‘65 to ‘71. After that, things got less adventurous, and more recycling of ideas occurred, at least of what I was hearing on the radio.

Given time and motivation, I can put together a very long list of bands and recording projects that were all More "adventurous" than those albums in the near and far future and the trend continues. Opinions...copy...content...all made up and not necessarily so. Were the Residents not "adventurous"? How about King Crimson or The Cocteau Twins. How about Throbbing Gristle? Mahavishnu Orchestra? "things got less adventurous" is total nonsense.

Recently there was a theory/opinion/content creation about an imagined conservative movement in jazz and Winton was the main enforcer. This is similar, there was no conservative movement for members or fans of the AACM or Sun Ra or Ornette Coleman, Shannon Jackson etc. etc. etc. (unless you call ECM "conservative")

 

[BassicJazzy]

Yes, that was a time when music was going through significant fundamental changes, from blues/rock and folk to more complex and experimental forms. A really good example can be seen in the Floyd stuff, or even Tull. Zappa, of course, was an one-off, nothing quite like him, ever before, or ever again. Most of the change seemed to come from the incubator that was Britain at the time. Even though music did evolve significantly in later years, at least through the early-mid 70's, the maximum inflection period was '68-71.

 

[DownRound]

Given time and motivation, I can put together a very long list of bands and recording projects that were all More "adventurous" than those albums in the near and far future and the trend continues. Opinions...copy...content...all made up and not necessarily so. Were the Residents not "adventurous"? How about King Crimson or The Cocteau Twins. How about Throbbing Gristle? Mahavishnu Orchestra? "things got less adventurous" is total nonsense.

Recently there was a theory/opinion/content creation about an imagined conservative movement in jazz and Winton was the main enforcer. This is similar, there was no conservative movement for members or fans of the AACM or Sun Ra or Ornette Coleman, Shannon Jackson etc. etc. etc. (unless you call ECM "conservative")

I think that it's true that there were and are exceptions of great innovation, "adventurousness".
But I think overall, there was a different zeitgeist during those years, that reflected a shift culturally, globally.
An historically uncommon time of paradigm shift.
......
edit" simultaneous posts above...but good to see Tull listed again, I was going to mention originally but forgot. That's a band whose music keeps cycling up in mind over the intervening years (With You There to Help me came to mind just two days ago, out of nowhere.)

 

[Michedelic]

Given time and motivation, I can put together a very long list of bands and recording projects that were all More "adventurous" than those albums in the near and far future and the trend continues. Opinions...copy...content...all made up and not necessarily so. Were the Residents not "adventurous"? How about King Crimson or The Cocteau Twins. How about Throbbing Gristle? Mahavishnu Orchestra? "things got less adventurous" is total nonsense.

Please notice that I qualified that by mentioning that it was what was heard on radio, specifically commercially based FM rock stations, as that’s what was perceived as the standard of where the music “was at”. Considering how stilted and restricted FM programming had become by ‘72, or ‘73, in comparison to the eclecticism just a few years previous, that was a sad situation. That’s why I consider this concept of “classic rock” a fraud. It’s a very narrow definition, and just a marketing tool for broadcast programming.

 

[J Wilson]

I worked a few years ago with a 20-something to whom the 'Summer of Love', all of that whole thing seemed like his own Magical Mystery Tour in his flowers-in-your-hair imagination. I tried my best to tell him, if you didn't live through the 60's, there's no way you could know.

When I started elementary school in 1960, it was still a 'Leave It to Beaver' and nifty 50's world. By 1970, you had the assassinations, Women's (and a lot of others) Liberation, the hippies and the youth (and drug) culture, the National Guard in the streets, Nixon, Viet Nam, desegregation, and on and on, and the world turned inside out . . . . and music mattered for so many against the backdrop of all that.

I lived it, and still don't understand all of it, much less we're still living down those days.

 

[bassdude51]

In 1968, I was age 16/17. Excellent times, except for the racial issues and Viet Nam War. Great music back then.

I couldn't afford to buy very many Lps. They were $3.50 each! ha ha ha But, $3.50 back then was equal to about $33.00 in '26.

I still own many Lps that I bought in that '67 to '73 time period of excellent music!

 

[DownRound]

Tangential evidence of the unique character of the era.
Side project for the Monkees here. (I was pretty surprised to see them in that BBC list.)
A bunch of guys who auditioned for a TV show, but the things that absolutely commercial project drew in, like a magnet pulling in iron filings of the time, illustrative.

(Came across this on Sundazed a couple of days ago. The guy copped Beefheart, for sure, the opening horn.)

Moon Express - Prophetic Spirit - LP

Moon Express - Prophetic Spirit - LP

sundazed.com