1967

Although it’s never easy to pick just ten titles for an entire year, 1967 may present the biggest challenge of all. When all is said and done, the albums released during this landmark year create nothing short of a musical 30-car pileup. But after the smoke clears, it really comes down to three albums. “The Who Sell Out” is a trademark set of timeless classics, cracking ribs with savage power chords, pulling at psyches with supreme song structuring, and musically burying practically every band of the era. Townsend’s titanic “I Can See For Miles” still sounds so fresh and exciting, it could have been recorded last week. Just two years after releasing their debut album, the band creates masterworks like “Tattoo” and “I Can’t Reach You” emanating a level of lyrical and musical depth, maturity, and humor many artists have never been able to capture. Of course, the in-between commercial bits and Entwhistle’s bass playing and general goofiness make "Sell Out" one of the most irresistible, entertaining discs of the era.

THE BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD’s “Again” and THE KINKS “Something Else by the Kinks” are also mandatory discs of destiny for any rock fan, the former showcasing an all-star group of legends executing a flawless set of American folk and blues-based classics like “A Child’s Claim to Fame.” The latter is one of the most captivating gems in the KINKS impressive discography. While everything THE KINKS recorded in the late 60s is stellar, Davies' acidic wit, expert storytelling, and endless hooks in "Harry Rag", “Love Me ‘til the Sun Shines” and “Two Sisters” labor to craft one of the band’s most collectible specimens.

Picks of the litter, 1967: