The 20 greatest albums of 1969: From the Rolling Stones to Elvis Presley

The final year of the 1960s was momentous for music and the albums released more than prove it. Graeme Ross gives us the 20 best albums of 1969

Thursday 21 February 2019 17:39 GMT
Comments
The Rolling Stones at a concert given in memory of guitarist Brian Jones two days after his death in 1969
The Rolling Stones at a concert given in memory of guitarist Brian Jones two days after his death in 1969

The 1960s was the decade that witnessed the evolution of the long playing record into an art form as artists began to realise the boundless possibilities of the recording studio. The 45 would in no way become passe, however the latter half of the decade belonged to the album as rock music became the cultural touchstone for a generation. The last year of the 1960s boasted an amazingly diverse selection of albums in multiple genres under the grand umbrella of rock as you will see from this list of the 20 greatest albums of 1969.

Two things jump out at me on the list. 1. The number of debut albums, seven in all, showing how quickly artists were grasping the mettle, and 2. The enormously high standard of British music of the time with eight albums on the list, all of them in the top 10.

20. Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in