Top 40 Psychedelic Rock Acts

Psychedelic Rock: Top 40 Acts

Psychedelic rock emerged in the mid-‘60s as music inspired, influenced, or representative of the experience of taking hallucinogenic drugs, most notably LSD. The Summer of Love in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969 were major cultural events which have been tied to the psychedelic rock movement. This list was created by aggegating 13 lists focused on the best psychedelic rock acts of all time. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. Pink Floyd 1. Pink Floyd 2. Jimi Hendrix 3. The Doors 4. Grateful Dead 5. Cream 6. Jefferson Airplane 7. Tame Impala 8. The 13th Floor Elevators 9. The Beatles 10. The Byrds 11. Love 12. the Yardbirds 13. Iron Butterfly 14. The Rolling Stones 15. Hawkwind 16. Quicksilver Messenger Service 17. Strawberry Alarm Clock 18. The Velvet Underground 19. The Moody Blues 20. Frank Zappa 21. T-Rex 22. Syd Barrett 23. Captain Beefheart 24. Steppenwolf 25. The Zombies 26. The Brian Jonestown Massacre 27. Spirit 28. Moby Grape 29. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard 30. The Seeds 31. The Who 32. Janis Joplin /Big Brother & the Holding Company 33. The Animals 34. Traffic 35. The Hollies 36. Procol Harum 37. The Flaming Lips 38. Can 39. Status Quo 40. The Small Faces Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Top 50 Psychedelic Rock Albums Dave’s Music Database: Top 100 Psychedelic Rock Songs Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre First posted 7/3/2026.

Folk Rock: Top 100 Songs

Folk Rock: Top 100 Songs

Originally this was a list of the top top folk and folk rock songs. However, I’ve now split it into two lists – one focused on folk and traditional songs and this one focused on folk rock songs. These lists were generated by aggregating multiple lists that focused on folk and folk rock and then reordering the songs based on their overall status in Dave’s Music Database. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 1. Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970) 2. Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965) 3. The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964) 4. Rod Stewart “Maggie May” (1971) 5. Simon & Garfunkel “The Sounds of Silence” (1965) 6. The Byrds (1965), Bob Dylan (1965) “Mr. Tambourine Man” 7. Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (1966) 8. The Mamas & the Papas “California Dreamin’” (1966) 9. Neil Young “Heart of Gold” (1972) 10. Simon & Garfunkel “Mrs. Robinson” (1968) 11. James Taylor “Fire and Rain” (1970) 12. Bob Dylan (1963), Peter, Paul & Mary (1963) “Blowin’ in the Wind” 13. The Turtles “Happy Together” (1967) 14. Carole King “It’s Too Late” (1971) 15. The Byrds (1965), Judy Collins (1963), Pete Seeger (1959) “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” 16. Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965) 17. America “A Horse with No Name” (1971) 18. Crosby, Stills & Nash “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (1969) 19. Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (1964) 20. Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” (1975) 21. Joni Mitchell “Big Yellow Taxi” (1970) 22. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Ohio” (1970) 23. The Mamas & the Papas “Monday Monday” (1966) 24. The Beatles “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” (1965) 25. The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer in the City” (1966) 26. The Youngbloods “Get Together” (1967) 27. Simon & Garfunkel “The Boxer” (1969) 28. Scott McKenzie “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)” (1967) 29. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Teach Your Children” (1970) 30. Bob Dylan “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (1965) 31. America “Ventura Highway” (1972) 32. Donovan “Sunshine Superman” (1966) 33. Cat Stevens “Morning Has Broken” (1971) 34. Gordon Lightfoot “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (1976) 35. Simon & Garfunkel “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” (1966) 36. Neil Young “Cinnamon Girl” (1969) 37. Leonard Cohen “Suzanne” (1967) 38. Harry Nilsson “Everybody’s Talkin’” (1968) 39. Barry McGuire “Eve of Destruction” (1965) 40. Joni Mitchell “A Case of You” (1971) 41. The Lovin’ Spoonful “Do You Believe in Magic?” (1965) 42. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Our House” (1970) 43. Neil Young “Old Man” (1972) 44. Love “Alone Again Or” (1967) 45. The Searchers “Needles and Pins” (1964) 46. Bob Dylan “Hurricane” (1975) 47. Bob Dylan “Positively 4th Street” (1965) 48. Joni Mitchell (1970), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970), Matthews’ Southern Comfort (1970), Assembled Multitude (1970) “Woodstock” 49. Janis Ian “At Seventeen” (1975) 50. Pete Seeger (1963), Joan Baez (1963) “We Shall Overcome” 51. Donovan “Mellow Yellow” (1966) 52. Cat Stevens “Wild World” (1970) 53. Crosby, Stills & Nash “Marrakesh Express” (1969) 54. Simon & Garfunkel “Homeward Bound” (1966) 55. Bob Dylan (1963), Peter, Paul & Mary (1963) “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” 56. Bob Dylan “Just Like a Woman” (1966) 57. Bob Dylan “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” (1966) 58. The Rooftop Singers “Walk Right In” (1962) 59. The Byrds “So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star” (1967) 60. Neil Young “Southern Man” (1970) 61. The Lovin’ Spoonful “Daydream” (1966) 62. Judy Collins (1968), Joni Mitchell (1969), Dave Van Ronk (1969) “Both Sides Now” 63. Peter, Paul & Mary “Puff the Magic Dragon” (1963) 64. Bob Dylan (1964, The Byrds (1967) “My Back Pages” 65. Simon & Garfunkel “I Am a Rock” (1966) 66. Donovan “Catch the Wind” (1965) 67. Buffalo Springfield “Mr. Soul” (1967) 68. Pete Seeger (1963), Peter, Paul & Mary (1962), Trini Lopez (1963) “If I Had a Hammer” 69. The Mamas & the Papas “Creeque Alley” (1967) 70. Bob Dylan “I Want You” (1966) 71. Arlo Guthrie “Alice’s Restaurant” (1967) 72. Crosby, Stills & Nash “Wooden Ships” (1969) 73. Peter, Paul & Mary (1969), John Denver (1969) “Leaving on a Jet Plane” 74. The Byrds “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” (1965) 75. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Helplessly Hoping” (1969) 76. You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (1965) 77. The Grass Roots “Let’s Live for Today” (1967) 78. Neil Young “Down by the River” (1969) 79. The Turtles “It Ain't Me Babe” (1965) 80. The Mamas & the Papas “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)” (1967) 81. Country Joe & the Fish “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” (1967) 82. Led Zeppelin “Gallows Pole” (1970) 83. Hedy West (1961), Bobby Bare (1963), Peter, Paul & Mary (1963), Joan Baez (1965) “500 Miles” 84. The Brothers Four “Greenfields” (1960) 85. Joan Baez “Diamonds and Rust” (1975) 86. The Association “Along Comes Mary” (1966) 87. The Lovin’ Spoonful “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice” (1965) 88. Bob Dylan “Masters of War” (1963) 89. Joni Mitchell “The Circle Game” (1970) 90. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Helpless” (1970) 91. Simon & Garfunkel “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” (1966) 92. Leonard Cohen “Famous Blue Raincoat” (1971) 93. Pete Seeger (1962), The Kingston Trio (1962), Joan Baez (1965) “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” 94. Gale Garnett “We'll Sing in the Sunshine” (1964) 95. Neil Young “After the Gold Rush” (1970) 96. Tim Hardin (1967), Bobby Darin (1966) “If I Were a Carpenter” 97. Buffy Sainte-Marie (1964), Donovan (1965) “Universal Soldier” 98. Janis Ian “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking)” (1967) 99. The Mamas & the Papas “I Saw Her Again” (1966) 100. Phil Ochs “I Ain't Marchin’ Anymore” (1965) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 100 Folk/Traditional Songs” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 100 Modern Folk Songs (1980-)” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 100 Folk/Americana Albums of All Time” First posted 4/19/2020; last updated 11/18/2025.

Psychedelic Rock Albums – Top 50

Psychedelic Rock: The Top 50 Albums

These are the top 50 psychedelic rock albums of all time as determined by Dave’s Music Database. The list was created by consolidating 16 best-of lists into one aggregate. The albums on this list are almost exclusively from the latter half of the 1960s, when the movement started. Some of the biggest bands of the day (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds) dipped their toe into the psychedelic rock pool while other bands (Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead) were birthed as a result of the movement. Check out the DMDB blog entry (Psychedelic Rock Goes Mainstream: June 24, 1967) for a more in-depth explanation of psychedelic rock. Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. 1. Love Forever Changes (1967) 2. Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) 3. Cream Disraeli Gears (1967) 4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (1968) 5. Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow (1967) 6. The Pretty Things S.F. Sorrow (1968) 7. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 8. The Doors The Doors (1967) 9. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967) 10. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold As Love (1967) 11. The United States of America The United States of America (1968) 12. The Zombies Odessey & Oracle (1968) 13. The Doors Strange Days (1967) 14. The Thirteenth Floor Elevators The Psychedelic Sounds of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators (1966) 15. The Grateful Dead Anthem of the Sun (1968) 16. The Rolling Stones Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) 17. The Small Faces Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (1968) 18. Country Joe & the Fish Electric Music for the Mind and Body (1967) 19. The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967) 20. Jefferson Airplane After Bathing at Baxter’s (1967) 21. Syd Barrett The Madcap Laughs (1970) 22. The Moody Blues In Search of the Lost Chord (1968) 23. The Beatles Revolver (1966) 24. Spirit Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (1970) 25. Big Brother & the Holding Company Cheap Thrills (1968) 26. The Byrds Fifth Dimension (1966) 27. Donovan Sunshine Superman (1966) 28. The Grateful Dead Live/Dead (live, 1969) 29. Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) 30. Moby Grape Moby Grape (1967) 31. Traffic Mr. Fantasy/Heaven in Your Mind (1967) 32. Os Mutantes Os Mutantes (1968) 33. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Safe As Milk (1968) 34. Iron Butterfly In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968) 35. Pink Floyd A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) 36. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention Freak Out! (1966) 37. Funkadelic Maggot Brain (1971) 38. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 39. The Beach Boys Smiley Smile (1967) / Brian Wilson Smile (2004) / The Beach Boys The Smile Sessions (2011) 40. The Soft Machine The Soft Machine (1968) 41. Alexander “Skip” Spence Oar (1969) 42. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Trout Mask Replica (1969) 43. The Who Sell Out (1967) 44. Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention We’re Only in It for the Money (1968) 45. The Yardbirds Roger the Engineer (aka "Over Under Sideways Down" and "The Yardbirds") (1966) 46. The Thirteenth Floor Elevators Easter Everywhere (1967) 47. The Grateful Dead Aoxomoxoa (1969) 48. The Byrds Younger Than Yesterday (1967) 49. Can Tago Mago (1972) 50. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Part One (1966) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists First posted 7/29/2011; last updated 8/30/2024.

Laurel Canyon: Top 100 Songs

Laurel Canyon: Top 100 Songs

Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. From the mid-‘60s to the mid-‘70s, it became “a nexus of counterculture activity and attitudes,” WK serving as a mecca for musicians including Jackson Browne, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Canned Heat, Crosby Stills & Nash, Ned Doheny, members of the Eagles, Carole King, Love, members of the Mamas & the Papas, John Mayall, Joni Mitchell, the Monkees’ Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork, Jim Morrison (of the Doors), Harry Nilsson, Gram Parsons, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Judee Sill, J.D. Souther, James Taylor, Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys), Neil Young, and Frank Zappa. 18 lists focused on songs from Laurel Canyon were aggregated together. Those songs were narrowed down to those which were released between 1965 and 1975 and appeared on three or more lists. That left 149 songs. The top 50 songs were automatically in. For the next 50, I took the remaining songs and sorted them by overall status in Dave’s Music Database. Those top 50 were then added to the list, sorted by their points on the Laurel Canyon lists. Check out the Spotify playlist of these songs here.. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 1. Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (1966) 2. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Our House” (1970) 3. The Mamas & the Papas “California Dreamin’” (1965) 4. The Mamas & the Papas “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)” (1967) 5. The Doors “Love Street” (1968) 6. The Turtles “Happy Together” (1967) 7. The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” (1965) 8. Eagles “Take It Easy” (1972) 9. America “Ventura Highway” (1972) 10. Jackson Browne “Doctor My Eyes” (1972) 11. Joni Mitchell “Big Yellow Taxi” (1970) 12. Stephen Stills “Love the One You’re With” (1970) 13. The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) 14. Crosby, Stills and Nash “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (1969) 15. The Mamas & the Papas “Monday Monday” (1966) 16. Linda Ronstadt “You’re No Good” (1974) 17. The Byrds “So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star” (1967) 18. Joni Mitchell “The Circle Game” (1970) 19. Eagles “Witchy Woman” (1972) 20. Poco “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” (1969) 21. Linda Ronstadt “When Will I Be Loved” (1974) 22. Buffalo Springfield “Mr. Soul” (1967) 23. The Byrds “Eight Miles High” (1966) 24. Carly Simon “You’re So Vain” (1972) 25. Love “Alone Again Or” (1967) 26. James Taylor “Fire and Rain” (1970) 27. Joni Mitchell “A Case of You” (1971) 28. Carole King “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971) 29. Flying Burrito Brothers “Christine’s Tune (Devil in Disguise)” (1969) 30. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Teach Your Children” (1970) 31. Carole King “I Feel the Earth Move” (1971) 32. Linda Ronstadt with the Stone Poneys “Different Drum” (1967) 33. Carole King “So Far Away” (1971) 34. Judee Sill “Crayon Angels” (1971) 35. The Byrds “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” (1968) 36. James Taylor “Sweet Baby James” (1970) 37. The Byrds “My Back Pages” (1967) 38. Carole King “It’s Too Late” (1971) 39. The Monkees “She” (1967) 40. Neil Young “Heart of Gold” (1972) 41. Eagles “Desperado” (1973) 42. Eagles “Tequila Sunrise” (1973) 43. The Mamas & the Papas “Go Where You Wanna Go” (1965) 44. Jackson Brown “Jamaica Say You Will” (1972) 45. Eagles “Peaceful, Easy Feeling” (1972) 46. Eagles “Already Gone” (1974) 47. Poco “A Good Feelin’ to Know” (1972) 48. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Helplessly Hoping” (1969) 49. Little Feat “Dixie Chicken” (1973) 50. Mama Cass Elliot (of the Mamas & the Papas) “Dream a Little Dream of Me” (1968) 51. Buffalo Springfield “Expecting to Fly” (1967) 52. Leon Russell “Tight Rope” (1972) 53. The Monkees “I’m a Believer” (1966) 54. The Beach Boys “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (1966) 55. The Doors “L.A. Woman” (1971) 56. Neil Young “Cinnamon Girl” (1969) 57. The Monkees “Last Train to Clarksville” (1966) 58. Eagles “Lyin’ Eyes” (1975) 59. Crosby, Stills & Nash with Neil Young “Ohio” (1970) 60. The Mamas & the Papas “Creeque Alley” (1967) 61. Eagles “Best of My Love” (1974) 62. Joni Mitchell “River” (1971) 63. The Doors “Touch Me” (1968) 64. Linda Ronstadt “Long Long Time” (1970) 65. Three Dog Night “Mama Told Me Not to Come” (1970) 66. Eagles “Take It to the Limit” (1975) 67. Joni Mitchell “Help Me” (1974) 68. Joni Mitchell “Both Sides Now” (1969) 69. America “Lonely People” (1974) 70. Crosby, Stills & Nash “Marrakesh Express” (1969) 71. The Byrds “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” (1965) 72. Crosby, Stills & Nash “Wooden Ships” (1969) 73. The Turtles “It Ain’t Me, Babe” (1965) 74. The Byrds “All I Really Want to Do” (1965) 75. The Association “Never My Love” (1967) 76. The Doors “Light My Fire” (1967) 77. The Monkees “Daydream Believer” (1967) 78. James Taylor “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971) 79. The Doors “Hello, I Love You” (1968) 80. Neil Young “Old Man” (1972) 81. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Woodstock” (1970) 82. The Doors “Riders on the Storm” (1971) 83. Eagles “One of These Nights” (1975) 84. The Doors “Break on Through” (1967) 85. James Taylor “How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You” (1975) 86. Love “My Little Red Book” (1966) 87. Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965) 88. Canned Heat “On the Road Again” (1968) 89. The Doors “People Are Strange” (1967) 90. The Doors “Roadhouse Blues” (1970) 91. Joni Mitchell “Free Man in Paris” (1974) 92. Joni Mitchell “Carey” (1971) 93. The Doors “Love Her Madly” (1971) 94. Canned Heat “Going Up the Country” (1968) 95. The Doors “Love Me Two Times” (1967) 96. The Monkees “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (1967) 97. Neil Young “Southern Man” (1970) 98. Neil Young “The Needle and the Damage Done” (1972) 99. Linda Ronstadt “Heat Wave” (1975) 100. Linda Ronstadt “The Tracks of My Tears” (1975) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” Wikipedia: “Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles” First posted 4/21/2024; last updated 4/28/2024.

Top 100 Country Albums of All Time

Country Music: The Top 100 Albums

This was originally posted as a top 20 list on Facebook and then expanded for the DMDB blog. 38 lists (sources at bottom of page) focused on country albums were aggregated to create this list. Albums making 3 or more of those lists were ranked by their overall status in Dave’s Music Database. Also factored in were those which topped the country album chart or won Country Album of the Year awards from the Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Billboard, Country Music Association, Dave’s Music Database, and the Grammys. There is a lot of cross-polination between country, folk, and Americana. I’ve created three separate lists for these genres and allowed an album to only show up on one of the three lists. Check out those and other best-of-genre/category lists here. 1. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997) 2. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968) 3. Taylor Swift Fearless (2008) 4. Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) 5. Various artists O Brother Where Art Thou (soundtrack, 2000) 6. Taylor Swift Red (2012) 7. Chris Stapleton Traveller (2015) 8. Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour (2018) 9. Garth Brooks Ropin’ the Wind (1991) 10. The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968) 11. Gram Parsons Grievous Angel (1974) 12. Garth Brooks No Fences (1990) 13. Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1947-53, released 1978) 14. Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits (compilation: 1977-80, released 1980) 15. Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1957-63, released 1973) 16. Morgan Wallen Dangerous: The Double Album (2021) 17. Garth Brooks The Hits (compilation: 1989-1993) 18. Carrie Underwood Some Hearts (2005) 19. Johnny Cash At San Quentin (live, 1969) 20. Taylor Swift Speak Now (2010) 21. The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) 22. Billy Ray Cyrus Some Gave All (1992) 23. Dixie Chicks Home (2002) 24. Shania Twain Up! (2002) 25. Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces (1998) 26. Sturgill Simpson A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016) 27. Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose (2004) 28. Morgan Wallen One Thing at a Time (2023) 29. Dixie Chicks Fly (1999) 30. Willie Nelson Red-Headed Stranger (1975) 31. Shania Twain The Woman in Me (1995) 32. Lady Antebellum Need You Now (2010) 33. Shania Twain Greatest Hits (compilation: 1994-2004, released 2004) 34. Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way (2006) 35. Garth Brooks Double Live (1998) 36. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972) 37. Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer, Different Park (2013) 38. Alan Jackson Greatest Hits Volume 2 and Some Other Stuff (compilation: 1996-2003, released 2003) 39. Alabama Greatest Hits (compilation: 1980-86, released 1986) 40. Gram Parsons G.P. (1973) 41. Alan Jackson The Greatest Hits Collection (compilation: 1989-95, released 1995) 42. Chris Stapleton Starting Over (2020) 43. Taylor Swift Taylor Swift (2006) 44. Garth Brooks In Pieces (1993) 45. Taylor Swift Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021) 46. Kenny Rogers The Gambler (1978) 47. Miranda Lambert Platinum (2014) 48. Luke Combs This One’s for You (2017) 49. Emmylou Harris Wrecking Ball (1995) 50. Garth Brooks Sevens (1997) 51. Clint Black Killin’ Time (1989) 52. Tim McGraw Greatest Hits (compilation: 1994-99, released 2000) 53. Garth Brooks The Chase (1992) 54. Kenny Rogers Ten Years of Gold (compilation: 1967-77, released 1978) 55. Eagles Long Road Out of Eden (2007) 56. George Strait 50 Number Ones (compilation: 1982-2004, released 2004) 57. Zach Bryan American Heartbreak (2022) 58. Willie Nelson Stardust (1978) 59. LeAnn Rimes Blue (1996) 60. Garth Brooks Garth Brooks (1989) 61. Faith Hill Breathe (1999) 62. Randy Travis Always and Forever (1987) 63. Chris Stapleton From a Room, Volume 1 (2017) 64. Various Artists Coyote Ugly (soundtrack, 2000) 65. Luke Bryan Crash My Party (2013) 66. Kacey Musgraves Star-Crossed (2021) 67. Eric Church Chief (2011) 68. Various Artists Country Music (box: 1928-2002, released 2019) 69. Waylon Jennings Greatest Hits (compilation: 1968-78, released 1979) 70. Willie Nelson Always on My Mind (1982) 71. Gretchen Wilson Here for the Party (2004) 72. Jason Aldean My Kinda Party (2011) 73. Garth Brooks The Ultimate Hits (compilation: 1989-2007, released 2007) 74. Alan Jackson Drive (2002) 75. Lyle Lovett Pontiac (1987) 76. Charlie Rich Behind Closed Doors (1973) 77. Willie Nelson Greatest Hits & Some That Will Be (compilation: 1973-81, released 1981) 78. Tim McGraw Not a Moment Too Soon (1994) 79. Alan Jackson A Lot about Livin’ and a Little ‘Bout Love (1992) 80. Alabama Mountain Music (1982) 81. Rascal Flatts Me and My Gang (2006) 82. Kenny Chesney When the Sun Goes Down (2004) 83. Mary Chapin Carpenter Come on, Come On (1992) 84. Alabama The Closer You Get (1983) 85. Brad Paisley Time Well Wasted (2005) 86. Alabama Feels So Right (1981) 87. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, & Jessi Colter Wanted! The Outlaws (1976) 88. Brooks & Dunn Brand New Man (1991) 89. Toby Keith Shock ‘n Y’all (2003) 90. Reba McEntire Greatest Hits Volume Two (compilation: 1988-93, released 1993) 91. Miranda Lambert Revolution (2009) 92. George Strait Blue Clear Sky (1996) 93. John Denver Back Home Again (1974) 94. Glen Campbell Wichita Lineman (1968) 95. Kenny Rogers Kenny (1979) 96. Garth Brooks Fresh Horses (1995) 97. Elvis Presley Moody Blue (1977) 98. Garth Brooks Scarecrow (2001) 99. Randy Travis Storms of Life (1986) 100. Dwight Yoakam Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc. (1986) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists Dave’s Music Database: Country Music: Albums of the Year (Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Billboard, Country Music Association, Dave’s Music Database, and Grammy awards for country album of the year) 24/7 Wall St. (4/1/2020). “100 Most Popular Country Music Albums of All Time” This list was created based on albums sales and performance on Billboard’s country album chart. All albums hit #1 on that chart and sold at least 1 million copies. Academy of Country Music (1967-2019). “Album of the Year” Albumoftheyear.org: “The Best Country Albums of All Time” Top 25 list. Heavily slanted toward 21st century albums. BestEverAlbums.co (2013). “Top 100 Country Albums” by Bork Billboard “Greatest of All Time Top Country Albums” Billboard “List of Billboard number-one country albums” Billings Gazette (4/22/2017). “Tradition vs. Recent Hits: Ranking the Best Country Music Albums of All Time” BobbyBones.iheart.com (2/1/2018). “These Are the top 50 Country Albums of All Time” by Morgan Huelsman TheBoot.com (3/31/2020). “10 Essential Albums for Your Country Music Education” Cleveland.com (9/19/2019). “50 Greatest Country Music Albums of All Time” by Troy L. Smith CMT (4/24/2013). “Nashville Skyline: What Are the Greatest Albums Ever?” by Chet Flippo CMT Edge: “10 Essential Alt-Country Albums” Now dead link. Consequence of Sound (9/10/2019). “10 Country Albums Every Music Fan Should Own” by Jacob Nierenberg and Tyler Dunston Country Music Associati “Album of the Year” Digital Dream Door (6/24/2017). “100 Greatest Country Music Albums” edited by Chris F., Lew Discogs.com (2019). “Essential Country Albums to Own on Vinyl” by gaspipe Entertainment Weekly (5/15/2008). “25 Country Albums You Need to Hear Even if You Hate Country Music” by Chris Willman Grammy Award (1965-66, 1994-present). “Best Country Album” IGN (6/16/2012). “Top 25 Country Albums” by Spence D. BBC listeners were polled to determine the top 100 albums of all time. Mademan: “Top 10 Best Country Albums of All Time” Now dead link. Mentor Public Library (8/23/2017). “25 Classic Country Albums on Freegal” Mojo (2001). “The Ultimate CD Buyers Guide: Country” Music Radar (4/2/2013). “Son Volt’s Jay Farrar Picks 10 Essential Country Albums” by Joe Bosso Paste (10/19/2019). “The 30 Best Country Albums of the 2010s” Pitchfork: “Highest Rated Country Albums of All Time” Q Magazine: “30 Essential Country Rock Albums” Q Magazine (April 2005). “Ultimate Music Collection” Featured lists of must-have albums (from 4 to 11 picks) and tracks (roughly 50) in multiple genres including rock, pop, punk, rap, country, blues, soul, metal, reggae, jazz, folk, electronic, and indie. Rate Your Music: “100 Greatest Country Albums” An unranked list created by Ratey Your Music user BradL. Reddit (2015). “What Are County Music’s Essential Albums?” Rolling Stone (5/27/2020). “50 Country Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own” SavingCountryMusic.com (3/25/2013). “Greatest Country Music Albums of All Time” A Taste of Country (2015). “100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time” Treblezine.com (3/10/2016). “10 Essential 21st Century CountryAlbums” Vinyl Me Please (8/3/2018). “The 10 Best Alt-Country Albums to Own on Vinyl” by Andrew Madigan VivaScene.com (1/16/2019). “Essential: The Top 10 Country Albums Every Music Fan Should Own” by Brian Miller Wide Open Country (2020). “The 50 Best-Selling Country Albums of All Time” by Bobby Moore First posted 3/17/2010; last updated 3/22/2024.

Today in Music (1969): The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin released

The Gilded Palace of Sin The Flying Burriot Brothers

Released: February 6, 1969 Charted: date Peak: 164 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: country rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] Christine’s Tune (aka “Devil in Disguise”) (Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman) [3:04] Sin City (Hillman, Parsons) [4:11] Do Right Woman Chips Moman, Dan Penn) [3:56] Dark End of the Street (Moman, Penn) [3:58] My Uncle (Parsons, Hillman) [2:37] Wheels (Hillman, Parsons) [3:04] Juanita (Hillman, Parsons) [2:31] Hot Burrito No. 1 (aka “I’m Your Toy”) (Chris Ethridge, Parsons) [3:40] Hot Burrito No. 2 (Ethridge, Parsons) [3:19] Do You Know How It Feels (Parsons, Barry Goldberg) [2:09] Hippie Boy (Hillman, Parsons) [4:55] Total Running Time: 37:24 The Players: Gram Parsons (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, organ) Chris Hillman (guitar, vocals, mandolin) “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow (pedal steel guitar) Chris Ethridge (bass, backing vocals, piano)

Rating: 3.902 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings) Quotable: “No one ever brought rock and country together quite like the Flying Burrito Brothers, and this album remains their greatest accomplishment.” – Mark Deming, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: After a stint with the International Submarine Band, Gram Parsons joined the Byrds for their 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Parsons only lasted one album with the group, getting fired by Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. That album, however, became viewed as ground zero for country rock – and it wasn’t the last time Parsons and Hillman worked together. Parsons formed the Flying Burrito Brothers and Hillman decided to jump ship from the Byrds and joined up as a rhythm guitarist. His “strong and supportive harmony vocals blend flawlessly with Parsons’ (and he also proved to be a valuable songwriting partner, collaborating on a number of great tunes with Gram).” MD Chris Ethridge, a bassist and keyboardist, also joined. He previously played with Parsons in the International Submarine Band. Rounding out the foursome was “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow, a steel guitarist whose “fuzztone steel guitar provides a perfect bridge between country and psychedelic rock.” MD He went on to work extensively as a session musician with Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Leonard Cohen, Joe Cocker, Eagles, the Everly Brothers, George Harrison, John Lennon, Little Richard, the Steve Miller Band, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, and Stevie Wonder. It was with the Burrito Brothers first album, The Gilded Palace of Sin, that Parsons “revealed the full extent of his talents.” MD “It ranks among the finest and most influential albums the genre would ever produce.” MD In the documentary Beyond Nashville, Parsons is described as “passionate about country music’s simple poetry. He was equally passionate about rock music. At a time when they were poles apart, he alone thought they belonged together.” WK Rolling Stone said the album “picks up where Sweetheart of the Rodeo left off.” WK Bob Dylan called it his favorite country-rock album. WK John Firminger of Country Music Review said the album “quite clearly stands as a complete definition of the term country rock.” WK “As a songwriter, Parsons delivered some of his finest work on this set; Hot Burrito No. 1 and Hot Burrito No. 2 both blend the hurt of classic country weepers with a contemporary sense of anger, jealousy, and confusion.” MD Both songs grew out of old melodies Chris Ethridge had written. WK Sin City was written by Parsons and Hillman at a San Fernando Valley house the group called “Burrito Manor.” Hillman woke Gram up saying he had an idea for a song and they wrote it in about thirty minutes. WK It “can either be seen as a parody or a sincere meditation on a city gone mad, and it hits home in both contexts.” MD My Uncle and Hippie Boy both addressed “then-contemporary countercultureal concerns: the draft and the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. Parsons said the latter had to “be a narrative song, and Chris Hillman has to do it…It was the toughest challenge on the album.” WK “Parsons was rarely as strong as a vocalist as he was here, and his covers of Dark End of the Street and Do Right Woman prove just how much he had been learning from R&B as well as C&W.” MD “While The Gilded Palace of Sin barely registered on the pop culture radar in 1969, literally dozens of bands (the Eagles most notable among them) would find inspiration in this music and enjoy far greater success. But no one ever brought rock and country together quite like the Flying Burrito Brothers, and this album remains their greatest accomplishment.” MD It has been credited with the New Tradtionalist movement in the 1980s, which included Clint Black, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, and Travis Tritt. The album has also been cited for influencing the alt-country movement, which includes the Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo, and Wilco. WK In the liner notes for the 1997 reissue of the album, Sid Griffin wrote that Gilded Palace may have sold only 50,000 copies, but “like the first album by the Velvet Underground, it would seem everyone of those 50,000 went out and formed a band inspired by what they’d heard.” WK

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Gram Parsons DMDB encyclopedia entry for Chris Hillman MD Mark Deming, All Music Guide WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 2/18/2010; last updated 3/21/2024.

 

Today in Music (1966): The Byrds “Eight Miles High” released

Eight Miles High The Byrds

Writer(s): Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark (see lyrics here) Released: March 14, 1966 First Charted: April 2, 1966 Peak: 14 BB, 12 CB, 13 GR, 15 HR, 2 CL, 24 UK, 4 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 9.70 video, 32.58 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Byrds formed in 1964 in Los Angeles. Their 1965 cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” got the group “lauded as the harbingers of a whole new genre – folk-rock.” LW With 1966’s “Eight Miles High” they were celebrated for another song “that was also heralded as a groundbreaking event.” LW It is considered “a classic of the counterculture era” WK and “one of the masterpieces of the psychedelic era,” TC even being held up by many critics as “the first bona fide psychedelic rock song.” WK Band member Roger McGuinn said “this nugget of proto-psychedia” DT was not about drugs, as everyone assumed, “but in the ‘60s, anything with abstract imagery was automatically considered a psychedelic song.” SJ It was about the band’s impressions of touring in England. He said, “it’s about the altitude of the airplane – eight miles high – and when you land over there, when you touch down, you find culture shock.” SJ The protests didn’t keep radio from banning it for what regarded as “perceived drug connotations in its lyrics.” WK Band members Gene Clark and David Crosby would admit later that the song “was at least partially inspired by their drug use” WK and McGuinn would acknowledge that “high” had a double meaning. SS In addition, “the Byrds’ harmonies were never more ghostly and uplifting,” SS which enhanced the psychedelic effect of the song. “The amazing guitar solo is McGuinn playing live – and alone!” SJ He said, “There’s no overdubs on that; it’s one straightforward guitar part on a twelve-string. The reason it sounds like that is because I was influenced by John Coltrane,” SJ specifically his song “India.” It was McGuinn’s attempt to replicate “the saxophonist’s repetitive line in that song.” SS Music historian Steve Sullivan said McGuinn’s work here was “no doubt in turn also inspiring an up-and-coming virtuoso named Jim Hendrix.” SS Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Byrds TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Pages 117-8. LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 126. SJ Bob Shannon and John Javna (1986). Behind the Hits: Inside Stories of Classic Pop and Rock and Roll. Warner Brothers, Inc.: New York, NY. Page 239. SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 404. DT Dave Thompson (2011). 1000 Songs That Rock Your World. Krause Publications: Iola, WI. Page 144. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 4/24/2024.

Today in Music (1965): The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn!” hit #1

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season) The Byrds

Writer(s): Pete Seeger (see lyrics here) Released: October 1, 1965 First Charted: October 22, 1965 Peak: 13 US, 11 CB, 11 GR, 12 HR, 1 CL, 26 UK, 3 CN, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 3.0 radio, 38.47 video, 143.16 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Byrds emerged in 1965 as the poster children for folk rock with their #1 rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” By year’s end, they’d churned out another chart-topping cover originally written by another folk legend – Pete Seeger. His song, “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” boasts “being the number one single with the most ancient lyrics” FB as he adapted the words from the Bible’s Book of Ecclesiastes in 1959. His only original contributions were the title of the song and the last line, “A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.” RC He said the melody came together in roughly fifteen minutes. SG It was first released in 1962 as “To Everything There Is a Season” by the Limeliters. A year later, Judy Collins recorded an arrangement of the song by Roger McGuinn. The future Byrds’ frontman also played guitar on the song. Once he was in the Byrds, he started playing the song while on a tour bus. David Crosby added his twist and the group came up with a new arrangement for the song. FB McGuinn said it took them more than 50 takes to get the song right. RC They ended up recording the song “in that chiming, droning, vaguely Beatlesque way that had become the Byrds’ signature sound.” SG As McGuinn said, “I changed the chord structure…and we changed the beat…We put a kick, that Phil Spector beat…to it.” SS The group figured out how “to interweave those guitar jangles” SG with their three-way harmonies into a “straight-up smash during that very early psychedelic era.” SG The Byrds released their version just as “the Vietnam War was just startint to rip open the United States’ generation gap,” SG was embraced by kids as a “pro-peace anthem.” SG However, it was difficult to view a song which quoted the Bible as countercultural so it had appeal to older generations as well. SG Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for The Byrds FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 188. RC Rod Couch (2015). The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955-2015. Pages 165-6. SG Stereogum (8/21/2018). “The Number Ones” by Tom Breihan SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 403-4. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 7/13/2023; last updated 4/25/2024.