POLL: Greatest albums of 1967

So many great 1967 albums listed in the poll. Here's my pick:
- Velvet Underground & Nico
- The Doors
- The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
- Magical Mystery Tour
- Surrealistic Pillow

 

I do believe he was quoting Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, who was known to say that on a few occasions on the TV show.

 

Thats the problem with 'sources' especially in this era when 'sales stats' were not highly curated like they became. If you went to the homes of young teens and pre-teens in the US in 1967, I guarantee you would see probably 2 out 3 homes with Monkees LP's. Maybe not so much in a college dorm room, but for most of the country, they were huge.

The other thing is that by the time buyers of Monkees albums hit 20 they'll say: "A Monkees album? nah, I never bought one, I was into Pink Floyd & Capt. Beefheart." Yeah.... right!

 

It Was 20 Years Ago Today
Everybody Knows She's a Femme Fatale
Manic Depression Is a Frustrating Mess
Roll Up Roll Up Step Right This Way
Let's Spend The Night Together Now Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah

 

The “sources” aren’t based on sales stats though. Otherwise, Velvet Underground wouldn’t be featured.

 

One of the more difficult polls. Probably find most of my ten Desert Island Albums on this list. To limit it to five is practically impossible. My choices would shift per hour. Based on which five had there biggest influence on me or the times then Pepper needs to be at the top. Both Doors were important. The first because of Light My Fires impact not only on people but radio in general. Electric music and Piper's because they best show off the psychedelic movement on each continent although Hendrix and Disreli Gears fits in tightly. Way too difficult to limit to five!

 

Agreed, never said it was. The links are to polls. Current popularity rankings. Polls are rarely indicative of the popularity of music in the era they were contemporaneous to.

 

Oh, now I understand what you were saying. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Hmmm, it certainly was a good year.

I ended up going with the two Beatles albums, the Byrds, The Who and the Moody Blues - but with the proviso that Magical Mystery Tour gets in only if we are considering the album-length version, with all the singles on the second side.Just missing out were Jefferson Airplane and the Kinks.

 

Of course. In fact, I do encourage people to name their favorite albums that are not included in the poll. Actually I've mentioned a couple of my favorites that were missed too.

 

You're right, this poll does not represent the popularity of records in 1967; but it does represent the acclaim received afterwards, until today. I think the test of time is an important factor to be considered, even more than contemporaneous popularity, which is merely a static photograph of the year.

 

The 13th Floor Elevators' Easter Everywhere is certainly at least in my top 3.

 

Doors S/T is getting more votes than JHE AYE?? What's wrong with you people??!!

 

I can’t do this.

 

Glaring omission -- Best-selling album of the year -- More Of The Monkees

That is not to say that I think it was the best, only that the buying public in 1967 was not as cool as we'd like to think they were.

 

I mean, it’s not a bad album. Yeah, it’s not as boundary-breaking as any of the albums listed; but it’s not a bad listen.

 

Agreed. I was deep in Monkees fandom when it came out, bought it at the supermarket and played it endlessly. But I was 10 years old.

Yes, it is an enjoyable listen, mainly for those who grew up with it. But considering the heavy hitters in the list, plus others, it is not deserving of its best-selling status. But again, those buyers were probably other 10 year old kids like me. Even Michael Nesmith apparently later said it was "probably the worst album in the history of the world," obviously an exaggeration, but point taken.

 

I think it's not about being "cool" or "uncool", I believe the buyers were not yet prepared for those huge musical innovations in 1967. It's understood and natural that at that point the major musicians were several steps forward from the taste of the general public. I also think the taste of the buyers started to be definitely shaped from the release of Sgt. Pepper, thanks to the huge popularity of the Beatles. Somehow Revolver couldn't do that before, but I guess that a was much more difficult task in 1966. Indeed, after the release of Sgt. Pepper even the same Monkees became more adventurous, though within certain limits, of course. No wonder why by the end of 1968 the record sales of the Monkees decreased abruptely, because all the previous advances were finally digged by many music fans.

 

Voted for:

The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Wish these were on the list:

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile

 

1. *
   Are You Experienced (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
   
   
2. *
   The Doors (The Doors)
3. *
   Surrealistic Pillow (Jefferson Airplane)
   
4. *
   Buffalo Springfield Again (Buffalo Springfield)
   
5. *
   Mr. Fantasy (Traffic)
   

 

Both Hendrix lps
Cream
Dylan
Doors Debut

 

My favorite Monkees album and the last one before they foolishly let Don Kirshner go.

 

The Doors
Piper At The Gates of Dawn
Axis: Bold As Love
Strange Days
Buffalo Springfield Again


hon. John Wesley Harding

 

I voted, but they're all winner so it doesn't matter which ones I picked.

Imagine if this many great albums were released in, say, the year 2019? Oh man!

 

Where are the first 2 Cowsills albums?