1969’s Best Rock Albums list takes a look at a year that many people believe was the greatest year in rock and roll history. We have covered every year from 1960 to 1989 and if we had to pick a year in which we believe was the best out of those three decades of classic rock, 1969 would be the one. In fact, there were so many albums to choose from, we had to create the longest list that we have ever published in our best albums of the year series. In this one we listed our top 150 albums of 1969. It was tough to do, and there were still many left out. The top 25 was brutal. 1969’s Best Rock Albums list is almost all rock and roll. While many of the mid 1960s lists crossed genres because of the domination of Motown, soul and R&B, 1969 is almost all rock with a few exceptions.
1969’s Best Rock Albums article shines as our favorite for many reasons. Standing at the top of those reasons was the fact that 1969 showcases a year in which Led Zeppelin released their debut album. Further cementing that one particular point was the fact that Led Zeppelin followed up their debut album with an even stronger effort entitled Led Zeppelin II also in 1969. At the same time, three of the greatest rock bands of all time The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who released some of the greatest albums of their careers.
The trend for bands to release multiple albums year continued in 1969. Creedence Clearwater Revival released three spectacular albums in 1969. Its amazing how bands turned out music so quickly. Music that would become legendary. Musical artists used to react to turmoil in society by creating deeply written musical and lyrical responses to the issues. In 1969 there was no shortage of issues.
The year saw the greatest roster of debut albums ever released. Some of the most legendary would include the debut albums from Chicago, Grand Funk Janis Joplin, The Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Santana, King Crimson, Crosby,Stills & Nash, Free, Bob Seger, Poco and Alice Cooper, Elton John and Yes. There were so many more that you will discover on this incredible list of rock albums form 1969.
# 150 – The Wedding Album – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
# 149 – Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
# 148 – Electronic Sound – George Harrison
# 147 – 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) – Zagger & Evans
# 145 – Happy Trails – Quicksilver Messenger Service
# 142 – The Climax Chicago Blues Band – Climax Blues Band
# 141 – Folkjokeopus – Roy Harper
# 140 – The Howlin’ Wolf Album – Howlin’ Wolf
# 139 – Four Sail – Love
# 138 – Dizzy – Tommy Roe
# 137 – Elephant Mountain – The Youngbloods
# 136 – Pacific Gas and Electric – Pacific Gas & Electric
# 135 – Keep On Moving – Paul Butterfield
# 134 – Hollies Sing Dylan – The Hollies
# 133 – Hot Buttered Soul – Isaac Hayes
# 131 – The Good Rats – The Good Rats
# 130 – Valentyne Suite – Colosseum
# 129 – Testifyin’ – Clarence Carter
# 128 – Songs for a Tailor – Jack Bruce
# 127 – The Charlatans – The Charlatans
# 126 – Jimmy Cliff – Jimmy Cliff
# 125 – The Association – The Association
# 124 – The Meters – The Meters
# 123 – Completely Well – B.B. King
# 122 –The Gilded Palace of Sin – The Flying Burrito Brothers
# 121 – Boz Scaggs – Boz Scaggs
# 120 – Harry – Harry Nilsson
# 119 – Fathers and Sons – Muddy Waters
# 118 – The Age Of Aquarius – The Fifth Dimension
# 117 – Monster Movie – Can
# 116 – Tons of Sobs – Free
# 115 – At Home – Shocking Blue
# 114 – Monster – Steppenwolf
# 113 – Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud – James Brown
# 112 – Spare Parts – Status Quo
# 111 – It’s Not Killing Me – Mike Bloomfield
# 110 – Noah – Bob Seger System
# 109 – Love Chronicles – Al Stewart
# 108 – Concerto in “B Goode” – Chuck Berry
# 107 – Hollies Sing Hollies(UK) He Ain’t Heavy (US) –The Hollies
# 106 – Turtle Soup – The Turtles
# 105 – Beginnings – Ambrose Slade
# 104 – At San Quentin – Johnny Cash
# 103 – Instant Replay – The Monkees
# 102 – From Genesis to Revelation – Genesis
# 101 – Moby Grape ’69 – Moby Grape
# 100 – Your Saving Grace – Steve Miller Band
# 99 – 20/20 – The Beach Boys
# 98 – Dusty in Memphis – Dusty Springfield
# 97 – Touching You Touching Me – Neil Diamond
# 96 – Spooky Two – Spooky Tooth
# 95 – Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde – The Byrds
# 94 – Nazz Nazz – The Nazz
# 93 – Pickin’ Up the Pieces – Poco
# 92 – More – Pink Floyd
# 91 – Get Ready – Rare Earth
# 90 – From Elvis in Memphis – Elvis Presley
# 89 – Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
# 88 –To Our Children’s Children’s Children –The Moody Blues
# 87 – Renaissance – Renaissance
# 86 – Crimson & Clover – Tommy James & The Shondells
# 85 – Rock and Roll – Vanilla Fudge
# 84 – Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It – The Nice
# 83 – As Safe as Yesterday Is – Humble Pie
# 82 –Wanted Dead or Alive – Warren Zevon
# 81 – Unicorn – Tyrannosaurus Rex
# 80 – Babylon – Dr. John
# 79 – What We Did on Our Holidays – Fairport Convention
# 78 – Sound of Sexy Soul – The Delfonics
# 77 – Bull of the Woods – 13th Floor Elevators
# 76 – Ballad of Easy Rider – The Byrds
# 75 – Mountain – Leslie West
# 74 – Ahead Rings Out – Blodwyn Pig
# 73 – Brave New World – Steve Miller Band
# 72 – After the Rain – Muddy Waters
# 71 – Five Leaves Left – Nick Drake
# 70 – Ball – Iron Butterfly
# 69 – Soul ’69 – Aretha Franklin
# 68 – Blue Matter – Savoy Brown
# 67 – Near the Beginning – Vanilla Fudge
# 66 – Stonedhenge – Ten Years After
# 65 – Live / Dead – The Grateful Dead
# 64 – Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man – The Bob Seger System
# 63 – Uncle Meat – The Mothers of Invention
# 62 – Liege & Lief – Fairport Convention
# 61 – Grand Funk (The Red Album) Grand Funk
# 60 – At Your Birthday Party – Steppenwolf
# 59 – New! Improved! – Blue Cheer
# 58 – Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker
# 57 – Second Winter – Johnny Winter
# 56 – A Salty Dog – Procol Harum
# 55 – Volunteers – The Jefferson Airplane
# 54 – Then Play On – Fleetwood Mac
# 53 – Ssssh – Ten Years After
# 52 – Suitable for Framing – Three Dog Night
# 51 – Canned Wheat – The Guess Who
# 50 – Pretties for You – Alice Cooper
# 49 – New York Tendaberry – Laura Nyro
# 48 – Freedom Suite – The Rascals
# 47 – The Rod Stewart Album – Rod Stewart
# 46 – Neil Young – Neil Young
# 45 – Johnny Winter – Johnny Winter
# 44 – Trout Mask Replica – Captain Beefheart
# 43 – Beck-Ola – Jeff Beck Group
# 42 – Clouds – Joni Mitchell
# 41 – Stand – Sly & the Family Stone
# 40 – Sweet Caroline/Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show – Neil Diamond
# 39 – Yer’ Album – The James Gang
# 38 – Last Exit – Traffic
# 37 – Aoxomoxoa – The Grateful Dead
# 36 – Wheatfield Soul – The Guess Who
# 35 – The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground
# 34 – On the Threshold of a Dream – The Moody Blues
# 33 – With a Little Help from My Friends – Joe Cocker
# 32 – Santana – Santana
# 31 – Arthur – The Kinks
# 30 – Ummagumma – Pink Floyd
# 29 – I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! – Janis Joplin
# 28 – Hot Rats – Frank Zappa
# 27 – Bayou Country – Creedence Clearwater Revival
# 26 – Yes – Yes
# 25 – The Stooges – The Stooges
# 24 – Empty Sky – Elton John
# 23 – Goodbye – Cream
# 22 – The Soft Parade – The Doors
# 21 – Deep Purple (III) – Deep Purple
# 20 – David Bowie (Space Oddity) – David Bowie
# 19 – Kick Out The Jams – MC5
# 18 – On Time – Grand Funk Railroad
# 17 – Yellow Submarine – The Beatles
# 16 – Nashville Skyline – Bob Dylan
# 15 – Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival
# 14 – Stand Up – Jethro Tull
# 13 – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
# 12- Blind Faith – Blind Faith
# 11 – The Band – The Band
# 10 –The Chicago Transit Authority – Chicago
# 9 – Willie And The Poor Boys – Creedence Clearwater Revival
# 8 – In the Court of the Crimson King – King Crimson
# 7 – Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash
# 6 – The Allman Brothers Band –The Allman Brothers Band
# 5 – Tommy – The Who
# 4 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
# 3 – Let It Bleed – The Rolling Stones
# 2 – Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
# 1 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
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Best Albums of The Year Series
1960’s Best Rock Albums
1970’s Best Rock Albums
1970’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1971’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1972’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1973’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1974’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1975’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1976’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1977’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1978’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1979’s Best Classic Rock Albums List
1980’s Best Rock Albums
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1969 albums #122 – This is not the cover to “Gilded Palace of Sin”.