1968’s Best Rock Albums

Photo: VARA / CC BY-SA 3.0 NL (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)

1968 Best Rock Albums list once again presents another legendary year in the history of rock and roll. The second half of the 1960s defined one of the best periods in rock and roll music of all time. Fueling the trend were great album releases by groups like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and so many others. These lists have become incredibly difficult to put together with each year that goes by because of the amount of Hallmark albums that have been released.The Beatles and The Jimi Hendrix Experience released possibly their best records ever in 1968. Of course there’s much debate to that, but clearly these two groups released in 1968, two of the best records ever released period. Standing an inch behind them were the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Cream, Traffic and The Mothers of Invention. Many artists who released their debut albums in 1967 came roaring back in 1968 with even greater albums. This was a time period when it was very common for bands and artists to release two new albums a year. Even some of these groups live albums become legendary records.

In the second half of the 1960s we saw the debut of more legendary bands than any other time. In history. 1968 saw debut albums by Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf, Spirit, Dr. John, Fleetwood Mac, Blood Sweat & Tears, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Band, Jethro Tull, Spooky Tooth, Three Dog Night, Joni Mitchell, The Delfonics and many more.

In 1968 there was a higher percentage of rock albums then there were rhythm and blues and soul records. Progressive rock, psychedelic rock and straight ahead rock and roll became the dominant force in music by 1968. Motown was still going strong. Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye released two of their greatest albums of all time. Booker T. & the MG’s continued to play on tons of records and release their own albums. James Brown continued to lead the way infusing R&B, soul and rock and roll as he became one of the most exciting entertainers in show business.

Interestingly, in 1968 we see the first two solo albums from the Beatles. Both John Lennon and George Harrison released solo albums while the Beatles were still together. However, these were more experimental solo records compared to the types of solo albums they would put out in the post Beatles years.

1968 was a great year in rock and roll. Was it better than 1967? Its pretty close. Only one more year to go before we close out our 1960s rock albums review. 1969 it’s going to really blow your mind. But before we get to 1969, check out this amazing list of albums from the great rock and roll year of 1968

# 100 – Something Else Again – Richie Havens

# 99 – The Beat Goes On – Vanilla Fudge

# 98 – Wonderwall Music – George Harrison

# 97 – Horizontal  – Bee Gees

# 96 – Did She Mention My Name? – Gordon Lightfoot

# 95 – Mass in F Minor – The Electric Prunes

# 94 – Elvis (68 Comeback Special) – Elvis Presley

# 93 – Brooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn Bridge

# 92 – Head – The Monkees

# 91 – The Archies – The Archies

# 90 –  Feelings – The Grass Roots

# 89 – I Can’t Stop Dancing – Archie Bell & The Drells

# 88 – Soul Limbo – Booker T. & the MGs

# 87 – Cruising with Ruben & the Jets – The Mothers of Invention

# 86 – Balaklava – Pearls Before Swine

# 85 – In My Own Dream – Paul Butterfield Blues Band

# 84 – Birthday – The Association

# 83 – Move – The Move

# 82 – Like to Get to Know You – Spanky and Our Gang

# 81 – At Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash

# 80 – Bend Me, Shape Me –  The American Breed

# 79 – Basic Blues Magoos – The Blues Magoos

# 78 – Sweetheart of the Rodeo – The Byrds

# 77 – Shine On Brightly – Procol Harum

# 76 – Blues on Top of Blues – B. B. King

# 75 – It’s All About – Spooky Tooth

# 74 – Quicksilver Messenger Service – Quicksilver Messenger Service

# 73 – Stoned Soul Picnic – The Fifth Dimension

# 72 –I Heard It Through the Grapevine! – Marvin Gaye

# 71 – Every One of Us – Eric Burdon & The Animals

# 70 – The Papas & The Mamas – The Mamas and the Papas

# 69 – Feliciano! – José Feliciano

# 68 – The Graduate – Simon & Garfunkel

# 67 – Randy Newman – Randy Newman

# 66 – La La Means I Love You – The Delfonics

# 65 – The Twain Shall Meet  – Eric Burdon & the Animals

# 64 –Wow/Grape Jam – Moby Grape

# 63 – Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins – John Lennon

# 62 – The Hurdy Gurdy Man – Donovan

# 61 – Gris-Gris – Dr. John

# 60 – S.F. Sorrow – The Pretty Things

# 59 – Getting to the Point – Savoy Brown Band

# 58 – Renaissance – Vanilla Fudge

# 57 – Children of the Future – Steve Miller Band

# 56 – Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III

# 55 – Dance to the Music – Sly & The Family Stone

# 54 – A Long Time Comin’ – The Electric Flag

# 53 – Mr. Wonderful  – Fleetwood Mac

# 52 – With Their New Face On – The Spencer Davis Group

# 51 – The Progressive Blues Experiment – Johnny Winter

# 50 – Mony Mony – Tommy James and the Shondells

# 49 – Goin’ to Memphis – Paul Revere & the Raiders

# 48 –The Soft Machine – The Soft Machine

# 47 – Ars Longa Vita Brevis  – The Nice

# 46 – Aretha Now – Aretha Franklin

# 45 – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 

# 44 – Journey to the Center of the Mind – Amboy Dukes

# 43 – Heavy – Iron Butterfly

# 42 – Three Dog Night  – Three Dog Night 

# 41 – I Stand Alone – Al Kooper

# 40 – Spirit – Spirit

# 39 – The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack – The Nice

# 38 – The Notorious Byrd Brothers – The Byrds

# 37 –  Song to a Seagull – Joni Mitchell

# 36 – The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding

# 35 – Truth – The Jeff Beck Group

# 34 – Last Time Around Buffalo Springfield

# 33 – This Was – Jethro Tull

# 32 – Shades of Deep Purple – Deep Purple

# 31 – Vincebus Eruptum – Blue Cheer

# 30 – Magic Bus: The Who on Tour – The Who

# 29 – James Taylor – James Taylor

# 28 – Aerial Ballet  – Harry Nilsson

# 27 – White Light/White Heat – The Velvet Underground

# 26 – Once Upon a Dream – The Rascals

# 25 – The Book of Taliesyn – Deep Purple

# 24 – In Search of the Lost Chord  – The Moody Blues

# 23 – Anthem of the Sun – The Grateful Dead

# 22 – Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac

# 21 – Child Is Father to the Man – Blood Sweat & Tears

# 20 – Bookends – Simon & Garfunkel

# 19 – Steppenwolf – Steppenwolf

# 18 –  Waiting For The Sun – The Doors

# 17 – Cheap Thrills –Big Brother and the Holding Company

# 16 – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly

# 15 – Eli and the Thirteenth Confession – Laura Nyro

# 14 – Odessey and Oracle  – The Zombies

# 13 – Music From The Big Pink – The Band

# 12 –  A Saucerful of Secrets – Pink Floyd

# 11 – Lady Soul – Aretha Franklin

# 10 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison

#  9 – Blood Sweat & Tears – Blood Sweat & Tears

#  8 – The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks

#  7 – Creedence Clearwater Revival  – Creedence Clearwater Revival

#  6 – Traffic  – Traffic

#  5 – Wheels of Fire  – Cream

#  4 – We’re Only in It for the Money – The Mothers Of Invention

#  3 – Beggars Banquet  – The Rolling Stones

#  2 – The White Album – The Beatles

#  1 – Electric Ladyland – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Best Albums of The Year Series

1960’s Best Rock Albums

1962’s Best Rock Albums List

1963’s Best Rock Albums List

1964’s Best Rock Albums List

1965’s Best Albums

1966’s Best Albums

1967’s Best Rock Albums

1968’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

1980’s Best Rock Albums List

1981’s Best Rock Albums List

1982’s Best Rock Albums List

1983’s Best Rock Albums List

1984’s Best Rock Albums List

1985’s Best Rock Albums List

1986’s Best Rock Albums List