The Best Albums Of 1966

Welcome to 1966! Here's where things start getting weird. While still making a strong showing, we see folk music starting to morph or dissipate. The scene was losing steam and was being taken over by both Garage Rock and Psychedelia. Drugs, whether taken literally or used for imagery and sensory purposes were starting to peek their influence around the corner. Bands were digging in and starting to make a conscious decision to "get weird". Every album on this list has some sort of minor odd bent to it. The Beach Boys ripped apart their surfy song structures to introduce Modal Music and create a singular voice. The Beatles were experimenting with tape manipulation and all manner of odd effects on their masterpiece "Revolver". Even the blues greats were messing with their past rigid styles and incorporating, oddly enough, folk music into their sound. This was probably due in part to the folk musicians this year and the prior year digging up old Delta blues musicians all around the world and convincing them to record new material and to go on tour with them. In terms of Jazz, we are also starting to see that wane a little bit. There are still some major landmark releases this year, there are just fewer of them. Even the Jazz musicians were starting to get interested in Psychedelia and rock. The tide was beginning to shift into the insanity you will see in coming lists. This year also brought huge landmark debuts(and careers) from the likes of Tim Buckley, Cream, Love, The Mamas and The Papas, The Monkees, The Mothers Of Invention and Frank Zappa and the 13th Floor Elevators. These acts would go on to have more landmark releases and for some of them legendary careers. So in the great hippy words; Tune In and Drop Out!

The Beach Boys-Pet Sounds(Capitol)

Genre: Baroque Pop, Sunshine Pop, Psychedelic Pop

The Beatles-Revolver(Parlophone)

Genre: Pop Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Psychedelic Pop

Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers-Indestructible(Blue Note)

Genre: Hard Bop, Post-Bop

Blues Magoos-Psychedelic Lollipop(Mercury)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Blues Rock

The Blues Project-Projections(Verve Folkways)

Genre: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Folk Rock

Tim Buckley-Self Titled(Elektra)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Folk, Baroque Pop, Chamber Folk

Buffalo Springfield-Self Titled(ATCO)

Genre: Folk Rock, Country Rock

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band-East West(Elektra)

Genre: Blues Rock, Electric Blues, Psychedelic Rock, Chicago Blues, Raga Rock

Jacques Brel-Ces Gens-La(Barclay)

Genre: Chanson A Texte, Baroque Pop

The Byrds-Fifth Dimension(Columbia)

Genre: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Psychedelic Pop

Don Cherry-Complete Communion(Blue Note)

Genre: Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz

John Coltrane-Ascension(Impulse!)

Genre: Free Jazz, Spiritual Jazz, Experimental Big Band

Count Five-Psychotic Reaction(Double Shot)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Proto-Punk

Cream-Fresh Cream(Reaction)

Genre: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock

The Deep-Psychedelic Moods(Parkway)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock, Folk Rock, Experimental Rock

Donovan-Sunshine Superman(Epic)

Genre: Psychedelic Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Psychedelic Pop, Folk Rock, Folk Pop

Bob Dylan-Blonde On Blonde(Columbia)

Genre: Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Blues Rock

The Bobby Fuller Four-I Fought The Law(Mustang)

Genre: Rock & Roll, Garage Rock

Godz-Contact High With The Godz(ESP Disk)

Genre: Freak Folk, Psychedelic Folk

Tim Hardin-1(Verve Folkways)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Blues, Folk Pop

Lee Hazlewood-The Very Special World Of Lee Hazlewood(MGM)

Genre: Country Pop, Baroque Pop, Lounge, Singer/Songwriter, Pop, Psychedelic Pop

John Lee Hooker-The Real Folk Blues(Chess)

Genre: Electric Blues

Skip James-Today!(Vanguard)

Genre: Delta Blues, Acoustic Blues, Piano Blues, Texas Acoustic Blues

Bert Jansch-Jack Orion(Transatlantic)

Genre: Contemporary Folk, English Folk Music, Folk Baroque

The Kinks-Face To Face(Pye)

Genre: Pop Rock, Mod, Psychedelic Pop, Baroque Pop

Love-Da Capo(Elektra)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Garage Rock, Baroque Pop, Folk Rock

Love-Self Titled(Elektra)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Pop

Mamas And The Papas-Self Titled(Dunhill)

Genre: Sunshine Pop, Pop, Folk Pop, Psychedelic Pop

Mamas And The Papas-If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears(Dunhill)

Genre: Sunshine Pop, Pop Rock, Folk Pop, Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Folk

Roger Miller-Words And Music By Roger Miller(Smash)

Genre: Country Pop, Singer/Songwriter

Mississippi John Hurt-Today!(Vanguard)

Genre: Country Blues, Piedmont Blues, Acoustic Blues, Folk

The Monkees-Self Titled(Colgems)

Genre: Sunshine Pop, Pop Rock, Beat Music, Country Rock

Monks-Black Monk Time(International Polydor Production)

Genre: Garage Rock, Proto-Punk, Beat Music, Experimental Rock

Ennio Morricone-Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo(Parade)

Genre: Film Score, Spaghetti Western, Modern Classical, Musica Regional Mexicana

The Mothers Of Invention-Freak Out!(Verve)

Genre: Experimental Rock, Satire, Psychedelic Rock, Doo-Wop, Art Rock, Rock & Roll, Musique Concrete

The Music Machine-Turn On(Original Sound)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Proto-Punk

Ken Nordine-Colors(Phillips)

Genre: Beat Poetry, Spoken Word, Lounge, Jazz

Perrey Kingsley-The In Sound From Way Out!(Vanguard)

Genre: Space Age Pop, Electronic, Exotica, Tape Music, Zolo

Wilson Pickett-The Exciting Wilson Pickett(Atlantic)

Genre: Southern Soul, Deep Soul, R&B

Q65-Revolution(Decca)

Genre: Nederbeat, Garage Rock, British R&B, Psychedelic Rock

? & The Mysterians-96 Tears(Cameo)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock

The Remains-Self Titled(Epic)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Freakbeat

John Renbourn-Self Titled(Transatlantic)

Genre: Contemporary Folk, Folk Baroque, Acoustic Blues, British Blues

The Rolling Stones-Aftermath(Decca)

Genre: Blues Rock, Rock & Roll, R&B, British R&B

The Seeds-Self Titled(GNP Crescendo)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Proto-Punk, Blues Rock

The Seeds-A Web Of Sound(GNP Crescendo)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock

The Shadows Of Knight-Back Door Men(Dunwich)

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock

The Shadows Of Knight-Gloria(Dunwich)

Genre: Garage Rock, Blues Rock

Simon & Garfunkel-Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme(Columbia)

Genre: Folk Pop, Folk Rock, Chamber Folk, Folk Baroque

Simon & Garfunkel-Sounds Of Silence(Columbia)

Genre: Folk Pop, Folk Rock, Folk Baroque, Contemporary Folk

Nina Simone-Wild Is The Wind(Phillips)

Genre: Vocal Jazz, Soul, Soul Jazz

Nancy Sinatra-Boots(Reprise)

Genre: Pop, Sunshine Pop, Pop Soul, Jazz Pop, Baroque Pop

Nancy Sinatra-How Does That Grab You(Reprise)

Genre: Pop, Sunshine Pop, Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop

Small Faces-Self Titled(Decca)

Genre: Mod, British R&B, Garage Rock

The Sonics-Boom(Etiquette)

Genre: Garage Rock, Proto-Punk, Rock & Roll

The Standells-Dirty Water(Tower)

Genre: Garage Rock

The Supremes-A Go Go(Motown)

Genre: Girl Group, Pop Soul, Soul

Norma Tanega-Walkin' My Cat Named Dog(New Voice)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Folk Pop

Cecil Taylor-Unit Structures(Blue Note)

Genre: Free Jazz

Them-Them Again(Decca)

Genre: British R&B, Garage Rock, Funk, Jump Blues

13th Floor Elevators-The Psychedelic Sounds Of...(International Artists)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Acid Rock, Garage Rock

Big Mama Thornton-In Europe(Arhoolie)

Genre: Electric Blues, Blues, Rock & Roll, Delta Blues

The Troggs-From Nowhere(Fontana)

Genre: Garage Rock, Pop Rock, Proto-Punk, British R&B, Freakbeat

Ike & Tina Turner-River Deep Mountain High(London)

Genre: R&B, Soul, Pop Soul

Patty Waters-Sings(ESP Disk)

Genre: Vocal Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz

Patty Waters-College Tour(ESP Disk)

Genre: Vocal Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz

Doc Watson-Southbound(Vanguard)

Genre: Contemporary Folk, Appalachian Folk Music, Bluegrass, Country

The Who-A Quick One(Reaction)

Genre: Freakbeat, Mod

The Yardbirds-Roger The Engineer(Columbia)

Genre: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Mod, Garage Rock