You could make a case for an original cast musical album as being the most important of the 1960s as they were huge sellers- Sound of Music or West Side Story to mention two. How about a couple of live classics- Judy (Garland) At Carnegie Hall or James Brown Live at the Apollo. Some might argue for Jimi Hendrix’ debut album, Are You Experienced. Certainly Dylan was at his peak- his acoustic breakthrough, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan or his mid-’60s classics, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde.
However, without a doubt, the most celebrated LP of the 1960s, perhaps of all-time, is the 1967 Beatles’ masterwork Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Yes, I know that its reputation has dipped a wee bit in recent years. Some would argue that Revolver or Abbey Road are actually better Beatle albums, but Sgt. Pepper, when it was released, and for decades thereafter, was seen and heard as the rock LP that finally broke through into highbrow culture, really the first time so-called pop music was treated seriously by the high art gatekeepers since the advent of rock & roll. Jazz had had a similar moment when Benny Goodman famously played Carnegie Hall in 1938.
Sgt. Pepper’s cover, of course, is probably the most iconic in history with the mustachioed Beatles in their colorful band outfits surrounded by a collection of contemporary and past cultural giants, from Mae West to Fred Astaire, Edgar Allen Poe to Marilyn Monroe, Sonny Liston to wax-figure models of the Beatlemania-era Beatles. And the music? There’s a definite mishmash of styles, even genres- from the straight-ahead rockers like “Sgt. Pepper’s…” (intro and reprise) or “Getting Better”, to George’s Indian-style “Within You Without You” to Paul’s old English music hall piece, “When I’m Sixty-Four” to the lovely, haunting strings of “She’s Leaving Home.” Then there’s the closer, “A Day in the Life”, arguably their finest single creation. I still recall how momentous it sounded when first I heard it in ’67, beginning with that simple acoustic guitar strum, those pregnant piano chords, then John’s far-away voice and mysterious lyrics; and of course the powerful orchestra crescendos, with that final goes on forever chord. It’s still a powerful record. If it’s been awhile since you played it all the way through, give it another spin. It still brings chills.
-Steve Williams (7/31/23) Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #32
Greatest Recording Artists 
2 responses to “Classic LP of the 1960s”
Amen for the 1960’s LP era, my time, a classic episode of music that influenced my generation and still influencing the new ones.
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When “Sgt. Pepper” was released in 1967 it was more than just the release of a highly original, brilliant album — it was an event. I was not quite 13 when it came out, but I recall being blown away by the music — The Beatles’ progression in three short years was nothing short of mind-boggling. It’s hard to choose “the greatest” in any human endeavor, but on any list, “Sgt. Pepper” must be among the most remarkable albums in the history of recorded music.
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