I didn’t start out to canonize the year 1969, however while working on another project this one sort of became the byproduct of it. The year would kick off with the Beatles up on a rooftop and eventually crash land at the Altamont Speedway. The music that got us from the roof to the infield of a racetrack is listed here.
There is little sense in arguing what were the best, worst, or most influential years in music. Not that there aren’t cases to be made, it’s just that different ages, life experiences, technology and access to music make it more of a subjective exercise. That is of course where the fun begins in discussing such matters. It can be in a newsgroup, a class reunion, a bar, traffic court, a waiting line or wherever, it’s always fun to talk about music and where it’s been and headed.
The following list contains roughly 175 albums, and one single, that were released in a twelve month period that history has labeled as 1969. I was struck by the abundance of releases as a whole, just as much as the quality of the music. Some of the titles are nothing less than iconic, and while others fall short they represent different milestones that jump out. On any given week three or four of these albums were showing up on the new release wall. My lawn mowing money couldn’t keep up and I was too honest to steal from my mom’s purse. Thank God for the radio indeed!
1969 – Rock, Pop, Jazz & Country Releases: Selected Discography
Among the recordings we find groups in full stride, some on their way up, while others are on their way down. Some may not have never enjoyed the highs of other acts here, but they certainly have left a mark that is more easily understood after seeing where they fit in this big puzzle. It was certainly fun to have choices like this once upon a time.
Happy shopping!
Alice Cooper – Pretties For You
Allman Brothers Band – Allman Brothers Band (Debut)
Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll – Jools & Brian / Streetnoise (2 Releases)
Hoyt Axton – My Griffin Is Gone
Band – The Band (2nd album)
Joan Baez – Any Day Now: The Songs Of Bob Dylan
Beach Boys – 20/20
Beatles – Abbey Road
Jeff Beck Group – Beck-Ola
Bee Gees – Odessa
Blind Faith – Blind Faith
Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (2nd album)
Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper – The Live Adventures Of….
Blues Image – Blues Image (Debut)
David Bowie – Man Of Words, Man Of Music (Space Oddity)
Brooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn Bridge (Debut)
James Brown – Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud!
Jack Bruce – Songs For A Tailor
Tim Buckley – Happy/Sad
Paul Butterfield Blues Band – Keep On Moving
Byrds – Dr. Byrd & Mr. Hyde / Ballad Of Easy Rider (2 Releases)
Glen Campbell – Galveston
Canned Heat – Hallelujah
Captain Beefheart – Trout Mask Replica
Carpenters – Offering (Ticket To Ride) (Debut)
Clarence Carter – The Dynamic…
Johnny Cash – At San Quentin
Chambers Bros. – Love, Peace & Happiness
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority (Debut)
Joe Cocker – With A Little Help / Joe Cocker! (2 releases)
Leonard Cohen – Songs From A Room
Cold Blood – Cold Blood (Debut)
Judy Collins – Recollections
Cream – Goodbye
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country / Green River / Willy & The Poorboys (3 Releases)
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (Debut)
Miles Davis – In A Silent Way
Sammy Davis Jr. – I Gotta Be Me
Deep Purple – Book Of Taliesyn
Delaney & Bonnie – The Original…
John Denver – Rhymes & Reasons
Neil Diamond – Brother Love’s… / Touching You, Touching Me (2 Releases)
Dillard & Clark – Through The Morning, Through The Night
Donovan – Barabajagal
Doors – The Soft Parade
Dr. John – Babylon
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
Elton John – Empty Sky
Fairport Convention – What We Did On Our Holidays / Unhalfbricking / Liege & Leaf (3 Releases)
Fifth Dimension – Age Of Aquarius
Firesign Theater – How Can You Be In Two Places At Once…
Wild Man Fisher – An Evening With…
Flamin’ Groovies – Supersnazz
Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On
Flying Burrito Bros. – The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Aretha Franklin – Soul ‘69
Genesis – From Genesis To Revelation
Grand Funk Railroad – On Time
Grateful Dead – Aoxomoxoa
Guess Who – Wheatfield Soul / Canned Wheat Packed By… (2 Releases)
Arlo Guthrie – Runnin’ Down The Road
Merle Haggard – I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am
Tom T. Hall – Ballad Of Forty Dollars / Homecoming (2 Releases)
John Hammond – Southern Fried
Tim Hardin – #4 / Suite For Susan Moore… (2 Releases)
Emmylou Harris – Gliding Bird (Debut)
Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
Hollies – Sing Dylan
Mary Hopkin – Post Card
Humble Pie – As Safe As Yesterday Is / Town & Country (2 Releases)
Iron Butterfly – Ball
It’s A Beautiful Day – It’s A Beautiful Day (Debut)
Iveys (Badfinger in waiting) – Maybe Tomorrow
Jackson 5 – Diana Ross Presents… (Debut)
James Gang – Yer Album
Tommy James – Crimson & Clover / Cellophane Symphony (2 Releases)
Jefferson Airplane – Bless It’s Pointed Little Head / Volunteers (2 Releases)
Jethro Tull – This Was / Stand Up (2 Releases)
Janis Joplin – I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic…
B. B. King – Completely Well
King Crimson – In The Court…
Kinks – Arthur…
Led Zeppelin – Led zeppelin / Led zeppelin II (2 Releases)
Gordon Lightfoot – Sunday Concert
Jackie Lomax – Is This What You Want?
MC5 – Kick Out The Jams
Taj Mahal – Natch’l Blues / Giant Step (2 Releases)
Herbie Mann – Memphis Underground
John Mayall – Blues From Laurel Canyon / Looking Back (2 Releases)
Meters – The Meters (Debut)
Lee Michaels – Lee Michaels
Steve Miller Band – Brave New World / Your Saving Grace (2 Releases)
Joni Mitchell – Clouds
Moby Grape – ‘69 / Truly Fine Citizen / Wow/Grape Jam (3 Releases)
Monkees – Instant Replay
Moody Blues – On The Threshold Of A Dream
Mothers Of Invention – Uncle Meat
Mott The Hoople – Mott The Hoople (Debut)
Nazz – Nazz Nazz
Mickey Newbury – Looks Like Rain
Harry Nilsson – Harry
Laura Nyro – New York Tendaberry
Phil Ochs – Rehearsals For Retirement
Roy Orbison – Many Moods
Buck Owens – Tall Dark Stranger
Tom Paxton – The Things I Notice Now
Pearls Before Swine – These Things Too
Pentangle – Basket Of Light
Peter, Paul & Mary – Peter, Paul & Mommy
Pink Floyd – UmmaGumma
Poco – Pickin’ Up The Pieces
Elvis Presley – From Elvis In Memphis
Billy Preston – That’s The Way God Planned It
Procol Harum – A Salty Dog
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails
Rare Earth – Get Ready
Rascals – Freedom Suite
Lou Rawls – Your Good Thing
Renaissance – Renaissance (Debut)
Paul Revere & The Raiders – Hard & Heavy / Alias Pink Puzz (2 Releases)
Kenny Rogers & First Edition – …’69 / Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (2 Releases)
Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
Linda Ronstadt – Hand Sown…Home Grown (Solo Debut)
Billy Joe Royal – Cherry Hill Park
Santana – Santana (Debut)
Savoy Brown – Blue Matter / A Step Further (2 Releases)
Seals & Crofts – Seals & Crofts (Debut)
Bob Seger System – Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
Sha Na Na – Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay
Shaggs – Philosophy Of The World
Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer (Single Release)
Frank Sinatra – My Way / A Man Alone (2 Releases)
Nancy Sinatra – Nancy (Final album for Reprise)
Sir Douglas Quintet – Mendocino
Boz Scaggs – Boz Scaggs
Sly & The Family Stone – Stand!
Soft Machine – Volume Two
Joe South – Introspect (Debut)
Spirit – The Family That Plays Together / Clear Spirit (2 Releases)
Spooky Tooth – Spooky Two / Ceremony (2 Releases)
Dusty Springfield – Dusty In Memphis
Steppenwolf – At Your Birthday Party / Monster (2 Releases)
John Stewart – California Bloodlines
Rod Stewart – The Rod Stewart Album
Stooges – The Stooges
T. Rex – Unicorn
Taste – Taste (Debut)
Temptations – Cloud Nine
Ten Years After – Stonedhenge / Shhhhh (2 Releases)
Three Dog Night – Three Dog Night / Suitable For Framing / …Captured Live At The Forum (3 Releases)
Traffic – Last Exit
Townes Van Zandt – Our Mother The Mountain
Ike Turner – A Black Man’s Soul
Van Der Graaf Generator – The Aerosol Grey Machine
Vanilla Fudge – Near The Beginning / Rock & Roll (2 Releases)
Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground (3rd Album)
Jerry Jeff Walker – Driftin’ Way Of Life
Tony Joe White – Black & White
Who – Tommy
Johnny Winter – Johnny Winter / Second Winter (2 Releases)
Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man
Yes – Yes (Debut)
Neil Young – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Youngbloods – Elephant Mountain
Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
Zombies – Odyssey & Oracle
FILM SOUNDTRACKS & BROADWAY SHOWS
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Easy Rider
Hair
Hello Dolly!
Midnight Cowboy
Romeo & Juliet
