The Best Albums of 1965

Psychedelic rock particularly took off in California’s emerging music scene as groups followed the Byrds from folk to folk rock from 1965.  The Los Angeles-based group the Doors formed in 1965 after a chance meeting on Venice Beach. Although its charismatic lead singer Jim Morrison died in 1971, the band’s popularity has endured to this day. The Girl From Ipanema, became the first Bossa Nova song to achieve international acclaim. Here are all of the 1965 albums ranked.

Relive the music of one of the most notable years of rock and roll. Click below and listen to the songs of the year 1965!

10. Mr. Tambourine Man (The Byrds)

“The album is a mix of covers, most of which were written by Bob Dylan and originals, all of which were written by Gene Clark with McGuinn co-writing It’s No Use. The Bells Of Rhymney was inspired by Pete Seeger’s recording while Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe was written by Jackie DeShannon. As far as the album itself, it’s fantastic and has inspired many too numerous to mention since it was first released all those years ago.”

9. The Beach Boys Today! (The Beach Boys)

“This is the 1965 album when the band ( yes the band, not only Brian) hit its stride as artists. Brian composed and commanded, but over the course of several years of intensive concentration on their music, these guys had become greater than the sum of the parts. If you are intrigued by the Beach Boys’ enduring influence, and don’t have this album, get it.”

8. Pastel Blues (Nina Simone)

“This is one of my favorite records from the best female piano player in popular music. These blues are played out and sung by Nina in her vocal prime and you can hear the sound of her southern roots, in her playin and her voice, better here than just about any of her other albums. Get it, you’ll listen to it back to front, over and over. Complex woman, simple songs, great music, for those who like their music to be, well music.”

See more: Ram Jam Albums Ranked

7. My Generation (The Who)

“For me this album is The Who in all their early visceral glory, never again would they sound like this! Recorded very quickly this album still has that raw feel to it all these years later. I still say this album is one of the greatest debuts of any British rock band, but soon after it’s release the band had already moved on to refine their sound. They had the look (Mod), and the instrumental firepower along with some great strident vocals, and covered a number of musical styles. Picking high points is pretty useless–every Who fan will have their own list of what they like–to each his own on that.”

6. Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul (Otis Redding)

“One of the reasons the music on this album is so good is that Otis was a multi-talented artist who could sing, play several instruments, and at around this time he was becoming a producer. So he could easily demonstrate to the musicians exactly what he wanted. Here he is in control because he makes the musicians do what he wants in order to put across the feelings he expresses with his excellent voice. Now of course for this to be successful he needs outstanding musicians and here he has them in the form of Stax’s house band Booker T and The MG’s and the horns of The Mar-Keys, which together makes a formidable combination.”

5. Help! (The Beatles)

“What a great album with superb sound quality. Back in the day I bought the “Help!” movie soundtrack, which is missing at least 4 songs that are on this cd, including “Yesterday” and “I’v Just Seen a Face”. These fill in a major gap in my Beatles collection. Those and songs like “Help!”, “You Have to Hide Your Love Away”, “The Night Before” are truly some of their best.”

4. Bringing It All Back Home (Bob Dylan)

“Bob Dylan, the antiwar, civil-rights, Woody Guthrie-imitating darling of the folksingers, the Voice and Conscience of his Generation, after penning “Blowin in the Wind”, and “The Masters of War”, stunned his purist followers with “Bringing it All Back Home”. Electric instruments and a turn from trying to change the world by preaching at it to a bemused surreal satire. This, and “Revolver” are the two most influential albums of the sixties, maybe of music history.”

See more: The Dave Clark Five Albums Ranked

3. A Love Supreme (John Coltrane)

“This isn’t music…it really isn’t. Music is something you can dance to, or hum along with, or maybe make you want to break out in song. This is a meditation…a devotion to the God of All Creation. I don’t care what your personal beliefs are. This CD transcends creed, race, belief. It moves through all without judgment. It is the sound of Grace and it belongs to the universe. It is the OM vibration moving Its Impersonal Self into and through the personal self. It is the “I” of God presenting Itself as Acknowledgement, Resolution, Pursuance, and Psalm.”

2. Rubber Soul (The Beatles)

“”Rubber Soul” is an album that captivates an audience to this day. From the intriguing, “Norwegian Wood,” to the nostalgic and beautiful, “In My Life”, to the cerebral “Nowhere Man”, and the rollicking, “Run For Your Life”, there is something in this album to satisfy everyone. Individually, the Beatles were able to compose and record music that let their own voices shine through: Paul McCartney’s mellifluous rendition of “Michelle” and “I’m Looking Through You”; Ringo’s undaunted strains of “What Goes On” ; George Harrison’s ironic and touching, “If I Needed Someone” and John Lennon’s breathy and wistful “Girl”, are stunning songs that will live on for generations to come.”

1. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob Dylan)

“Highway 61 Revisited is Bob Dylan’s profile album. Containing all the sorts of material he wanted to make and all the sounds he envisioned. Dylan takes the opportunity to lash out against others in “Like A Rolling Stone” and lash out against the wild fanfare and press that followed him around in his early years in “Ballad of A Thin Man”. This is the obsessive, resentful and fun Bob Dylan that was dwelling deep inside. Al Kooper joins on organ and really defines the mood of the whole album, while Mike Bloomfield joins with some real stoney and radical guitar licks.”