Spin's Top 100 Alternative Albums of the 1960s

  1. The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat (1968, Verve) [A]
  2. The Stooges: The Stooges (1969, Elektra) [A-]
  3. The Velvet Underground & Nico: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967, Verve) [A+]
  4. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica (1969, Straight) [A-]
  5. The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969, A&M) [A+]
  6. Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era (1972, Elektra) [A]
  7. Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz (1960, Atlantic) [A-]
  8. Terry Riley: In C (1968, Columbia) [B+]
  9. Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1 & 2 (1965, ESP-Disk) [B+]
  10. Can: Monster Movie (United Artists, 1969) [A-]
  11. Tropicalia Ou Panis Et Circensis (1968, Philips) [A]
  12. The 13th Floor Elevators: The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (1966, International Artists) [A-]
  13. Karlheinz Stockhausen: Kontakte (1964, WERGO) []
  14. Nico: The Marble Index (1968, Elektra) [B+]
  15. Leonard Cohen: Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967, Columbia) [A]
  16. The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World (1969, Third World) [B-]
  17. MC5: Kick Out the Jams (1969, Elektra) [B+]
  18. The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle (1968, CBS) [A-]
  19. Albert Ayler Trio: Spiritual Unity (1964, ESP-Disk) [A]
  20. The Mothers of Invention: Freak Out! (1966, Verve) [B]
  21. Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967, Columbia) [A]
  22. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground (1969, MGM) [A+]
  23. Van Dyke Parks: Song Cycle (1968, Warner Bros.) [C+]
  24. The Fugs: The Fugs First Album (1965, Folkways) [A-]
  25. Silver Apples: Silver Apples (1968, Kapp) [B+]
  26. Love: Forever Changes (1967, Elektra) [A-]
  27. Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left (1969, Island) [B]
  28. John Fahey: The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites (Takoma, 1964) [A-]
  29. Blue Cheer: Vincebus Eruptum (1968, Philips) [B+]
  30. Steve Reich: Early Works (1987, Nonesuch) [B-]
  31. John Coltrane: Ascension (1966, Impulse!) [B+]
  32. The Meters: The Meters (1969, Josie) [B+]
  33. White Noise: An Electric Storm (1969, Island) []
  34. The Sonics: Here Are the Sonics (1965, Etiquette) []
  35. Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief (1969, Island) [B+]
  36. The Peter Brötzmann Octet: Machine Gun (1968, FMP) [B+]
  37. The Holy Modal Rounders: The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders (1968, Elektra) [B+]
  38. Desmond Dekker: This Is Desmond Dekkar (1969, Trojan) []
  39. Sonny Sharrock: Black Woman (1969, Vortex) [A-]
  40. The Godz: Contact High With the Godz (1966, ESP-Disk) [B+]
  41. Alexander Spence: Oar (1969, Columbia) [B+]
  42. Anthony Braxton: For Alto (1969, Delmark) [D]
  43. Nico: Chelsea Girl (1967, Verve) [B+]
  44. Townes Van Zandt: For the Sake of the Song (1968, Poppy) [B]
  45. The Monks: Black Monk Time (1965, International Polydor Production) [B+]
  46. Ray Barretto: Acid (1968, Fania) [A-]
  47. Terry Riley: A Rainbow in Curved Air (1969, CBS) [A-]
  48. The Watts Prophets: The Black Voices: On the Streets in Watts (1969, FFRR) []
  49. Rotary Connection: Rotary Connection (1968, Cadet Concept) [B]
  50. Françoise Hardy: Françoise Hardy (1962, Disques Vogue) []
  51. The Mothers of Invention: We're Only in It for the Money (1968, Verve) [B-]
  52. Scott Walker: Scott 2 (1968, Smash) [C+]
  53. The Incredible String Band: The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968, Elektra) [C]
  54. AMM: AMMMusic (1966, Elektra) [B]
  55. Perrey-Kingsley: The In Sound From Way Out! (1966, Vanguard) [B+]
  56. Morton Subotnick: Silver Apples of the Moon (1967, Nonesuch) [A-]
  57. The Red Crayola: The Parable of Arable Land (1967, International Artists) [A-]
  58. The BBC Radiophonic Workshop: BBC Radiophonic Music (1968, BBC) []
  59. Pierre Henry: Messe Pour Le Temps Présent (1967, Philips) [B+]
  60. Pauline Oliveros: Reverberations: Tape & Electronic Music 1961-1970 (2012, Important, 10CD) []
  61. Pharoah Sanders: Tauhid (1967, Impulse!) [A-]
  62. Dick Hyman: MOOG: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman (1969, Command) []
  63. Moondog: Moondog (1969, Columbia Masterworks) []
  64. David Axelrod: Songs of Innocence (1968, Capitol) []
  65. The Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Karyobin (1968, Island) [B+]
  66. The Balinese Gamelan: Music From the Morning of the World (1967, Nonesuch) [A-]
  67. Caetano Veloso: Caetano Veloso (1969, Philips) [A-]
  68. Karlheinz Stockhausen: Gruppen/Carré (1968, Deutsche Grammophon) []
  69. The Roland Kirk Quartet: Rip, Rig & Panic (1965, Limelight) [A]
  70. Karen Dalton: It's So Hard to Tell Who's Going to Love You the Best (1969, Capitol) [B-]
  71. Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch! (1964, Blue Note) [A-]
  72. The Seeds: The Seeds (1966, GNP Crescendo) [A-]
  73. Amon Düül II: Phallus Dei (1969, Liberty) [B+]
  74. Pentangle: Basket of Light (1969, Transatlantic) [B+]
  75. Brigitte Bardot et Serge Gainsbourg: Bonnie and Clyde (1968, Fontana) []
  76. Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band: Gorilla (1967, Liberty) [B+]
  77. Back From the Grave Volume One: Raw 'n' Crude Mid-60s Garage Punk! (1983, Crypt) []
  78. Nihilist Spasm Band: No Record (1968, Allied Record Corporation) []
  79. Tod Dockstader: Eight Electronic Pieces (1961, Folkways) [B+]
  80. Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (1966, Blue Note) [B+]
  81. The United States of America: The United States of America (1968, Columbia) [B]
  82. The Electric Prunes: Release of an Oath (1968, Reprise) [B]
  83. The Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble: Congliptious (1968, Nessa) []
  84. Kim Fowley: Outrageous (1968, Imperial) [C-]
  85. Joe Cuba Sextet: Wanted Dead or Alive (Bang! Bang! Push, Push, Push) (1967, Fania) [A-]
  86. Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There (1966, Saturn) [B+]
  87. John Lennon and Yoko Ono: Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With the Lions (1969, Zapple) []
  88. Ornette Coleman: Town Hall 1962 (1965, ESP-Disk) [B+]
  89. Babatunde Olatunji: Drums of Passion (1960, Columbia) [B+]
  90. Harry Partch: The World of Harry Partch (1969, Columbia) [A]
  91. Os Mutantes: Os Mutantes (1968, Polydor) [B+]
  92. The Monkees: Head (1968, Colgems) [B+]
  93. Pearls Before Swine: One Nation Underground (1967, ESP-Disk) [B]
  94. Pärson Sound: Pärson Sound (2001, Subliminal Sounds) [A-]
  95. Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano (1969, Columbia Masterworks) [A-]
  96. Alan Watts: OM: The Sound of Hinduism (1967, Warner Bros.) []
  97. Brigitte Fontaine: Comme à la Radio (1969, Saravah) [B+]
  98. Mulatu Astatke: Afro-Latin Soul Vol. 1 (1966, Worthy) []
  99. Cromagnon: Orgasm (1969, ESP-Disk) []
  100. Marshall McLuhan: The Medium is the Massage (1968, Columbia) []

Genres:

  • [44] Rock:
    • [17] Groups (Alt-Major): Back From the Grave, Blue Cheer, Electric Prunes, Flying Burrito Brothers, Love, MC5, Mothers of Invention (2), Monks, Nuggets, Seeds, Silver Apples, Sonics, Stooges, 13th Floor Elevators, Velvet Underground (3)
    • [5] Groups (Alt-Minor): Cromagnon, Fugs, Godz, Red Crayola, Shaggs
    • [4] Groups (Experimental): Monkees, Nihilist Spasm Band, United States of America, White Noise
    • [12] Singer-Songwriters: David Axelrod, Captain Beefheart, Leonard Cohen, Kim Fowley, John Lennon/Yoko Ono, Nico (2), Van Dyke Parks, Pearls Before Swine, Alexander Spence, Townes Van Zandt, Scott Walker
    • [3] UK: Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Pink Floyd, Zombies
    • [3] Europe: Amon Düül, Can, Pärson Sound
  • [3] R&B: Meters, Rotary Connection, Watts Prophets
  • [16] Jazz: AMM, Albert Ayler, Anthony Braxton, Peter Brötzmann, Ornette Coleman (2), John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Roland Kirk, Roscoe Mitchell, Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Sharrock, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Sun Ra (2), Cecil Taylor
  • [15] Avant-Classical/Electronica: BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Tod Dockstader, Piere Henry, Dick Hyman, Moondog, Perrey-Kingsley, Conlon Nancarrow, Pauline Oliveros, Harry Partch, Steve Reich, Terry Riley (2), Karlheinz Stockhausen (2), Morton Subotnick
  • [7] Folk:
    • [4] UK: Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band, Pentangle
    • [3] US: Karen Dalton, John Fahey, Holy Modal Rounders
  • [13] World:
    • [2] Africa: Mulatu Astatke, Babatunde Olatunji
    • [2] Asia: Balinese Gamelan, Alan Watts
    • [3] Brazil: Os Mutantes, Tropicalia, Caetano Veloso
    • [3] Europe (France): Brigitte Bardot/Serge Gainsbourg, Brigitte Fontaine, Françoise Hardy
    • [1] Jamaica: Desmond Dekker
    • [2] Latin: Ray Barretto, Joe Cuba
  • [1] Unclassified: Marshall McLuhan

Further Notes

In 1995, Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks edited a large book, Spin Alternative Record Guide. Within that book, the following artists and records represented the 1960s (rated 8+; noted in braces are ratings of other 1960-69 records in order listed; u. points to entry listing; v. points to artist name listed under some other heading):

  • Robert Ashley [u. Electronic Music/Musique Concrete] [8]: The Wolfman (1968).
  • Albert Ayler [10]: Spiritual Unity (1964); [9]: My Name Is Albert Ayler (1963), Love Cry (1967), w/Don Cherry: Vibrations (1964); [8]: The First Recordings (1962), In Greenwich Village (1967); 6 more {7,6,6,7,5,5}.
  • Derek Bailey [v. Spontaneous Music Ensemble].
  • David Behrman [u. Electronic Music/Musique Concrete] [8]: Wave Train (1967).
  • David Bowie: 1 record {2}.
  • Tim Buckley [8]: Happy/Sad (1969); 2 more {5,5}.
  • Can: 1 record {7:Monster Movie}.
  • Captain Beefheart [9]: Trout Mask Replica (1969); [8]: Safe as Milk (1967); 1 more {5}.
  • Leonard Cohen [8]: Songs of Leonard Cohen (1968); 1 more {6}.
  • Ornette Coleman [10]: Ornette! (1962), Ornette on Tenor (1962), The Unprecedented Music of Ornette Coleman (1967); [9]: Change of the Century (1960), Town Hall 1962 (1965), Chappaqua Suite (1967); [8]: At the "Golden Circle" Stockholm Volume 1 (1966); 9 more {7,6:Free Jazz,4,5,4,5,5,5,7}.
  • Nick Drake [8]: Five Leaves Left (1969).
  • Roky Erickson [v. 13th Floor Elevators].
  • John Fahey [9]: Volume 2/Death Chants, Breakdowns, and Military Waltzes (1963), Volume 4/The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party (1966), The Voice of the Turtle (1969); [8]: Volume 3/Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites (1965), Volume 6/Days Have Gone By (1967); 3 more {7,7,7}.
  • Fairport Convention [u. Richard Thompson] [8]: Fairport Convention (1968); 1 more {7:Liege and Lief}.
  • Marianne Faithfull: 1 record {4}.
  • Flying Burrito Brothers [u. Gram Parsons] [10]: The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969).
  • Fugs [9]: The Fugs First Album (1965), The Fugs (1966); [8]: The Village Fugs Sing Ballads of Contemporary Protest, Point of Views, and General Dissatisfaction (1965), Virgin Fugs (1966); 3 more {7,7,7}.
  • Holy Modal Rounders [v. Have Moicy!] [8]: The Holy Modal Rounders (1964); 4 more {6,2,3:The Moray Eels Devour the Holy Modal Rounders[sic]}.
  • Michael Hurley: 1 record {6}.
  • Mauricio Kagel [u. Electronic Music/Musique Concrete] [8]: Staatstheater (1967).
  • MC5: 1 record {6:Kick Out the Jams}.
  • NRBQ: 1 record {7}.
  • Gram Parsons [a.v. Flying Burrito Brothers] [8]: International Submarine Band: Safe at Home (1967).
  • Red Crayola/Krayola [9]: The Parable of Arable Land (1967), God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail on Her (1968).
  • The Shaggs [9]: Philosophy of the World (1969).
  • Sonny Sharrock: 1 record {7:Black Woman}.
  • Spontaneous Music Ensemble [u. Derek Bailey] [9]: Karyobin (1968); [8]: Spontaneous Music Ensemble (1968).
  • Karlheinz Stockhausen [u. Electronic Music/Musique Concrete] [9]: Gesang der Junglinge/Kontakte (1962); [8]: Telemusik (1967), Hymnen: Anthems for Electronic and Concrete Sounds (1969).
  • The Stooges [10]: The Stooges (1969).
  • Sun Ra [10]: The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (1961), The Magic City (1965), Sound of Joy (1968); [9]: We Travel the Spaceways/Bad and Beautiful (1962), Nothing Is (1966); [8]: Sound Sun Pleasure!! (1960), Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways (1960), Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out (1960-63), Monorails and Satellites (1966), Holiday for Soul Dance (1968-69), Pictures of Infinity (1968); 4 more {7,7,7:The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Volumes 1 and 2,6}.
  • 13th Floor Elevators [u. Roky Erickson] [8]: The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (1966), Easter Everywhere (1968); 2 more {6,4}.
  • Richard Thompson [v. Fairport Convention].
  • Velvet Underground [10]: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), The Velvet Underground (1969); [9]: White Light/White Heat (1968).
  • La Monte Young [8]: w/Marian Zazeela: The Black Record (1969).
  • Neil Young: 2 records {4,6}.
  • Various Artists [u. Nuggets] [10]: Nuggets (1972); [9]: Back From the Grave 1 (1984); [u. Tropicalia] [9]: Tropicália (1968).

Needless to say, the 1960s provide only a tiny slice of the artists/records covered in the book. Not in the book: AMM, Amon Düül, Mulatu Astatke, David Axelrod, Brigitte Bardot/Serge Gainsbourg, Ray Barretto, BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Blue Cheer, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Anthony Braxton, Peter Brötzmann, John Coltrane, Cromagnon, Joe Cuba, Karen Dalton, Desmond Dekker, Tod Dockstader, Eric Dolphy, Electric Prunes, Brigitte Fontaine, Godz, Françoise Hardy, Pierre Henry*, Dick Hyman, Incredible String Band, Roland Kirk, John Lennon/Yoko Ono, Love, Marshall McLuhan, Meters, Roscoe Mitchell, Monks, Monkees, Moondog, Mothers of Invention (2), Conlon Nancarrow, Nico (2), Nihilist Spasm Band, Babatunde Olatunji, Pauline Oliveros, Os Mutantes, Van Dyke Parks, Pärson Sound, Harry Partch, Pearls Before Swine, Pentangle, Perrey-Kingsley, Pink Floyd, Steve Reich, Terry Riley (2), Rotary Connection, Pharoah Sanders, Seeds, Silver Apples, Sonics, Alexander Spence, Morton Subotnick, Cecil Taylor, United States of America, Townes Van Zandt, Caetano Veloso*, Scott Walker, Alan Watts, Watts Prophets, White Noise, Zombies. [*] indicates an artist listed in the book, but not the record; one of the Stockhausen records is also missing.

Some of this is taste shift -- the book editors are no longer at Spin; some is that many of the missing artists didn't do much after the book's main focus period started (after 1980, or maybe as early as 1975).