Most Underrated Albums of the 60s

The Top Ten
1 Orgasm - Cromagnon

So far ahead of its time we still can't even fathom catching up

2 I Hear a New World - Joe Meek with the Blue Men

An exercise in wonky experimental pop music and spaced out garage rock, made "to create a picture in music of what could be up there in outer space"

3 Oar - Alexander 'Skip' Spence

Is basically the reason for confessional lo-fi solo singer-songwriters (with some nod 2 Nick Drake, 1 or 2 years later)

4 Song Cycle - Van Dyke Parks

More or less probably the most well known on this list for Van Dyke Parks' excellent contributions to what would've been Smile by the Beach Boys, this album is an exceptional collection of pop tunes in its own right

5 The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd

There are heaps of Pink Floyd albums I would call underrated but this is definitely not one of them...

6 Take a Picture - Margo Gunyan

More sunshine pop for those rainy days!

7 Philosophy of the World - The Shaggs

Also probably the most well known from this list, but sadly for all the wrong reasons. still, there's something exceedingly endearing and twee about this album, in all of its ineptitude

Fun Fact: This was one of Kurt Cobain's favorite albums!

8 God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail with It - The Red Krayola

Absolutely wacked out psychedelic folk music. some would prefer the one that came out before this (Parable of Arable Land, which is also pretty great) but I always preferred the vignette-esque song structure of this one

9 Gal Costa - Gal Costa

Most people would point at the Os Mutantes self-titled or the Tropicalia compilation/manifesto as the go-to in Brazilian psychedelic MPB, but Gal Costa's self-titled has some of the sweetest songs you'll probably hear in a long while

10 Black Woman - Sonny Sharrock

Featuring soaring, pained vocals from his wife Linda, Sonny Sharrock's Black Woman is a chaotic collection of constantly engaging free jazz drumming with dissonant guitar hammering

The Contenders
11 Touch - Touch
12 The United States of America - The United States of America
13 Head - The Monkees
14 Phallus Dei - Amon Duul II

Considered, along with Can's Monster Movie, to be one of the first albums to ever be considered "krautrock"

15 Boz Scaggs - Boz Scaggs
16 Babe We're Not a Part of Society / College Psychology on Love - The Church Mice

Not technically an album, but 2 of the most out there and interesting garage rock songs from one of the most out there and interesting (to say the least) garage rock artists, Blaine Schaubroeck

17 Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan

Come on, who cannot forget "Shelter From The Storm" and "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts"?

This album was released in 1975, not the 60s. Some people haven't done their research correctly.

18 Cauldron - Fifty Foot Hose
19 Wild Honey - The Beach Boys

After the commercial flop that was Smiley Smile that followed the masterpiece Pet Sounds, everyone seemed to have given up on them. Wild Honey was released in the year of 1969 and it was their lowest selling album up to that time. The Beach Boys yet again took a step in another creative direction that brought an album that expanded into the soul genre. While not par with Pet Sounds or the Smile Sessions, it definitely is about as good as another highly rated Beach Boys Album, "Today! " The album really displayed Carl Wilson's talent for singing more than any other album in my opinion. Beginning to end it has a warm and spiritual feel. Songs like "Wild Honey," "Darlin," and "Here Comes the Night" are all great songs. Unfortunately it went largely unnoticed and I think it's one of the most underrated albums of all time.

20 Tommy - The Who
21 Beatles for Sale - The Beatles

It's not really the most underrated album of the 60s, but it is the Beatles' most underrated album.

22 From Genesis to Revelation - Genesis
23 Proud Flesh Soothseer - Linn County

A hidden gem that captures the late '60's blues/rock/psychedelic vibe, and has now been reissued on CD. The LP never took off, and the members split up and joined other groups shortly after a few more failed LPs. No, the keyboardist is not THAT Steve Miller, but the Steven Miller that later joined the Elvin Bishop Group. Their cover of James Brown's version of "Think" will get you to give the rest of the LP a listen.

BAdd New Item