The usual cliché ridden way of retelling the death of “the sixties” is to mention the murder at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival. A man was murdered, as the Rolling Stones grooved on “Under My Thumb” but yards away and the movie cameras kept rolling. That was December 6th, 1969. A more politically minded historian will look elsewhere for a metaphoric decade death: to the National Convention of S.D.S. -- Students for a Democratic Society. The organization split into several smaller, more revolutionary pieces including what would become the Weather Underground. That was June 25th, 1969. Obviously, the sixties ended elsewhere, everywhere on December 31st. The next day was the seventies. However, one wants to tell this story, 1969 was not a time of love and happiness, much less peace. Nevertheless there was a great deal of wonderful music left behind for our listening pleasure all these years later. As thorough as I attempt to make my “best of” lists, I am bound to forget some things. I am simply ignorant of many other things, and despite their length, these lists really are what I consider to be the best music of a given year. I am leaving off records I like but cannot honestly claim are the best of anything. Regardless of all these records I claim to be leaving off, there are many I must include. Like the year before it and the year after, 1969 was very good year for music if not for the humanity.

Best LPs of 1969


1. The Stooges: The Stooges (Elektra)
2. Captain Beefheart: Trout Mask Replica (Reprise)
3. Cecil Taylor: The Great Concert (Prestige)
4. The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed (London)
5. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground (MGM)
6. Ornette Coleman: Ornette at 12 (Impulse)
7. Pharoah Sanders: Karma (Impulse)
8. Various: New Sounds In Electronic Music (Odssey)
9. Can: Monster Movie (United Artists)
10. The Kinks: Arthur or Decline of the British Empire (Reprise)
11. Allman Brothers Band: Allman Brothers Band (Capricorn)
12. Grachan Moncur III: New Africa (BYG)
13. The Band: The Band (Capitol)
14. Roland Kirk: Volunteered Slavery (Atlantic)
15. MC5: Kick Out the Jams (Elektra)
16. Mott the Hoople: Mott the Hoople (Atlantic)
17. Pharoah Sanders: Jewels of Thought (Impulse)
18. Neil Young: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Reprise)
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River (Fantasy)
20. Led Zepplin: 2 (Atlantic)
21. Phil Ochs: Rehearsals for Retirement (A&M)
22. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bayou Country (Fantasy)
23. Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left (Hannibal)
24. Neil Young: Neil Young (Reprise)
25. Janis Joplin: I Got Dem Ol Kozmic Blues Again Mama (CBS)
26. Dusty Springfield: Dusty In Memphis (Atlantic)
27. Amon Duul: Phallus Dei (Liberty)
28. Elvis Presley: From Elvis In Memphis (RCA)
29. Elvis Presley: From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis (RCA)
30. Silver Apples: Contact (Kapp)
31. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King (Atlantic)
32. Skip Spence: Oar (CBS)
33. Bob Dylan: Nashville Skyline (CBS)
34. Blind Faith: Blind Faith (Atco)
35. Traffic: Heaven Is In Your Mind (United Artists)
36. Sly & the Family Stone: Stand (Epic)
37. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy)
38. James Brown: Say It Loud, I’m Black & I’m Proud (King)
39. The Godz: The Third Testament (ESP)
40. Isaac Hayes: Hot Buttered Soul (Enterprise)
41. Crosby Stills & Nash (Atlantic)
42. Cromagnon: Orgasm (ESP)
43. Bob Segar: Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man (Capitol)
44. Etta James: Tell Mama (Chess)
45. Harry Nilsson: Harry (RCA)
46. Leo Kottke: 12 String Blues (Oblivion)