David Bowie Album • David Bowie • 1967

David Bowie is the debut studio album by English musician David Bowie. It was released in the United Kingdom on 1 June 1967 through Decca-subsidiary Deram Records. Following a string of singles that failed to chart and being dismissed from Pye Records in late 1966, Bowie was signed to Deram on the strength of "Rubber Band". After spending autumn of that year writing songs, David Bowie was recorded from November 1966 to March 1967 at Decca Studios in London with production by Mike Vernon, who hired numerous studio musicians. Bowie and his former Buzz bandmate Derek "Dek" Fearnley composed music charts for the orchestra using Freda Dinn's Observer's Guide to Music.

Musically, the album displays a baroque pop and music hall sound influenced by Anthony Newley and the Edwardian styles of contemporary British rock bands. The songs are primarily led by orchestral brass and woodwind instruments rather than traditional instruments in pop music at the time, although some tracks feature guitar. The lyrics are short-story narratives that range from lighthearted to dark, discussing themes from childhood innocence, to drug use and totalitarianism. Bowie utilised various ideologies on the record for his later works. The cover artwork is a headshot of Bowie in a mod haircut wearing a high-collared jacket.

Released in both mono and stereo, David Bowie received positive reviews from music journalists but was a commercial failure due to a lack of promotion from Deram. Two tracks were omitted for its release in the United States in August 1967. Bowie provided more tracks for Deram, all of which were rejected and led to his departure from the label. Retrospective reviews have unfavourably compared David Bowie to the artist's later works, but some have recognised it positively on its own terms. The album was reissued in a two-disc deluxe edition in 2010, which featured both mixes and other tracks from the period.

The freewheelin' Bob Dylan Album • Bob Dylan • 1963

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his self-titled debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, this album represented the beginning of Dylan's writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album are Dylan's original compositions. It opens with "Blowin' in the Wind", which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary soon after the release of the album. The album featured several other songs which came to be regarded as among Dylan's best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right".

Dylan's lyrics embraced news stories drawn from headlines about the Civil Rights Movement and he articulated anxieties about the fear of nuclear warfare. Balancing this political material were love songs, sometimes bitter and accusatory, and material that features surreal humor. Freewheelin' showcased Dylan's songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The success of the album and Dylan's subsequent recognition led to his being named as "Spokesman of a Generation", a label Dylan repudiated.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan reached number 22 in the US (eventually going platinum), and became a number-one album in the UK in 1965. In 2003, the album was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2002, Freewheelin' was one of the first 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

England's Newest Hitmakers Album • The Rolling Stones • 1964

The Rolling Stones is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by Decca Records in the UK on 16 April 1964. The American edition of the LP, with a slightly different track list, came out on London Records on 30 May 1964, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, which later became its official title.

Recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London over the course of five days in January and February 1964, The Rolling Stones was produced by then-managers Andrew Loog Oldham and Eric Easton. The album was originally released by Decca Records in the UK, while the US version appeared on the London Records label.

The majority of the tracks reflect the band's love for R&B. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (whose professional name until 1978 omitted the "s" in his surname) were fledgling songwriters during early 1964, contributing only one original composition to the album: "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)". Two songs are credited to "Nanker Phelge" – a pseudonym the band used for group compositions from 1963 to 1965. Phil Spector and Gene Pitney both contributed to the recording sessions, and are referred to as "Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene" in the subtitle of the Phelge instrumental "Now I've Got a Witness".

The Zombies Album • The Zombies • 1965

The Zombies is the debut American studio album by English pop rock band The Zombies, released in January 1965 by Parrot Records. After the success of the double-sided hit single "She's Not There" b/w "You Make Me Feel Good" reached #2 on the U.S. charts in the fall of 1964, Parrot quickly released this LP in 1965 (PA 61001). The dozen tracks were taken from material the Zombies cut for their UK debut album, Begin Here. Also included are "It's Alright With Me" and "Sometimes" from their self-titled EP. The album also included their 2nd hit single "Tell Her No".

In his retrospective review of the release, critic Lindsay Planer for AllMusic wrote "The Zombies' obvious appreciation for adeptly crafted melodies and rich vocal harmonies likewise made them favorites of pop fans as well as more discerning listeners."

Just Like Us! Album • Paul Revere & The Raiders • 1966

Just Like Us! is the fourth studio album by American pop rock group Paul Revere & the Raiders. Produced by Terry Melcher and released on January 3, 1966, by Columbia Records, it featured the U.S. hit single "Just Like Me". Unlike their later albums, on which Mark Lindsay was the primary lead singer, the lead vocal duties on Just Like Us! were split among him and the other band members, guitarist Drake Levin, bassist Phil Volk, and drummer Mike Smith. This was their last album of cover songs, their next album Midnight Ride was mostly self-penned material.

Just Like Us! was the band's first album to be released after they had started appearing regularly on the 1960s television variety show Where the Action Is. The LP peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 6, 1967. The cover art was taken from a Guy Webster photo session at Clark Gable's ranch in Encino, California. This album was remastered and rereleased May 19, 1998 by Sundazed Records with extra tracks.

The Monkees Album • The Monkees • 1966

The Monkees is the debut studio album by the band the Monkees. It was released in October 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies. The song "Last Train to Clarksville" was released as a single shortly before the release of the album and went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the only hit single from the album. "I'll Be True to You" was previously released as a single by the Hollies in January 1965 under the title "Yes I Will".

Incredible Album • Gary Puckett and the Union Gap • 1968

Incredible is the third studio album by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, released in 1968. In contrast to their first two albums, which used cover versions of hit songs for about half their content, Incredible consists entirely of new songs written by the band members themselves and/or their producer, Jerry Fuller. The album landed on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 20, being the group's top charting album. The song "Lady Willpower" was released in June 1968 and hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 26 on the adult contemporary chart. The song "Over You" was released in September 1968 and hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the adult contemporary chart.

Moonlight Serenade Album • Glenn Miller • 1944

"Moonlight Serenade" is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was an immediate phenomenon when released in May 1939 as an instrumental arrangement, though it had been adopted and performed as Miller's signature tune as early as 1938, even before it had been given the name "Moonlight Serenade." In 1991, Miller's recording of "Moonlight Serenade" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. "Moonlight Serenade" released as Army V-Disc 39A, VP 75, Theme Song, by the U.S. War Department in November 1943 Miller studied the Schillinger technique with Joseph Schillinger, who is credited with helping Miller create the "Miller sound", and under whose tutelage he composed "Moonlight Serenade". The song evolved from a 1935 version entitled "Now I Lay Me Down to Weep", with music by Glenn Miller and lyrics by Eddie Heyman to a version called "Gone with the Dawn" with lyrics by George Simon, and "The Wind in the Trees" with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. In his biography of Glenn Miller, George T. Simon recounted how vocalist Al Bowlly of the Ray Noble Orchestra sang him the Eddie Heyman lyrics to the Glenn Miller music of "Now I Lay Me Down to Weep" in 1935. The Noble Orchestra never recorded the song. Finally it ended up as "Moonlight Serenade" because Robbins Music bought the music and learned that Miller was recording a cover of "Sunrise Serenade", a Frankie Carle associated song for RCA Victor. They thought "Moonlight" would be a natural association for "Sunrise".

I'll Be There Album • Gerry & The Pacemakers • 1965

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Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits Album • Jim Croce • 1974

Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits is a 1974 greatest hits album (and second posthumous release) by Jim Croce, originally released on ABC Records. The album was released a year after Croce's 1973 death in an airplane crash. The inner photo jacket includes a tributatory essay on one side and a photo of Jim's son Adrian James (A.J.) on the other. The title track originally appeared on the You Don't Mess Around with Jim LP as well as the B-side of the album title track single in 1972. The album as since been reissued on Vinyl in 2020 by BMG. In a 1974 review in Billboard magazine, the editors wrote, "It is hard to believe one man poured out a fountain of excellent work in barely two years, but this LP offers proof of the greatness of Croce's career and is, in all respects, truly a greatest hits album. They're all worthwhile and this magnificent collection makes one realize just how greatly this man will be missed. The beauty of music, however, is that he will always be heard."