10 best albums from 1964 might surprise you
By Chris Guest
3. St. Louis to Liverpool – Chuck Berry
Released after Chuck Berry got out of prison in order to cash in on the myriad British Invasion groups, plus the Beach Boys, being heavily influenced by (and sometimes straight-up covering) his music. This 1964 album proves that one of rock ‘n’ roll’s pioneers still had plenty of writing and performing chops. “No Particular Place to Go” easily stands out as one of the best songs of all time, but the album is far more than just that rock standard, as it is packed with earworms from start to finish.
Minor classics such as “You Never Can Tell,” “Little Marie,” and “Promised Land” stand shoulder-to-shoulder with deeper cuts such as the powerful blues ballad “The Things I Used to Do,” the suave “You Two” – and even a Christmas song in the form of Berry's soulful reading of “Merry Christmas Baby.” A stone-cold classic and essential listening for any fan of rock music.
2. Where Did Our Love Go – The Supremes
An incredibly polished and near-perfect pop album from the hitmakers at Hitsville U.S.A. (Motown’s first headquarters), this album spawned a staggering three number-one singles and quickly vaulted Motown into the stratosphere in terms of popularity and cultural significance. And with good reason. This album is just as rewarding and inviting today as it was 60 years ago when it was first released.
Featuring the three No. 1s (“Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me”) as well as a plethora of top-tier album cuts, such as the intensely urgent “Run, Run, Run,” the twisting, intoxicating melody of “Standing at The Crossroads of Love,” the Florence Ballard-led “Long Gone Lover” and the dramatic, show-stopping closing song “Ask Any Girl,” Where Did Our Love Go would easily be the top album of 1964 were it not for the Fab Four.
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