The 1960s was another great decade for music. It grew and developed enormously over those 10 years. It's odd, but when you stop and think, the pre-2000 decades seem more distinct in musical terms than since that turn of the century.
The 1970s was also huge musically and along with the 1980s and 1990s, many clear styles continued to emerge. Glam, rock, punk, new wave, electro, techno, dance, indie and more. Since 2000 it’s much harder to identify specific decades in the same way. We haven't seen the same level of emergence of new genres and styles.
As with those other pre-2000 decades, there were many different periods within the 1960s musically. We went through the pop breakthroughs of bands like the Beatles in the early part. Amongst other genres, mellow and hip styles arrived later like a California-induced period. Acid rock and psychedelia also had a slice of the 1960s. It was all followed up by a late surge of guitar-based rock music towards the end of the decade. That nicely set us up for a lot of great bands to deliver even more amazing albums as we moved into the 1970s.
Five overlooked debut albums from the 1960s
With the musical evolution, we saw many great artists make their debut albums. Some were huge hits. Others were somehow overlooked, perhaps underrated, and didn't make the impression they deserved.
Here are five surprisingly overlooked debut albums from the 1960s. They include a band known for their classic rock hits, a rocked-up supposedly Dylanesque album, a globally successful band who changed lineup and style, a Beatles favourite, and one of the most influential rock bands from America.
Steve Miller Band - Children Of The Future
The Steve Miller Band are best known for their classic rock hits in the 1970s. “The Joker”, Rock’n Me” and “Fly Like An Eagle” set a particular style and tone for the California band. Yet their debut album Children Of The Future, released in 1968 would likely come as a surprise to many. It hasn't got any well-known hits, singles, or tracks that people would recognize unless they were ardent fans.
There are a few surprises with the album. The music is not what you might expect if you know the band from their classic hits. It's a bit more British blues and a lot more psychedelia.
The British blues element is perhaps traced to it being recorded while the band was in the UK and it was produced by Glyn Johns who had worked with many of the UK's top rock acts. Given Johns’ CV before then and since, he was quite a coup for the band's debut record. It wasn’t just in the studio that there was quality, alongside Steve Miller and his guitar was Boz Skaggs who’d only just signed up as a guitarist with the band.
The album earned good reviews on release and was compared favourably to other great music of the time, including The Beatles on Sergeant Pepper. Yet in chart times, it only had a moderate impact, only as far as the 134th slot on the Billboard 200. Another overlooked debut album of the times which seems surprising given its quality and the band's subsequent success.
Mott The Hoople - Mott The Hoople
Mott The Hoople are perhaps the first best associated with their top-selling hit from David Bowie-written “All The Young Dudes”. But as other hits like “Roll Away The Stone” and “All The Way To Memphis” show, they are much more than a one-hit wonder. Again it's somewhat surprising to see that their debut self-titled album didn't make much impression commercially.
Released in 1969, Mott The Hoople was originally intended to allow lead singer Ian Hunter and the band to create a sound like Bob Dylan was being backed by the Rolling Stones. Quite an ambition!
Does it come off that way? Perhaps in places. Oddly though with that premise, the album starts with a crunching guitar-focused instrumental of the Kinks’ hit “You Really Got Me”, no Dylanesque vocals and for obvious reasons more Kinks than Stones. If you listen to Hunter on tracks like “Backsliding Fearlessly”, “Laugh At Me” or “At The Crossroads” from the album there are Dylan tones in there. “Rock And Roll Queen”, is a great rock track and I’m pretty sure Messrs Jagger and Richards would be happy to take credit for it from actual writer and band member Mick Ralphs.
This is a very fine debut album from a band yet to hit their heyday. Despite great songs and sound it's another overlooked record. Barely making a mention in the Billboard 200 at a peak of number 185 and only up to number 66 in the UK album charts. Another album worth a listen to, especially if you like that late 1960s/early 1970s rock guitar sound.
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
In February 1968 Fleetwood Mac launched their self-titled debut album, sometimes referred to as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac album. The band had formed around Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie. Then it all got rather a lineup messy for a few years. Peter Green left, others came and went too, and rival band versions formed leading to disputes over who was the real Fleetwood Mac.
By 1975, with Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks all on board the band, now based in the US, had reinvented themselves and their musical style. That year they somewhat confusingly released a second album with the same Fleetwood Mac title, often referred to as The White Album. It was a huge hit around the world and number one in the US. Then followed the superb Rumours album and the band were major artists around the globe for years to come.
Given there's certainly quite a difference between the early British blues band and that of its prime success period, maybe it’s less of a shock that the 1968 debut album was pretty much ignored in the US. After heavy promotion through touring in America, the first Fleetwood Mac did limp into the very lower end of the Billboard 200, at position 198. It was a decent hit in their then-UK homeland.
That debut album was full of great blues music though. It's an album where looking back retrospectively it’s seen as a very strong debut disc. There aren't any hit singles on the album nor any of their better-known tracks from that early Peter Green period. But it’s still well worth a blast if you like good blues music and want to hear what has been overlooked by US listeners.
Harry Nilsson - Spotlight on Nilsson
Everyone knows a Harry Nilsson song, don't they? Yet his debut album was a big miss. Spotlight on Nilsson came out in 1966 and pulled together a number of songs, some released as singles, which Nilsson had been working on and released under Tower Records.
In the first half of the 1960s Nilsson had been writing songs for himself, Little Richard and Phil Spector plus others. After signing with RCA in 1966 he went on to write more songs, this time for The Monkees as well as his own material. Introductions led to his work being shared with the Beatles, and each of the Fab Four has been credited with declaring Nilsson as one of their favorite artists. He of course went on to have his own hits, notably “Everybody’s Talking” and “Without You”.
It often seems as though his debut album came later than Spotlight On Nilsson, probably under RCA. But that is not the case. This debut album was his earliest recorded work of his own. Now if you want a top-quality album, polished recordings, and great production then this isn’t the one for you. Several of the tracks on there are quite demo-like in places. But if you want to hear early Nilsson, his voice, and his developing style of writing, then this album is a fantastic insight.
The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band
Next up on the surprisingly overlooked list comes this album from a band that were at times seen as one of the most influential rock groups in the US. Duane and Gregg Allman formed a six-piece band in the late 1960s. Oddly, for that time anyway, the lineup had two drummers and two lead guitarists.
The Allman Brothers Band was released in November 1969 to introduce the band. It didn't do much commercial business when it arrived. A peak of only 188 on the Billboard 200 seems little reward or respect for what is a great set of songs. Many of them stand up well today as electric blues mixed with Southern rock. Try “Dreams” for some great slide guitar for example. Or their cover of Muddy Waters’ “Trouble No More” for example.
There seemed to be a dispute between the record company and the band over their location. The suits wanted them to relocate to New York. The band told them pretty firmly they were going nowhere from the South where they belonged.
Despite their digging-in and that low-selling debut, the band seemed to win people over one way or another. The Allman Brothers Band themselves went on to big success. They earned those claims by critics of greatly influencing and inspiring what became major bands, especially in that Southern Rock style.