Top Albums of 1963

[Jules Gray]

1. The Beatles – With The Beatles
2. The Beatles – Please Please Me
3. Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
4. The Searchers – Meet The Searchers
5. The Searchers – Sugar & Spice
6. The Beach Boys – Surfer Girl
7. The Beach Boys – Little Deuce Coupe
8. The Everly Brothers – The Everly Brothers Sing Great Country Hits
9. Johnny Cash – Blood, Sweat and Tears
10. Roy Orbison – In Dreams
11. James Brown – Live at The Apollo
12. Ian & Sylvia – Four Strong Winds
13. Judy Collins - #3
14. Lee Hazlewood – Trouble is a Lonesome Town
15. The 4 Seasons – Big Girls Don’t Cry and Twelve Others
16. Ray Charles – Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul
17. The Dillards – Back Porch Bluegrass
18. Odetta – Odetta Sings Folk Songs
19. Sam Cooke – Night Beat
20. The Beach Boys – Surfin’ U.S.A.

Jules

[Jules Gray]

This was, for the most part, an exercise to see how far back I could go with albums and still be listing LPs that I'd be more than happy to sit and listen to.  And I was surprised at how many gems I could find for 1963.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't manage to find as many as 20 albums for any previous year.  Singles, yes, but not albums.

Jules

[Brian Green]

I find it quite incredible how prolific many bands of the sixties were.
Managing to release 2 or even more classic albums within the same year!
Often with single releases not derived from the albums too.
And usually very busy touring schedules.

[Jules Gray]

I find it quite incredible how prolific many bands of the sixties were.
Managing to release 2 or even more classic albums within the same year!
Often with single releases not derived from the albums too.
And usually very busy touring schedules.

It was a hothouse environment.  The record business was attempting to milk the cow before it was put out to pasture, but the best bands rose to the challenge and surprised everybody, perhaps even themselves, by how much they could not only deliver the goods, but also by how much they could adapt, develop, and grow.

Jules

[wayne stote]

1. The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers - Bluegrass Favourites
2. The Searchers - Meet The Searchers
3. The Dillards - Backporch Bluegrass