They say they are the best LPs of the sixties | Culture

They call them bookazinescombination of book (book) and magazines (magazines). And British music publications have found a goldmine there, publishing special issues usually dedicated to superstars. Products that pivot on the double helix of nostalgia and collecting. The formula is appetizing: rarely seen photos that dominate the layout, period reports from defunct London weeklies, texts that fill in the gaps in the narrative, breakdowns with curiosities (the most collectible records!). And high prices, equivalent to those of many paperback books.

However, they are bought on impulse and I usually fall for it. I have done it with 500 Greatest Albums Of The 1960s. With a certain morbid curiosity: where do these 500 fantastic records come from? long playconceived as an autonomous creation, did not acquire entity in pop until 1966, after the publication of Rubber Soulwhere the Beatles explored various styles and the technical possibilities of Abbey Road.

Previously, LPs were usually made by accumulation: both sides of several LPs were put together. singles previous with some scattered recordings and, boomanother album for the market (which was limited, due to the low purchasing power of young people). The format was well established in other fields, such as folk and jazz, both with a strong presence in 500 Greatest Albums Of The 1960s. In fact, one-tenth of this ratio are jazz records; the one that had the most impact among the rock tribe —A supreme loveby John Coltrane—reaches a very respectable number 19.

Before continuing: are these rankings reliable? I wouldn’t swear to it: here they have “forgotten” to detail who has voted. It is assumed that they are the contributors to the monthly Uncutbut it is not specified whether, returning to the above, many jazz specialists have been consulted or whether we are witnessing that generational phenomenon of rock critics who, with age, approach the heights of jazz.

The list is available on the InternetAs a selection, it has several functions. First, to recover little-known titles, some of which do not even appear in the services of streaming. Second, to show how aesthetic consensus evolves. A few years ago, a similar list would have been headed by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Bandwhich crystallized the zeitgeist from 1967. Now, it doesn’t even appear in the top 10, where other works by the Liverpool team do appear: Revolver (No. 2), colloquially known as Double white (fourth) and Abbey Road (octave).

And third function: to put the cash registers in order. In the Top Ten highlight albums that barely touched the charts sales. As Forever changes (No. 3), Love’s luminous album; on the same label, Elektra, the Stooges’ debut came out (No. 10). In fact, at the top, predictably, is The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Otherwise, the list is disgustingly Anglocentric. Brazil is saved, thanks to the international diffusion of bossa nova and tropicalism. In Europe, the balance leans towards France, with double presence by Françoise Hardy, Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine. And nothing Spanish, I hear you ask? No. The closest thing is The Art of Guitarby Manitas de Plata. A flamenco singer, but, wow, born in Occitania.