50 years strong: 10 albums from 1967 that have stood the test of time (and we’re not counting Sgt. Pepper)

Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Aretha Franklin - not only giants of their time but all also happened to release career-defining albums in the same year

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In 1967 Lou Reed, along with his avant-garde band, The Velvet Underground & Nico, released their first album. Photo: Alamy

Published: 8:04am, 24 May 2017Updated: 8:04am, 24 May 2017

The music world is now celebrating the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which came out 50 years ago in June. But 1967 was an unusually rich year for music overall, with acclaimed work from artists old and new, from Jimi Hendrix and the Velvet Underground to Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington. Here are 10 other notable albums:

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix wasn’t the first guitar hero, but he was the greatest and most visionary. Are You Experienced, his debut record, opened up popular music to new sounds the way Lou Reed and Bob Dylan expanded the range of lyrics. It was a revolutionary mix of rock, blues and jazz that countless musicians have imitated, but never surpassed. The album featured such originals as Foxy Lady and The Wind Cries Mary, along with Hendrix’s explosive cover of the folk standard Hey Joe.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Led by Neil Young and Stephen Stills, Buffalo Springfield only lasted two years but influenced the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and other artists with its unique blend of rock, folk and country. Buffalo Springfield Again was the band’s second and most consistent record, featuring Young’s Mr. Soul and Expecting to Fly, and Stills’ Bluebird and Hung Upside Down, a showcase for the band’s tight harmonies and fierce instrumental standoffs between Young and Stills.