10 Influential albums worth listening to (before moving onto the main list)
Ten pre-list 1967 to 1969 albums by different bands, that were highly influential on the development of heavy music in the late 1960s.
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Are You Experienced? 1967
A heavy psychedelic classic that needs no introduction, one of the very best albums in the history of rock.
Cream
Disreali Gears 1967
A psychedelic blues-tinged classic and the birth of the power-trio, quintessential in the history of rock music.
Jeff Beck
Truth 1968
This is a must listen to album, amazing atmosphere and guitar work by Jeff Beck, and Rod Stewart sounds nifty as well.
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge 1967
One of the very best cover albums ever, as Vanilla Fudge take a heavy slant and make each song their own.
Gun
Gun 1968
This may well be the most "proto-metal" album here and a must listen to release from the Gurvitz brothers.
Head Machine
Orgasm 1969
A Forgotten album, by a band that relied on very heavy tones and there is some great sludgy sounding stuff on here.
Blue Cheer
Vincebus Eruptum 1968
Groundbreaking power-trio who relied on brute force over finesse. The heaviest album of the whole bunch.
Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf the Second 1968
Despite no "Born to be Wild" on here, their second album showed them at their most diverse and interesting.
Iron Butterfly
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968
With their loud sonic assault, this album is included for its legendary title track which takes up the album B-side.
Coven
Witchcraft Destroys Souls and Reaps Minds 1969
Basically a loud psychedelic band that fuelled their songs with 'occult influences' they were an influence on Black Sabbath.
There were some amazing similiarities too, the bass player's name was Oz Osbourne and they had a song called "Black Sabbath"
