What are the best-selling albums of the 1960s?
The 1960s was undoubtedly the most influential decade of the 20th century, welcoming a new form of popular culture, with youth-led movements dominating the mainstream. The period marked the coming-of-age and young adulthood of people born at the end of the Second World War, those who were ready to rebel against their elders’ post-war attitudes.
Taking inspiration from the popularity of rock and roll, which emerged in the 1950s, teenagers began exploring new styles and sounds. In the United Kingdom, bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones arose, signalling that the ’60s were officially swinging. Young people began dressing less traditionally, with girls donning mini skirts, gogo boots, and short dresses. London became a cultural hub, attracting creatives and eager young people to immerse themselves in new music, art, fashion and progressive attitudes.
While these bands soon became popular worldwide, becoming part of the ‘British Invasion’, hippie culture was becoming increasingly prominent in the United States. LSD and psychedelic music gained popularity, which also made its way into music by British bands like The Beatles. Folk artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Baez emerged during this period, becoming incredibly successful, often using their music as a vehicle for protest.
The 1960s were a revolutionary period for music, with artists redefining the medium’s potential. New recording techniques and non-Western instruments were used within popular music, and even the concept of the album was transformed. Bands like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Mothers of Invention, The Kinks and The Who elevated the idea of creating LPs that were more than just collections of songs, with the ’60s marking the start of the ‘album era’.
The Beatles played a massive role in the development of the album, recording one of the earliest popular examples of a concept album in the form of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. During the start of their career, the Fab Four released short collections of accessible pop songs, often including covers of rock and roll and rhythm and blues tracks. However, by moving forward with albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver, the band proved their talents as innovative musicians capable of creating cohesive bodies of work, taking inspiration from an expansive array of influences.
Unsurprisingly, three of the ten best-selling records of the 1960s are by The Beatles with Abbey Road, The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. The latter comes in at number one, having shifted over 32 million copies. The record was released in 1967 and is widely cited as one of the most influential and pioneering albums ever made. Sgt. Pepper’s significantly aided the popularity of psychedelia and art rock, blending bright, kaleidoscopic visuals with innovative sounds that captivated a large audience.
Discussing the record’s psychedelic influences, John Lennon once said: “We didn’t really shove the LP full of pot and drugs but, I mean, there was an effect. We were more consciously trying to keep it out. You wouldn’t say, ‘I had some acid, baby, so groovy,’ but there was a feeling that something had happened between Revolver and Sgt. Pepper.”
Elsewhere, the second best-selling record of the decade was Iron Butterfly’s 1968 album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, which shifted 30 million copies, followed by The Who’s Tommy at 20 million sales. The soundtrack for The Sound of Music even made the cut, having also sold over 15 million copies.
Discover the full list below.
The best-selling albums of the 1960s:
- The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (32 million)
- Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (30 million)
- The Who – Tommy (20 million)
- The Doors – The Doors (20 million)
- The Beatles – Abbey Road (19,973,949)
- Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin 2 (15,915,072)
- The Sound of Music (15 million)
- The Beatles – The Beatles (13,782,269)
- Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin 1 (10,343,893)
- Patsy Cline – Greatest Hits (10 million)
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