The Doors, ‘The Doors,’ 1967 The world spun on as it always had—wars raged, oil spilled, revolutions simmered—but the true heartbeat of 1967 pulsed in its social and cultural rupture. The year is known for Torrey Canyon, the first oil spill, Mao’s Cultural Revolution massacre, the Vietnam War, Cuba, or the disappearance of Che Guevara,…

King Crimson, ‘In The Court Of The Crimson King,’ 1969 The wall on which the prophets wroteIs cracking at the seamsUpon the instruments of deathThe sunlight brightly gleamsWhen every man is torn apartWith nightmares and with dreamsWill no one lay the laurel wreathWhen silence drowns the screams God listened In the Court of the Crimson…

Radiohead, ‘In Rainbows,’ 2007 I’m a moth who just wants to share your lightI’m just an insect, trying to get out of the nightI only stick with you because there are no othersYou are all I needYou are all I needI’m in the middle of your pictureLying in the reeds What was once revolutionary is…

The Beatles, ‘Abbey Road,’ 1969 Here comes the sun, and I sayIt’s alright Abbey Road is The Beatles’ farewell—an elegy wrapped in harmony, its second side a breathtaking suite that feels like a final bow. Sensing the end, they reunited with George Martin, their longtime producer, and the result is nothing short of miraculous. When the…

King Crimson, ‘Red,’ 1974 Did you ever anticipate such brilliance from an album birthed as the band neared its end? From the outset, everyone in King Crimson knew Red would be their final bow. Robert Fripp was stepping away from the music world, and the palpable tension among the members had already driven David Cross…