100 Greatest Albums of 1961
Criteria: These albums were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.
Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Two Steps From The Blues
Bobby "Blue" Bland
2. The Shadows
The Shadows
3. Blue Hawaii
Elvis Presley
4. Your Twist Party With The King Of The Twist
Chubby Checker
5. Let's Hide Away and Dance Away With Freddy King
Freddy King
6. Dance 'Til Quarter To Three
Gary U.S. Bonds
7. Hi! We're The Miracles
The Miracles
8. Runaround Sue
Dion
9. The Genius Sings The Blues
Ray Charles
10. The Ventures
The Ventures
11. The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
12. Blue Moon
The Marcels
13. Runaway With Del Shannon
Del Shannon
14. Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall
Jimmy Reed
15. Freddy King Sings
Freddy King
16. Showcase
Patsy Cline
17. Do The Twist! With Ray Charles
Ray Charles
18. Bo Diddley is A...REVOL
Bo Diddley
19. Last Night!
The Mar-Keys
20. Rick is 21
Rick Nelson
21. Doin' the Twist Recorded Live At The Peppermint Lounge
Joey Dee & the Starliters
22. Spotlight on Hank Ballard
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
23. The Amazing James Brown
James Brown and the Famous Flames
24. I Miss You So
Fats Domino
25. Slim Harpo Sings "Raining In My Heart"
Slim Harpo
26. Jerry Lee's Greatest!
Jerry Lee Lewis
27. There's a Party Goin' On
Wanda Jackson
28. Please Mr. Postman
The Marvelettes
29. The Second Time Around
Etta James
30. Cookin' With The Miracles
The Miracles
31. At The Rockhouse
Roy Orbison
32. Something For Everybody
Elvis Presley
33. Aretha
Aretha Franklin
34. New Juke Box Hits
Chuck Berry
35. Both Sides of An Evening
The Everly Brothers
36. Let The Four Winds Blow -Fats Domino
37. Gee Whiz
Carla Thomas
38. For Twisters Only
Chubby Checker
39. Heart And Soul
The Cleftones
40. Let There Be Drums
Sandy Nelson
41. Let's Twist Again
Chubby Checker
42. All The Way
Brenda Lee
43. Alone With Dion
Dion
44. I Hear You Knocking
Smiley Lewis
45. I Didn't Want To Do It
The Spiders
46. Another Smash!!!
The Ventures
47. Rockin' Guitars
The Shadows
48. The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings
The Shirelles
49. Sure Things
Little Willie John
50. For Dancing
Huey Smith and His Clowns
51. Spanish Harlem
Ben E. King
52. Aware of Love
Jerry Butler
53. Unforgettable
Dinah Washington
54. What A Party
Fats Domino
55. Tossin' & Turnin'
Bobby Lewis
56. Barbara Ann
The Regents
57. Ray Charles and Betty Carter
Ray Charles and Betty Carter
58. The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
59. My Kind of Blues
Sam Cooke
60. Bye Bye Baby, I Don't Want to Take a Chance
Mary Wells
61. The Colorful Ventures
The Ventures
62. Swing Low
Sam Cooke
63. Right or Wrong
Wanda Jackson
64. Dedicated to You
Ray Charles
65. You Always Hurt the One You Love
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
66. Emotions
Brenda Lee
67. Timi Yuro
Timi Yuro
68. Stay
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
69. September In The Rain
Dinah Washington
70. Saved
LaVern Baker
71. Nuts to You Vol. 1
Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts
72. The Sweet, The Hot, The Teenage Beat
Little Willie John
73. Dance By The Light of The Moon
The Olympics
74. Watusi
The Vibrations
75. Let's Go Again
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
76. Bristol Stomp
The Dovells
77. Take Good Care of My Baby
Bobby Vee
78. Listen To Cliff!
Cliff Richard
79. Twist With Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
80. Girls! Girls! Girls!
Duane Eddy
81. The Rock & Roll Story
Conway Twitty
82. Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
83. Takin' Care of Business
Ral Donner
84. You Talk Too Much
Joe Jones
85. Who Put the Bomp in the Bomp Bomp Bomp
Barry Mann
86. Like, Long Hair
Paul Revere and the Raiders
87. Party Time
The Olympics
88. The Boll Weevil Song (And Eleven Other Great Hits)
Brook Benton
89. Come Rock With Me
Johnny Preston
90. It's Pony Time
Chubby Checker
91. Hold On... It's Dee Clark
Dee Clark
92. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
The Platters
93. You Can Have Her
Roy Hamilton
94. James Ray
James Ray
95. Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
96. Johnny Burnette
Johnny Burnette
97. Stick Shift
The Duals
98. Peanut Butter
The Marathons
99. Encore Of Foot Stompin' Hits
The Flares
100. Drumsville
Earl Palmer
Bobby "Blue" Bland
2. The Shadows
The Shadows
3. Blue Hawaii
Elvis Presley
4. Your Twist Party With The King Of The Twist
Chubby Checker
5. Let's Hide Away and Dance Away With Freddy King
Freddy King
6. Dance 'Til Quarter To Three
Gary U.S. Bonds
7. Hi! We're The Miracles
The Miracles
8. Runaround Sue
Dion
9. The Genius Sings The Blues
Ray Charles
10. The Ventures
The Ventures
11. The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
12. Blue Moon
The Marcels
13. Runaway With Del Shannon
Del Shannon
14. Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall
Jimmy Reed
15. Freddy King Sings
Freddy King
16. Showcase
Patsy Cline
17. Do The Twist! With Ray Charles
Ray Charles
18. Bo Diddley is A...REVOL
Bo Diddley
19. Last Night!
The Mar-Keys
20. Rick is 21
Rick Nelson
21. Doin' the Twist Recorded Live At The Peppermint Lounge
Joey Dee & the Starliters
22. Spotlight on Hank Ballard
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
23. The Amazing James Brown
James Brown and the Famous Flames
24. I Miss You So
Fats Domino
25. Slim Harpo Sings "Raining In My Heart"
Slim Harpo
26. Jerry Lee's Greatest!
Jerry Lee Lewis
27. There's a Party Goin' On
Wanda Jackson
28. Please Mr. Postman
The Marvelettes
29. The Second Time Around
Etta James
30. Cookin' With The Miracles
The Miracles
31. At The Rockhouse
Roy Orbison
32. Something For Everybody
Elvis Presley
33. Aretha
Aretha Franklin
34. New Juke Box Hits
Chuck Berry
35. Both Sides of An Evening
The Everly Brothers
36. Let The Four Winds Blow -Fats Domino
37. Gee Whiz
Carla Thomas
38. For Twisters Only
Chubby Checker
39. Heart And Soul
The Cleftones
40. Let There Be Drums
Sandy Nelson
41. Let's Twist Again
Chubby Checker
42. All The Way
Brenda Lee
43. Alone With Dion
Dion
44. I Hear You Knocking
Smiley Lewis
45. I Didn't Want To Do It
The Spiders
46. Another Smash!!!
The Ventures
47. Rockin' Guitars
The Shadows
48. The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings
The Shirelles
49. Sure Things
Little Willie John
50. For Dancing
Huey Smith and His Clowns
51. Spanish Harlem
Ben E. King
52. Aware of Love
Jerry Butler
53. Unforgettable
Dinah Washington
54. What A Party
Fats Domino
55. Tossin' & Turnin'
Bobby Lewis
56. Barbara Ann
The Regents
57. Ray Charles and Betty Carter
Ray Charles and Betty Carter
58. The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
59. My Kind of Blues
Sam Cooke
60. Bye Bye Baby, I Don't Want to Take a Chance
Mary Wells
61. The Colorful Ventures
The Ventures
62. Swing Low
Sam Cooke
63. Right or Wrong
Wanda Jackson
64. Dedicated to You
Ray Charles
65. You Always Hurt the One You Love
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
66. Emotions
Brenda Lee
67. Timi Yuro
Timi Yuro
68. Stay
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
69. September In The Rain
Dinah Washington
70. Saved
LaVern Baker
71. Nuts to You Vol. 1
Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts
72. The Sweet, The Hot, The Teenage Beat
Little Willie John
73. Dance By The Light of The Moon
The Olympics
74. Watusi
The Vibrations
75. Let's Go Again
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
76. Bristol Stomp
The Dovells
77. Take Good Care of My Baby
Bobby Vee
78. Listen To Cliff!
Cliff Richard
79. Twist With Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
80. Girls! Girls! Girls!
Duane Eddy
81. The Rock & Roll Story
Conway Twitty
82. Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
83. Takin' Care of Business
Ral Donner
84. You Talk Too Much
Joe Jones
85. Who Put the Bomp in the Bomp Bomp Bomp
Barry Mann
86. Like, Long Hair
Paul Revere and the Raiders
87. Party Time
The Olympics
88. The Boll Weevil Song (And Eleven Other Great Hits)
Brook Benton
89. Come Rock With Me
Johnny Preston
90. It's Pony Time
Chubby Checker
91. Hold On... It's Dee Clark
Dee Clark
92. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
The Platters
93. You Can Have Her
Roy Hamilton
94. James Ray
James Ray
95. Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
96. Johnny Burnette
Johnny Burnette
97. Stick Shift
The Duals
98. Peanut Butter
The Marathons
99. Encore Of Foot Stompin' Hits
The Flares
100. Drumsville
Earl Palmer
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1961
Bruce's choice - An unheralded great album from 1961
* Sound Off - Titus Turner
Adam's choice:
* Midnight Special - Jimmy Smith
* Sound Off - Titus Turner
Adam's choice:
* Midnight Special - Jimmy Smith
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Edited By: Bruce