By any measure, 1967—the golden anniversary of which we will be celebrating all year long—was one amazing year for rock, pop and soul music. The year gave us not only The Beatles Sgt. Pepper but debut albums by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and The Velvet Underground; dozens of landmark hit singles and albums; game-changing events like the Monterey Pop Festival and the deaths of Otis Redding and Beatles manager Brian Epstein; .
Rock was growing up in 1967: FM “underground” radio was starting to overtake AM Top 40, and music fans were being happily bombarded by a seemingly nonstop mix of pop singles—the Monkees were huge—as well as soul (Aretha Franklin, the Supremes) and the newly emerging psychedelic rock. A half-century later, most of it still holds up well.
In 1967, everyone wanted to be in a band! The following were all formed in 1967: Blood, Sweat & Tears, Blue Öyster Cult, Chicago, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Electric Flag, Fairport Convention, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, The Hour Glass (with Duane and Gregg Allman), The J. Geils Band, Jethro Tull, Nazz (with Todd Rundgren), The Nice (with Keith Emerson), NRBQ, Procol Harum, REO Speedwagon, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, Spirit, Status Quo, The Stooges (with Iggy Pop), T. Rex, Three Dog Night and Traffic!
Below is a timeline of the most significant events in the world of rock, pop and soul in 1967, including major album releases. We think you’ll agree that 1967 was rock ‘n’ roll heaven.
Major Rock Music Events of 1967
Jan. 4—The Doors’ self-titled debut album released
Jan. 9—The Monkees’ More of the Monkees released; The Young Rascals’ Collections album released
Jan. 14—The Human Be-In takes place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: local rock bands, poets and other countercultural heroes mix it up with the city’s hippies. By the summer, so many youths will have arrived in San Francisco that the invasion became known as the “Summer of Love.”
Jan. 15—The Rolling Stones, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, ignore Ed’s demand that they change the key line in “Let’s Spend the Night Together” to “Let’s spend some time together”
Jan. 20—The Rolling Stones’ Between the Buttons album released
Jan. 23—Laura Nyro’s debut album, More Than a New Discovery, released; The Youngbloods’ self-titled debut album released; Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys’ self-titled debut released
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Feb. 1—Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow album released
Feb. 6—The Byrds’ Younger Than Yesterday album released
Feb. 13—The Beatles release their “Penny Lane”/“Strawberry Fields Forever” single
Feb. 14—Aretha Franklin records “Respect”
Feb. 17—John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers’ A Hard Road album released
Feb. ?—The Mamas and the Papas’ album Deliver released
March 6—The Temptations’ Live! album released
March 10—Cat Stevens’ Matthew and Son album released; Aretha Franklin’s I Never Loved a Man album released
March 12—The Velvet Underground’s debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, released
March 17—The Grateful Dead’s self-titled debut album released
March 18—Peter, Paul & Mary’s Album 1700 released
March 25—The Who and Cream both perform their first concerts in the United States, in New York. The two British bands are part of a weeklong series hosted by disc jockey Murray the K; also performing are Mitch Ryder, Wilson Pickett, The Blues Project and others
March ?—Donovan’s Mellow Yellow album released; Eric Burdon and the Animals’ Eric is Here album released
April 29—The Turtles’ Happy Together album released; Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” single released
April ?—Chuck Berry’s Golden Decade album released; Blues Magoos’ Electric Comic Book album released; The Electric Prunes’ self-titled debut released; Tim Hardin’s Tim Hardin 2 album released; Gordon Lightfoot’s The Way I Feel album released
May 1—Paul McCartney reveals that all four members of the Beatles have taken LSD; Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin in Las Vegas
May 2—Capitol Records cancels the Beach Boys’unfinished Smile album
May 11— Country Joe and the Fish’s Electric Music for the Mind and Body album released
May 12—The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album, Are You Experienced, released
May 15—Paul McCartney meets photographer Linda Eastman, later to become his wife
May 22—The Monkees’ Headquarters album released
May 26—The Mothers of Invention’s Absolutely Free album released
May ?—The Lovin’ Spoonful’s You’re a Big Boy Now soundtrack album released; the 5th Dimension’s Up, Up and Away album released
June 1—The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album released; David Bowie’s self-titled debut released; Elvis Presley’s Double Trouble album released
June 6—Moby Grape’s self-titled debut album released
June 10-11—The Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival takes place at Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, north of San Francisco, featuring Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Byrds and others
June 16-18—The Monterey Pop Festival takes place in Monterey, California. The landmark event features The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Ravi Shankar, Otis Redding, The Mamas and the Papas, Big Brother and the Holding Company (with Janis Joplin) and many others
June 23—Small Faces’ self-titled second album released in the U.K.
June 25—The Beatles perform “All You Need Is Love” for the Our World television special
June 26—The Rolling Stones’ Flowers album released
June 28—Florence Ballard is fired from the Supremes, replaced by Cindy Birdsong
June 29—Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are sentenced to jail for drugs (they later appeal successfully)
June ?—The Hollies’ Evolution album released; The Association’s Insight Out album released
July 10—The Bee Gees’ 1st album released
July 17—Jazz great John Coltrane dies at 40
July 18—Jimi Hendrix is thrown off the Monkees’ tour, for which he and the Experience had been the opening act (parents complained about his lewdness)
July 24—The Yardbirds’ Little Games album released
July 31—The Rascals’ Groovin’ album released
July ?—Canned Heat’s self-titled debut album released; Incredible String Band’s The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion album released; The Grass Roots’ Let’s Live for Today album released; The Beau Brummels’ Triangle album released
Aug. 27—Beatles manager Brian Epstein dies at 32; Stevie Wonder’s I Was Made to Love Her album released
Aug. 5—Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, released
Aug. ?—Big Brother and the Holding Company’s self-titled debut album released; Tim Buckley’s Goodbye and Hello album released; Vanilla Fudge’s self-titled debut album released; Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign album released; James Brown’s Cold Sweat album released
Sept. 1—The Doors appear on The Ed Sullivan Show and Jim Morrison says the word “higher” during their performance of “Light My Fire,” against Sullivan’s demand not to; The Who smash their instruments on the Smothers Brothers’ TV show
Sept. 15—The Kinks’ Something Else By the Kinks album released
Sept. 18—The Beach Boys’ Smiley Smile album released
Sept. 25—The Doors’ Strange Days album released
Sept. ?—Van Morrison’s Blowin’ Your Mind album released; Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant album released; Chuck Berry’s Live at Fillmore Auditorium album released; Procol Harum’s self-titled debut album released; Captain Beefheart’s Safe as Milk album released; Eric Burdon and the Animals’ Winds of Change album released
Oct. 3—Woody Guthrie dies at 55
Oct. 18—Rolling Stone magazine premieres, with John Lennon on the cover
Oct. 27—Ten Years After’s self-titled debut album released
Oct. 30—Buffalo Springfield’s Buffalo Springfield Again album released
Oct. 31—Phil Ochs’ Pleasures of the Harbor album released
Oct. ?—Sly and the Family Stone’s A Whole New Thing album released; Sam and Dave’s Soul Men album released; Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band’s Gorilla album released; Judy Collins’ Wildflowers album released
Nov. 10—Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed album released; Cream’s Disraeli Gears album released
Nov. 6—The Monkees’ Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones album released
Nov. 27—The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour album released
Nov. 30—Jefferson Airplane’s After Bathing at Baxter’s album released
Nov. ?—13th Floor Elevators’ Easter Everywhere album released; Love’s Forever Changes album released; Country Joe and the Fish’s I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die album released; The Chambers Brothers’ Time Has Come Today album released; The Amboy Dukes’ self-titled debut album released; The Hollies’ Butterfly album released
Dec. 1—The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Axis: Bold as Love album released
Dec. 5—The Beatles open the Apple Boutique in London
Dec. 8—The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request album released
Dec. 9—Jim Morrison is arrested onstage in New Haven for inciting a riot
Dec. 15—The Who’s The Who Sell Out album released
Dec. 10—Otis Redding dies at 26 in a plane crash, along with members of the Bar-Kays
Dec. 18—The Beach Boys’ Wild Honey album released
Dec. 26—The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour film first broadcast
Dec. 27—Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album released; Leonard Cohen’s Songs of Leonard Cohen album released
Dec. ?—Donovan’s A Gift From a Flower to a Garden album released; Dusty Springfield’s The Look of Love album released; Traffic’s Mr. Fantasy album released; Nilsson’s Pandemonium Shadow Show album released; Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw album released; Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle album released
Other albums released in 1967 (release dates unknown):
The Box Tops—The Letter/Neon Rainbow
Chocolate Watchband—No Way Out
Al Green—Back Up Train (his debut album)
Harpers Bizarre—Feelin’ Groovy
Richie Havens—Mixed Bag
Tommy James and the Shondells—I Think We’re Alone Now
John Mayall—The Blues Alone
The Nice—The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
Paul Revere and the Raiders—Revolution!
Sam and Dave—Double Dynamite
The Sonics—Introducing the Sonics
Strawberry Alarm Clock—Incense and Peppermints
And finally, a small selection of the year’s hit singles.
The Association—“Windy” and “Never My Love”
The Beatles—“Penny Lane”/“Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Hello Goodbye”/“I Am the Walrus”
The Bee Gees—“The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts”
The Box Tops—“The Letter”
Buffalo Springfield—“For What It’s Worth”
Petula Clark—“Don’t Sleep in the Subway”
Arthur Conley—“Sweet Soul Music”
The Spencer Davis Group—“Gimme Some Lovin’”
Donovan—“Mellow Yellow”
The Easybeats—“Friday on My Mind”
The Four Tops—“Bernadette”
Aretha Franklin—“Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Chain of Fools”
John Fred and his Playboy Band—“Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)”
The Hollies—“Carrie-Anne”
Jefferson Airplane—“Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit”
Gladys Knight and the Pips—“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Lulu—“To Sir With Love”
The Mamas and the Papas—“Creeque Alley” and “Dedicated to the One I Love”
Scott McKenzie”—“San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)”
The Monkees—“Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” and “Daydream Believer”
Van Morrison—“Brown Eyed Girl”
Procol Harum—“A Whiter Shade of Pale”
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles—“I Second That Emotion”
The Rolling Stones—“Let’s Spend the Night Together”/“Ruby Tuesday”
Sam and Dave—“Soul Man”
The Seekers—“Georgy Girl”
Nancy and Frank Sinatra—“Somethin’ Stupid”
Small Faces—“Itchycoo Park”
Strawberry Alarm Clock—“Incense and Peppermints”
The Supremes—“Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone,” “Reflections” and “The Happening”
The Turtles—“Happy Together”
Frankie Valli—“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”
Dionne Warwick—“I Say a Little Prayer”
The Who—“I Can See for Miles,” “Happy Jack” and “Pictures of Lily”
Jackie Wilson—“Higher and Higher”
Stevie Wonder—“I Was Made to Love Her”
The Young Rascals—“Groovin’” and “How Can I Be Sure”
The Fat Angel Sings 