History's Best Selling Music of 1967

Make way for the hits of 1967! This remarkable era stood as a testament to the swinging sixties phenomenon and the march of first-rate music. Crowd-pleasers such as The Doors shared the spotlight with mega-bestsellers Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Who Sell Out. Brought to you by top-notch makers from industry leaders like The Doors and The Beatles, these trailblazing products spurred a pop-culture revolution across the nation and earned a permanent place in cultural lore. Check out the complete rank-ordered ledger below to relive the finest releases of the year.

1. The Doors (album)

   Released in 1967 by The Doors

   On January 4, 1967, the music world was irrevocably altered with the release of the self-titled debut album from a then-unknown Los Angeles band, The Doors. This single release didn't just launch a band; it unleashed a dark, poetic, and psychedelic new sound that would define the late '60s counter-culture. The album would go on to sell millions of copies, cementing its place as one of the most important and best-selling debut albums in the history of rock and roll, all beginning on this specific winter day.

2. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

   Released in 1967 by The Beatles, Parlophone, Capitol Records

   On May 26, 1967, the landscape of popular music was irrevocably altered with the UK release of "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles. This was not merely another album; it was a cultural event that encapsulated the spirit of the "Summer of Love" and redefined the artistic possibilities of a long-playing record. Released at a time of significant social and artistic change, the album moved beyond the standard collection of singles, presenting itself as a cohesive, conceptual work of art. The Beatles had retired from live touring the previous year, allowing them to pour unprecedented time and studio resources into this project, signaling a shift where the recording studio itself became an instrument and the album became the primary medium for their artistic expression.

3. The Who Sell Out

   Released in 1967 by The Who, Track Record, Decca Records

   Released on December 16, 1967, "The Who Sell Out" arrived at a pivotal moment in rock history. The Summer of Love had just passed, and the psychedelic era was in full swing. This album was The Who's satirical response to the burgeoning commercialism in pop culture and the rise of pirate radio stations in the UK. Conceived as a broadcast from the fictional station Radio London, the album's release on this date presented a groundbreaking concept to the world: a rock album that was also a piece of pop art, complete with genuine jingles and parody commercials linking the songs. It was a bold, humorous, and deeply creative statement that stood apart from the earnest psychedelia of its contemporaries.

4. Wild Honey

   Released in 1967 by The Beach Boys, Capitol Records

   On December 18, 1967, The Beach Boys released their thirteenth studio album, "Wild Honey." This release marked a significant and deliberate pivot for the band, arriving in the wake of the ambitious but ultimately aborted "Smile" project. Eschewing the complex psychedelic arrangements and groundbreaking studio techniques that had characterized their recent work, "Wild Honey" presented a stripped-down, back-to-basics sound heavily influenced by soul and R&B. This date represents a crucial moment of recalibration for one of America's most iconic bands, as they consciously stepped away from the studio wizardry of Brian Wilson to embrace a more collaborative, lo-fi, and raw musical direction, reflecting a collective desire to reconnect with simpler, more joyful musical forms.

5. John Wesley Harding

   Released in 1967 by Bob Dylan, Columbia Records

   On December 27, 1967, Bob Dylan surprised the music world with the release of "John Wesley Harding." The album arrived in a musical landscape dominated by psychedelic rock, a movement Dylan himself had helped inspire with his mid-60s electric albums. Following a serious motorcycle accident in 1966, Dylan had withdrawn from the public eye for over a year. This album represented his first new material in eighteen months, and its quiet, acoustic, and biblically-infused tone was a stark departure from both his previous work and the prevailing trends of the "Summer of Love," making its release a major cultural event and a subject of intense speculation among fans and critics.