Soundtrack of the Boomer Generation

Soundtrack of the Boomer Generation

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Showcase'

Ray Charles, 1962 Uh, country music?! Though it didn't contain "Georgia on My Mind" — the song that would become his personal anthem — this oddly titled album debuted such Charles classics as "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "You Don't Know Me." Charles was never in better voice, and this would remain his best-selling record (as well as reach No. 105 on Rolling Stone's list of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time").

'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music'

The Beatles, 1965 It's nowhere near as tight as the immaculately produced Abbey Road, but the band's sixth studio album might just be their best. Recorded in only four weeks, it's heavy on love ballads: Think of "Michelle," "Girl" and the haunting "In My Life." George Harrison introduced Western ears to the sitar on "Norwegian Wood" — but was the song the work of a psychopath or a comic genius? Discuss.

'Highway 61 Revisited'

The Temptations, 1966 You'll find few compilation albums on this list, but we couldn't resist this virtual jukebox of Motown Records, which includes such classic boomer earworms as "Get Ready," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Since I Lost My Baby," "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" and that perennial "our song" for every couple in love, "My Girl." Many of these hits were written for the Temptations by Miracles frontman (and later Motown VP) Smokey Robinson.

'Rubber Soul'

Aretha Franklin, 1968 After her smash debut in April 1967 with Otis Redding's "Respect," the young blues singer knocked it out of the park again with this album, rocking "Chain of Fools" and singing the Gerry Goffin/Carole King tune "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" the way God intended.

'Pet Sounds'

James Taylor, 1970 The balladeer's battle with heroin began at roughly this time, as evidenced by his two hospitalizations ("My body's aching and my time is at hand.") He was also weathering the death by suicide of a close friend — the subject of "Fire and Rain." Taylor's strong, sweet vocals combined with the funky lilt of his melodies and the confessional quality of his lyrics ("Sunny Skies" is none too sunny!) to establish sweet baby James as a major force in bluesy rock.

'The Temptations — Greatest Hits'

Carole King, 1971 King was a 29-year-old veteran troubador when she recorded this monumental record, studded with hit after hit — from "I Feel the Earth Move," "So Far Away" and "It's Too Late" to "You've Got a Friend," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." With 25 million copies sold, it remains one of the top-selling records of all time. King's raw, imperfect voice, said one critic, set women free to sing the truth, not just "sing sweet." The fifth track on the album, "Beautiful," was reprised as the title of a 2014 Broadway musical about King's life and work.

'Are You Experienced?'

The Rolling Stones, 1971 Filled with dark undercurrents, the Stones' 11th studio album kicks off with the stark jangle of "Brown Sugar," a gleeful tribute to interracial sex — still a taboo at the time. Mick Taylor would leave the Stones in 1974, but his guitar brilliance shines bright (and long!) on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." The record's masterpiece, "Wild Horses," finds Keith Richards ruing the need to leave his newborn son to go on tour and Mick Jagger mourning his breakup with Marianne Faithfull. (Her spiraling drug use led her to cowrite the terrifying "Sister Morphine.")

'Lady Soul'

Joni Mitchell, 1971 This album furnished the soundtrack for every teenage girl going through a tearful breakup in the '70s, with each song adding one more ingredient to the crazy cocktail of longing and desire. On her fourth LP, the Canadian singer-songwriter ranged in mood from bitter ("A Case of You") to nostalgic ("River") to achingly poignant: "Little Green" chronicled Mitchell's decision to surrender her newborn baby girl for adoption.

'Bridge Over Troubled Water'

Elton John, 1973 Carefully designed to be a blockbuster, this record stands out as Elton John's definitive statement as an entertainer: It's glam, fabulous and over the top — and artistically ambitious, too. Today (as back then) we respond viscerally to the sorrow it expresses, from the nothing-good-lasts-forever message of the title track to the song that would become the official elegy for Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind."

'Sweet Baby James'

The Eagles, 1976 If this album consisted of the title track alone, it would still be one of the most mysterious recordings of all time. Reservoirs of ink have been drained by journalists asking Glenn Frey, Don Felder and Don Henley what is truly meant by the "Hotel California," where "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." Guesses have ranged from a state mental hospital to a symbol of glorious excess, but the answer may simply be that these kids from "back East" found everything about California glitzy and spooky. Not to be overlooked: the coruscating "Life in the Fast Lane" and the haunting, underrated "Last Resort."

'Déjà Vu'

Billy Joel, 1977 He would insist he played rock music, but Billy Joel was actually the consummate balladeer: His lyrical "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," "She's Always a Woman" and "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" made him the Hoagy Carmichael of his era. Whether you think the piano man's reputation as a lyricist is overstated or not, there's no doubting the enduring popularity of his compositions: Many a Billy Joel tune has become "musical wallpaper" on classic rock stations. Or, as boomers label that distinction, immortal.

'Tapestry'

Michael Jackson, 1982 Whatever else transpired in his tragically abbreviated life, Jackson's sixth studio album has only grown in stature since he produced it, becoming perhaps the definitive pop album. Not only did Thriller smash racial and genre barriers, it produced the incandescent "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Human Nature." The other half-dozen tracks are only slightly lesser wonders.

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'Sticky Fingers'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'What's Going On'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Blue'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'American Pie'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Born to Run'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Hotel California'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Rumours'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'The Stranger'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Stardust'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Thriller'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'Full Moon Fever'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

'At the Close of a Century'

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?

Boomers@50+

Recall the albums that saw us through some memorable firsts. From "My Girl" to "Hotel California," these tunes moved us like no others. So indulge us (or not — we'd love to hear from you!) in the 25 albums we present in chronological order — who could ever rank them by greatness?