Hippie Sounds

The Top Ten 60s & 70s Vinyl Albums for Island Life

by Jennifer on October 29th, 2007

Sometimes I think I take these lists too seriously. I just keep thinking now how much it would honestly suck to be marooned on a desert island with just 10 albums.

I started with a list of oh, right around 50 or so albums brewing in my mind and had to whittle that down to 10.

It was hard.

Thankfully I’m only playing via this blog’s time era or I’d be in real trouble. Throwing bands like Janes, Sublime, and Ben Harper into the mix would have sucked more. Luckily they had no 60-70s releases.

Here they are — if I were marooned on a desert island these would be the top 10 albums I’d want along for the ride.

The first three were no brainers. I knew from the get-go they’d make the list. Along with my list I noted the songs that made me choose the album overall. Basically songs I’d die without. No that’s not too dramatic — I know you have songs like that.

1. Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell: My overall favorite Joni album; enough said.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: The whole album minus Raised on Robbery.

2. Waiting for the Sun by the Doors: Can you imagine being stranded and not being able to hear this for the rest of your life? Nope, me either.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Pretty much the whole album. I would be in dire need of My Wild Love, Five To One, Yes the River Knows, My Wild Love, and The Unknown Soldier but honestly the whole album is amazing. I could maybe omit Not To Touch the Earth.

3. For the Roses by Joni Mitchell: Because I listen to this when I can’t sleep. I’m betting sleepless nights on an island might abound.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: The entire flipping album but if someone held a gun to my head I’d say See You Sometime, Banquet, and Let the Wind carry Me.

See the harder choices I had to make after the jump.

4. American Beauty by the Grateful Dead: I like so many Dead albums that I figured it would be hard to choose. However, most of my favorite bootlegs are short which leaves them out and really AB has some of the classics.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Box of Rain and Friend of the Devil to start with but the whole album is great. Except I don’t love Operator. If this were a magical desert island list I’d switch out Operator for Rubin And Cherise from the 82′ Oregon State Prison bootleg.

5. The Beatles White album: It was close. I knew I’d be taking at least one Beatles album and I love Let it Be. I went back and fourth and finally went the album that gives you more songs. One White album = 2 nice vinyls.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Dear Prudence, Helter Skelter, Cry Baby Cry… Happiness is a Warm Gun. Maybe I should go with Let it Be. Ahhhh.

6. Crosby, Stills, and Nash (self titled): I had a terrible time with this choice it was this or Déjà Vu but it came down to one song. Because If I lived the rest of my life and could never hear You Don’t Have to Cry again I would be a very sad girl indeed. I would miss Carry On though.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Obviously You Don’t Have to Cry plus 49 Bye-Byes, Helplessly Hoping, Wooden Ships, and more.

7. Harvest by Neil Young: I wanted to take some Neil Young and basically chose the album that I have a track record for listening to the most.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: All of them.

8. Pink Moon by Nick Drake: Don’t you think this would be soothing if you were stuck on a desert island?

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Honestly any Drake album would have been chill for island life but Road is one of my all time favorite tunes so I went with Pink Moon.

9. Buddha and the Chocolate Box by Cat Stevens: I don’t know. I could only take one Cat album and I think this one is my favorite. He has so many good ones though. I better not think about it too much.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Sun/C79 because it’s not only my favorite on the album but also one of my top three favorites Cat song overall. Oh Very Young and Ready are note worthy too.

One pick left…. hmmm.

10. Masterpieces by Bob Dylan: This is one of those great desert island scores! THREE discs full of amazing songs and the LP (not CD) set (which I couldn’t find a picture of) has some cool extras. And it’s in my time frame because it was released in 78! Score.

Songs I couldn’t live my life without: Positively 4th Street, Sara, Ballad of a Thin Man, and tons more the entire set is good.

In conclusion:

Lord, that’s no Bob Marley, no Heart, no Led Zeppelin, only two Joni and one Dead, this is so depressing. I would be bad desert island company.

I guess what I would hope is that I get stuck with other people who managed to snag 10 albums along too. Such as…

Desert Island Discs from Down Under

Desert Island Downloads — digital music style

10 Metal CDs to Have on A Desert Island

10 British Albums I’d Gladly Get Stuck on A Desert Island With If I Had I CD Player Too (funny)

10 New York Albums to take to a deserted island

10 Rockin’ albums for the island dweller in me…and you

Desert Island Discs (from She Plays Music)

That ought to mix up island life. I’ll be back later with my favorite lists from the rest of the music channel.

But now it’s your turn… You’re marooned. You can only take 10 albums. 10 albums for the rest of your life! Which 10 would they be?

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POSTED IN: 60s Music, 70s Music, Albums, Fun, Music Theme Day