68. Paul Revere and the Raiders- Midnight Ride

Release Date: 1966
Label: Columbia

Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: I'm Not Your Stepping Stone

58. Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited

Release Date: 1965
Label: Columbia

Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: Desolation Row

48. Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club. Hamburg

Release Date: 1965
Label: Philips

I've never been a huge fan of live albums, despite there being some crackers on here so far. I always feel as though the energy is let down by the recording. Give me a studio version of a song anyday! Sadly this album is no exception. It didn't help that half the songs were missing, and the ones that were there were titled incorrectly but I don't think I'd have enjoyed it even if it was all correct. There were some good songs, but sadly the rest did nothing for me.

Rating: 3/10
Favourite Track: Great Balls of  Fire

46. The Rolling Stones- The Rolling Stones

Release Date: 1964
Label: Decca

Titled 'England's Newest Hitmakers' in the USA, this is The Rolling Stones debut album and was recorded a year after The Beatles entered the Abbey Road studios to record the remaining tracks for their debut LP. Unfortunately, a year is a long time in pop and by the time the Stones released this, the Beatles were already re-inventing the wheel. Having said that, despite it's flaws, the album goes along way to showing why the Stones were the 2nd biggest band of the decade. What they lack in originality, they make up for in passion and energy. Fun fact: This album peaked at number one in the UK charts, being bookended by 'With the Beatles' and 'A Hard Day's Night'.

Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: Can I Get A Witness

35. The Beatles - With The Beatles

Release Date: 1963
Label: Parlophone

The first album on the list that I've actually owned prior to beginning this project, and one I'm rather familiar with. Therefore I see no point in listening to it again just to review it. Out of the 'early' Beatles albums (say everything up to Help) this sits comfortably in the middle. There are some great tracks on this album - 'All My Loving', 'You Really Got a Hold On Me', 'All I've Gotta Do', but also a couple of duds. So great, but not perfect.

Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: You Really Got A Hold On Me

14. Little Richard- Here's Little Richard

Release Date: 1957
Label: Speciality

Awapbopaloombopawambamboo is, as any fule kno, the first word in the rock 'n' roll dictionary, and also the most important. Following on from all the jazz I seem to be indulging in at the moment, it was a relief to hear some rock 'n' roll again, and Little Richard is one of the best people to listen to. A distant relation to Little Boots, the only reason Little Richard (born Richard Little) doesn't have as many imitators as Elvis is because nobody can imitate him without looking silly. The reason why Little Richard works is because he doesn't seem to care. He was openly gay from the start (despite claiming to have at least two girls in 'Tutti Frutti') and just seems to let the music take control. This album wasn't perfect (the bizarre 'True Fine Mama' saw to that), but it's definitely worth 8 stars for the energy alone.

Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: Ready Teddy

Next Album: Tito Puente and his Orchestra- Dance Mania, Vol. 1

8. The Crickets- The 'Chirping' Crickets

Release Date: 1957
Label: Brunswick

It's time the truth was told- Elvis Presley wasn't the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Buddy Holly was; and if it wasn't for his untimely death a mere two years after the release of this record, it could be suggested he'd have gone on to make a bigger impact on music than the Beatles. Of course, that's hypothetical, but his initial impact and his legacy are proof that Holly was a major talent. This album (the only one released in his lifetime) showcases a band at their peak, and it's a delight. In a similar fashion to Elvis Presley it doesn't stick exclusively to rock 'n' roll, providing some tender moments along the way, but it's the punchier numbers that took my fancy. Holly's hiccuping vocal may not be to everyone's taste, and he's certainly not the greatest looking star of the era, but in my eyes he was by far the coolest.

Overall: 9/10
Favourite Track: Oh! Boy

Next Album: Count Basie- The Atomic Mr Basie

5. Fats Domino- This is Fats

Release Date: 1956
Label: Imperial

Ignore the terrible record cover that looks like it's come from the imagination of a ten year old schoolboy, forget the fact that, in his later years, Fats went on to take a slice out of the fresh pizza market. Just listen to this album for what it is and what it does. What does it do? Not a lot, it doesn't even last for thirty-minutes (cheapskate!). I liked the album, but I didn't love it, and after the highlights ('Blueberry Hill', 'Blue Monday' and 'Honey Chile') I got a little bored. Sorry Fats. The piano chord progression reminded me of a Bonzo Dog Band track that I can't remember the name of.

Overall: 6/10
Favourite Track: Blueberry Hill

Next Album: Duke Ellington- Ellington at Newport 1956

2. Elvis Presley- Elvis Presley

Release Date: 1956
Label: RCA

A year after Sinatra makes us all sob, somebody invents Elvis Presley, and with it, the most iconic singer of the 20th century. Is he black? Is he white? Does anyone even care? Did he go forward in time and take note of the London Calling cover? It's plausible. Everything about this album is iconic- including the aforementioned sleeve. The funny thing is though, it doesn't play like a five-star album. Despite starting off with a bang ('Blue Suede Shoes'), Presley doesn't keeping rockin' like he should and seems to prefer to wander all over the place. The rock 'n' roll is great, but songs like 'Blue Moon' and 'I Love You Because' do nothing for me. I want to phone the young Elvis up and tell him to stop pussyfooting around with the slow songs and just rock. Shake your hips Elvis, shake your hips! Pitched halfway between the two styles is the country-twinged 'Trying To Get To You', which is the highlight of the album. If you want to know why The Beatles and every other 60s musician were in awe of Elvis, then Elvis Presley is the reason why. It hasn't got his best songs on it (indeed, the original version of this album didn't even have 'Heartbreak Hotel' included; though I do have a suspision singles weren't put on albums in the olden days?) but this is Elvis at his raw, natural, pre-bloated best.

Overall: 6.5/10
Favourite Track: Trying To Get To You

Next Album: The Louvin Brothers- Tragic Songs of Life