Because I don't give out either grade particularly often, you can expect this page to be pretty up to date. Nevertheless, I included a date for this page's last update at the bottom.
A+:
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beatles: Revolver (1966)
The Clash: The Clash (1977)
The Clash: London Calling (1979)
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks (1975)
Bob Dylan: The Basement Tapes (1975)
Bob Dylan: "Love and Theft" (2001)
The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
Buddy Holly: Legend (1974)
Buddy Holly: Buddy Holly from Original Master Recordings (1985)
The Holy Modal Rounders: 1 & 2 (1999)
John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Jerry Lee Lewis: Another Place, Another Time (1968)
Joni Mitchell: Blue (1971)
Joni Mitchell: For the Roses (1972)
Randy Newman: 12 Songs (1970)
Charley Patton: The Best of Charlie Patton (2005)
Ramones: Ramones (1976)
The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed (1969)
The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St. (1972)
Paul Simon: Paul Simon (1972)
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic (1974)
Talking Heads: Remain in Light (1980)
Television: Marquee Moon (1977)
The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)
Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits (1978)
Wire: Pink Flag (1977)
Howlin' Wolf: His Best: The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection (1997)
Neil Young: After the Gold Rush (1970)
Neil Young: Tonight's the Night (1975)
Various Artists: Anthology of American Folk Music (1952)
Various Artists: American Epic: The Collection (2017)
A:
Roy Acuff: Columbia Historic Edition (1987)
The Band: The Band (1969)
The Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions (2011)
The Beatles: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Beatles: The Beatles (1968)
The Beatles: Abbey Road (1969)
Big Star: Radio City (1974)
David Bowie: Station to Station (1976)
Big Bill Broonzy: Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs (1956)
Buzzcocks: Singles Going Steady (1979)
The Byrds: The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
The Carter Family: RCA Country Legends (2002)
The Clash: Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978)
Leonard Cohen: Ten New Songs (2001)
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River (1969)
Rev. Gary Davis: The Complete Early Recordings of Reverend Gary Davis (1994)
Derek and the Dominoes: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (1966)
Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding (1967)
Bob Dylan: Modern Times (2006)
Brian Eno: Another Green World (1975)
John Fahey: Of Rivers and Religion (1972)
John Fahey: The Legend of Blind Joe Death (1996)
Don Gibson: RCA Country Legends (2001)
Woody Guthrie: Dust Bowl Ballads (1940)
Woody Guthrie: Muleskinner Blues: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 2 (1997)
The Heartbreakers: L.A.M.F. (1977)
The Holy Modal Rounders: The Holy Modal Rounders (1964)
John Lee Hooker: The Legendary Modern Recordings (1993)
Elmore James: The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James (1993)
Elton John: Rock of the Westies (1975)
Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers (1961)
Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II (1970)
B.B. King: Live at the Regal (1964)
Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
John Lennon: Imagine (1971)
Jerry Lee Lewis: Live at the Star Club, Hamburg (1964)
Jerry Lee Lewis: She Still Comes Around (1969)
Jerry Lee Lewis: The Essential Jerry Lee Lewis (2013)
John Mellencamp: Scarecrow (1985)
Moon Mullican: Moonshine Jamboree (1993)
New York Dolls: New York Dolls (1973)
Webb Pierce: 20th Century Master - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Webb Pierce (2001)
The Pleasure Seekers: What a Way to Die (2011)
John Prine: Sweet Revenge (1973)
Bonnie Raitt: Give It Up (1972)
Lou Reed: The Blue Mask (1982)
Lou Reed and John Cale: Songs for Drella (1990)
Richad Hell and the Voidoids: Blank Generation (1978)
Jimmie Rodgers: Essential Jimmie Rodgers (2013)
The Rolling Stones: The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)
The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet (1968)
Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
Paul Simon: Graceland (1986)
Sly & the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On (1971)
Patti Smith: Horses (1975)
Hank Snow: The Essential Hank Snow (1997)
Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run (1975)
Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel of Love (1987)
Steely Dan: Countdown to Ecstasy (1973)
Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
James Talley: Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got a Lot of Love (1975)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Complete Recorded Works; Vol. 3 (1946-1947) (1998)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Gospel of the Blues (2003)
Henry Thomas: Texas Worried Blues: Complete Recorded Work 1927-1929 (1989)
The Troggs: The Best of the Troggs (1994)
Dave Van Ronk: Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger (1962)
The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground (1969)
The Vibrators: Pure Mania (1977)
Muddy Waters: Folk Singer (1964)
Muddy Waters: His Best, 1947 to 1955 (1997)
The Who: The Who Sell Out (1967)
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: The Essential Bob Wills 1935-1947 (1992)
Howlin' Wolf: Howlin' Wolf (1962)
X-Ray Spex: Germfree Adolescents (1978)
Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Last updated: 9/4/2024