SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Bay Area boasts a long and storied history of outstanding vocalists, one that touches upon pretty much every musical genre under the sun.

These 20 essential vocal albums showcase the breadth and wealth of the offerings, representing some seven decades of incredible music and providing many hours of listening enjoyment for all kinds of music fans.

1. “Merry Christmas,” Johnny Mathis (1958)

We’ll kick off the list with one of the most enduringly popular holiday albums of all time. It came out nearly 70 years ago, and it remains such a wonderful showcase for the San Francisco-raised vocalist who has had more than 70 hits on the Billboard charts. Listen to “Silent Night, Holy Night,” and you’ll hear what made him a legend.

2. “Surrealistic Pillow,” Jefferson Airplane (1967)

Grace Slick is the most powerful vocalist — male or female — in Bay Area rock ‘n’ roll history. And she’s never been better than on the Airplane’s landmark second studio album, hitting heights that few in the genre have ever reached on “Somebody to Love,” “White Rabbit” and other key songs that helped set the soundtrack for the Summer of Love.

3. “Any Day Now,” Joan Baez (1968)

Untold thousands of artists have covered Bob Dylan, yet nobody has done it in more consistently excellent fashion than this legendary folk singer. The longtime Peninsula resident focused strictly on the Dylan songbook for her ninth studio album, which is filled with pristine and heartfelt versions of such classics as “North Country Blues” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.”

4. “Let Us Go into the House of the Lord,” Edwin Hawkins Singers (1968)

This is a glorious collection of gospel music, recorded by the Oakland-born Hawkins and other talented singers at Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley. There’s so much for gospel choir fans to love here, but the album is best known for producing the gospel standard, “Oh Happy Day” — an international smash hit that went on to sell a staggering 7 million copies.

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