Best albums of 1963 - Rate Your Music
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Top albums of 1963

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Updated: 14 May
Average Ratings Reviews
Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Cover art
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
Mingus
4.34 30k 30,481 428 428
July 1963 Album
Avant-Garde Jazz Third Stream
Experimental Big Band Flamenco Jazz Ballet
instrumental complex passionate suite avant-garde dense technical suspenseful
30k Ratings 428 Reviews 4.34 Average
Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan - IX. Symphonie, Cover art
IX. Symphonie
Ludwig van Beethoven / Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan
4.09 3k 3,102 20 20
1963 Album
Romanticism Symphony
Choral Symphony Classical Period Choral
symphony orchestral epic choral acoustic triumphant uplifting melodic
3k Ratings 20 Reviews 4.09 Average
Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Cover art
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
3.93 22k 21,521 393 393
27 May 1963 Album
Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter
Acoustic Blues Talking Blues
acoustic poetic protest political conscious mellow autumn introspective
22k Ratings 393 Reviews 3.93 Average
The Thelonious Monk Quartet - Monk's Dream, Cover art
Monk's Dream
The Thelonious Monk Quartet
3.89 5k 4,786 56 56
14 January 1963 Album
Hard Bop
instrumental playful improvisation acoustic quirky complex passionate melodic
5k Ratings 56 Reviews 3.89 Average
Duke Ellington, Charlie Mingus & Max Roach - Money Jungle, Cover art
Money Jungle
Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus & Max Roach
3.88 6k 5,818 74 74
February 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Avant-Garde Jazz Post-Bop Cool Jazz
improvisation instrumental acoustic energetic rhythmic technical dissonant urban
6k Ratings 74 Reviews 3.88 Average
Jorge Ben - Samba esquema novo, Cover art
Samba esquema novo
Jorge Ben
3.87 5k 4,624 48 48
1963 Album
Samba
Bossa nova Samba-jazz Samba-canção
warm tropical summer melodic uplifting happy playful mellow
5k Ratings 48 Reviews 3.87 Average
The Philharmonia Orchestra / The Philharmonia Chorus / Otto Klemperer / Elisabeth Schwarzkopf / Hilde Rössl-Majdan - Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection", Cover art
Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"
Gustav Mahler
3.88 441 441 7 7
1963 Album
Romanticism Symphony Choral Symphony
Choral
symphony acoustic passionate triumphant lush sentimental suspenseful complex
441 Ratings 7 Reviews 3.88 Average
Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan - "Eroica", Cover art
"Eroica"
Ludwig van Beethoven / Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan
3.85 493 493 5 5
1963 Album
Symphony Classical Period Romanticism
Funeral March Romanticism
symphony instrumental acoustic orchestral melodic epic complex triumphant
493 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.85 Average
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, Cover art
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
3.81 6k 5,786 45 45
February 1963 Album
Cool Jazz Hard Bop
acoustic mellow instrumental improvisation soft soothing melodic calm
6k Ratings 45 Reviews 3.81 Average
Berliner Philharmoniker / Karl Böhm - Symphonien Nr. 40 g-Moll (In G minor) & Nr. 41 »Jupiter«, Cover art
Symphonien Nr. 40 g-Moll (In G minor) & Nr. 41 »Jupiter«
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Berliner Philharmoniker / Karl Böhm
3.86 336 336
1963 Album
Classical Period Symphony
symphony instrumental lush acoustic playful passionate orchestral polyphonic
336 Ratings 3.86 Average
Wiener Philharmoniker / Solti / Windgassen / Nilsson / Hotter / Stolze / Neidlinger / Joan Sutherland - Siegfried, Cover art
Siegfried
Richard Wagner
3.89 178 178 1 1
April 1963 Album
Romanticism Opera
fantasy opera epic mythology complex triumphant forest acoustic
178 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.89 Average
Jackie McLean - Let Freedom Ring, Cover art
Let Freedom Ring
Jackie McLean
3.80 1k 1,049 19 19
May 1963 Album
Post-Bop
Hard Bop Modal Jazz
acoustic instrumental melodic playful energetic
1k Ratings 19 Reviews 3.80 Average
Curtis Amy / Dupree Bolton - Katanga!, Cover art
Katanga!
Curtis Amy & Dupree Bolton
3.82 332 332 4 4
1963 Album
Hard Bop
Modal Jazz Soul Jazz
instrumental nocturnal mellow urban playful energetic improvisation rhythmic
332 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.82 Average
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue, Cover art
Midnight Blue
Kenny Burrell
3.79 2k 2,362 40 40
May 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Soul Jazz Blues Electric Blues
nocturnal soothing calm instrumental melodic soft playful improvisation
2k Ratings 40 Reviews 3.79 Average
Glenn Gould - The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I - Preludes and Fugues 1-8, Cover art
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I - Preludes and Fugues 1-8
Johann Sebastian Bach / Glenn Gould
3.81 458 458 5 5
14 January 1963 Album
Baroque Music Prelude Fugue
Prelude Fugue
acoustic instrumental melodic polyphonic
458 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.81 Average
Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris, Cover art
Our Man in Paris
Dexter Gordon
3.79 2k 1,525 21 21
December 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Cool Jazz
acoustic instrumental improvisation
2k Ratings 21 Reviews 3.79 Average
Thelonious Monk - Criss-Cross, Cover art
Criss-Cross
Thelonious Monk
3.79 1k 1,271 16 16
12 August 1963 Album
Post-Bop
Hard Bop
instrumental improvisation acoustic technical playful warm melodic
1k Ratings 16 Reviews 3.79 Average
Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You From Philles Records, Cover art
A Christmas Gift for You From Philles Records
3.75 3k 3,154 71 71
22 November 1963 Album
Christmas Music Brill Building Girl Group
Pop Soul
Wall of Sound Christmas winter happy melodic lush carol romantic
3k Ratings 71 Reviews 3.75 Average
John Coltrane Quartet - Ballads, Cover art
Ballads
John Coltrane Quartet
3.74 4k 4,089 46 46
February 1963 Album
Cool Jazz
Post-Bop
instrumental mellow acoustic warm nocturnal soothing improvisation romantic
4k Ratings 46 Reviews 3.74 Average
Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfá - Jazz Samba Encore!, Cover art
Jazz Samba Encore!
Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfá
3.75 1k 1,313 12 12
April 1963 Album
Samba-jazz Bossa nova
Cool Jazz
tropical summer melodic mellow psychedelic calm instrumental rhythmic
1k Ratings 12 Reviews 3.75 Average
Phineas Newborn Jr. - The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr., Cover art
The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr.
Phineas Newborn Jr.
3.80 184 184 1 1
1963 Album
Hard Bop
184 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.80 Average
Joe Henderson - Page One, Cover art
Page One
Joe Henderson
3.74 2k 1,680 22 22
November 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Cool Jazz Samba-jazz Post-Bop Latin Jazz
instrumental melodic playful improvisation acoustic mellow technical energetic
2k Ratings 22 Reviews 3.74 Average
Grant Green - Feelin' the Spirit, Cover art
Feelin' the Spirit
Grant Green
3.75 701 701 10 10
October 1963 Album
Soul Jazz
Hard Bop Gospel Post-Bop
instrumental improvisation mellow uplifting meditative
701 Ratings 10 Reviews 3.75 Average
Sandy Bull - Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo, Cover art
Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo
Sandy Bull
3.74 2k 1,851 29 29
May 1963 Album
American Primitivism
Electric Blues Western Classical Music Fantasia Arabic Folk Music Progressive Folk
instrumental meditative acoustic melodic hypnotic rhythmic warm eclectic
2k Ratings 29 Reviews 3.74 Average
Prince Lasha Quintet Featuring Sonny Simmons - The Cry!, Cover art
The Cry!
Prince Lasha & Sonny Simmons
3.76 341 341 13 13
1963 Album
Post-Bop Avant-Garde Jazz
improvisation instrumental complex acoustic melodic playful avant-garde energetic
341 Ratings 13 Reviews 3.76 Average
Jimmy Woods Sextet - Conflict, Cover art
Conflict
Jimmy Woods Sextet
3.78 188 188 4 4
October 1963 Album
Post-Bop
Hard Bop
energetic acoustic improvisation instrumental playful uplifting technical avant-garde
188 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.78 Average
Wes Montgomery - Boss Guitar, Cover art
Boss Guitar
Wes Montgomery
3.75 522 522 9 9
August 1963 Album
Hard Bop Soul Jazz
improvisation technical instrumental
522 Ratings 9 Reviews 3.75 Average
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Buhaina's Delight, Cover art
Buhaina's Delight
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
3.74 506 506 8 8
July 1963 Album
Hard Bop
improvisation acoustic energetic nocturnal urban instrumental
506 Ratings 8 Reviews 3.74 Average
Eduardo Rovira y su agrupación de Tango Moderno - Tango vanguardia, Cover art
Tango vanguardia
Eduardo Rovira y su agrupación de Tango Moderno
3.76 206 206 2 2
1963 Album
Tango nuevo
Chamber Music Modern Classical
instrumental complex technical progressive avant-garde melancholic acoustic chamber music
206 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.76 Average
Sam Cooke - Night Beat, Cover art
Night Beat
Sam Cooke
3.71 3k 2,509 54 54
September 1963 Album
Southern Soul Soul
Rhythm & Blues Blues Soul Blues
warm romantic mellow nocturnal passionate melodic sentimental soothing
3k Ratings 54 Reviews 3.71 Average
The Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train, Cover art
Night Train
The Oscar Peterson Trio
3.71 2k 2,001 28 28
August 1963 Album
Cool Jazz Hard Bop
Hard Bop
instrumental acoustic improvisation mellow energetic nocturnal soothing playful
2k Ratings 28 Reviews 3.71 Average
Freddie Hubbard - Hub-Tones, Cover art
Hub-Tones
Freddie Hubbard
3.72 941 941 16 16
November 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Post-Bop
instrumental improvisation soothing
941 Ratings 16 Reviews 3.72 Average
Bill Evans - Interplay, Cover art
Interplay
Bill Evans
3.72 682 682 9 9
June 1963 Album
Cool Jazz Hard Bop
Post-Bop
improvisation warm acoustic technical passionate instrumental
682 Ratings 9 Reviews 3.72 Average
Freddie Hubbard - The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard, Cover art
The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
3.74 271 271 3 3
March 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Modal Jazz
271 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.74 Average
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, Cover art
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
3.69 3k 3,102 54 54
July 1963 Album
Vocal Jazz
Standards
love romantic nocturnal melodic sentimental acoustic calm soothing
3k Ratings 54 Reviews 3.69 Average
The Dillards - Back Porch Bluegrass, Cover art
Back Porch Bluegrass
The Dillards
3.70 530 530 10 10
May 1963 Album
Bluegrass
energetic pastoral happy uplifting technical acoustic playful melodic
530 Ratings 10 Reviews 3.70 Average
John Lee Hooker - Don't Turn Me From Your Door: John Lee Hooker Sings His Blues, Cover art
Don't Turn Me From Your Door: John Lee Hooker Sings His Blues
John Lee Hooker
3.72 255 255 7 7
February 1963 Album
Electric Blues
mysterious mellow longing melancholic spiritual atmospheric
255 Ratings 7 Reviews 3.72 Average
Mississippi John Hurt - Folk Songs and Blues, Cover art
Folk Songs and Blues
Mississippi John Hurt
3.72 251 251 6 6
August 1963 Album
Delta Blues Piedmont Blues
Piedmont Blues
pastoral sexual acoustic uplifting technical melodic playful bittersweet
251 Ratings 6 Reviews 3.72 Average
Horace Parlan - Up & Down, Cover art
Up & Down
Horace Parlan
3.73 196 196 4 4
April 1963 Album
Hard Bop
Cool Jazz
playful improvisation melodic instrumental
196 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.73 Average
Roy Orbison - In Dreams, Cover art
In Dreams
Roy Orbison
3.68 2k 1,788 19 19
July 1963 Album
Pop Rock Traditional Pop Countrypolitan
Baroque Pop Rock & Roll Blue-Eyed Soul Brill Building Nashville Sound
mellow romantic melodic nocturnal lush sad lonely passionate
2k Ratings 19 Reviews 3.68 Average
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Soundtracks

  • Nino Rota - 8½, Cover art
    8½
    1963 Album
    598 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.87 Average
    3.87 598 598 5 5
  • John Barry - From Russia With Love, Cover art
    From Russia With Love
    1963 Album
    206 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.78 Average
    3.78 206 206 2 2
  • Henry Mancini and His Orchestra - Charade, Cover art
    Charade
    1963 Album
    164 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.60 Average
    3.60 164 164 2 2
  • Karel Appel - Musique barbare, Cover art
    Musique barbare
    1963 Album
    261 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.34 Average
    3.34 261 261 2 2
  • Elmer Bernstein - The Great Escape, Cover art
    The Great Escape
    1963 Album
    100 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.89 Average
    3.89 100 100 1 1
    • See all 76 Include in main chart

    Live

  • Eric Dolphy - At the Five Spot, Vol. 2, Cover art
    At the Five Spot, Vol. 2
    1963 Album
    541 Ratings 7 Reviews 3.95 Average
    3.95 541 541 7 7
  • The Dave Brubeck Quartet - The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall, Cover art
    The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall
    1963 Album
    327 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.93 Average
    3.93 327 327 4 4
  • John Coltrane - Impressions, Cover art
    Impressions
    1963 Album
    3k Ratings 27 Reviews 3.87 Average
    3.87 3k 2,715 27 27
  • Cecil Taylor - Live at the Cafe Montmartre, Cover art
    Live at the Cafe Montmartre
    1963 Album
    392 Ratings 14 Reviews 3.84 Average
    3.84 392 392 14 14
  • Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - Ugetsu: Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers at Birdland, Cover art
    Ugetsu: Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers at Birdland
    1963 Album
    348 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.82 Average
    3.82 348 348 3 3
    • See all 100 Include in main chart

    Archival

  • Son House & J.D. Short - Son House & J.D. Short - Blues From the Mississippi Delta, Cover art
    Son House & J.D. Short - Blues From the Mississippi Delta
    1963 Album
    32 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.84 Average
    3.84 32 32 1 1
  • Milt Jackson / Sonny Stitt - In the Beginning, Cover art
    In the Beginning
    1963 Album
    7 Ratings 3.41 Average
    3.41 7 7
    • See all 2 Include in main chart
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