Bob Dylan: Freewheelin' Bob Dylan This was Dylan's second recording, and it established him as a songwriter's songwriter. He handled different subjects with ease, providing unique perspective and vision not seen before and maybe since. This recording was the beginning of his influence on a generation.

Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited Yes, this recording is the one that included "Like a Rolling Stone," but more importantly, this was Dylan moving toward an electric phase of his career. The lyrics remained poignant snippets of prose that could and did change lives, but the sound was bigger and as majestic as the words he so eloquently wrote.

Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks Dylan went back to his roots and recorded a heartfelt, melancholic acoustic masterpiece. A literary and sonic journey of reflection that the world could really feel.

Leonard Cohen: Songs of Leonard Cohen (1968) Almost painful to listen to, Cohen is an artist who bares his soul in eloquent and heartfelt detail. A classic.

Nick Drake: Bryter Layter Complex, warm, literate and poetic musings set to bare accompaniment and simple, breathtaking string arrangements. An underappreciated artist during his career, themes of depression, isolation and loneliness are placed on subtle display on this recording. One of the greatest singer songwriters of all time and this is his best work (in my opinion).

Donovan: Sunshine Superman Folk rock greets the psychedelic era. An important recording.

Joni Mitchell: Blue In a business that often has not taken females seriously as artists, Ms. Mitchell blazed the trail for the more literate of female artists today. Ms. Mitchell paints with words as masterfully as she paints with a brush. Intense and stunningly honest with songs complex and unique in structure, Blue is a challenge to the jaded listener. It's so moving that it has the potential to affect you in a tangible, personal way. A recording that is classically beautiful and absolutely precious, like a work of art.

Simon & Garfunkel: Bookends This is Paul Simon's portrait of the American landscape. He strives to give a snapshot of our lives. The sequencing has pacing like the best poetry. The recording feels unresolved at the end, leaving it to the listener to let it linger in your subconscious, forcing you to ponder its meaning. And there's some good songs on it too.

Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970) Possibly on no other recording does Young exhibit his monstrous songwriting skills better. Tracks like "Helpless" and "Southern Man" speak to anyone with any nerves or feeling: these are songs crying to be felt.

Echoes: Gene Clark This is the solo recording right after his first stint with The Byrds. It's an extension of his work in The Byrds, but displays his taste in a more personal way.

Tim Buckley: s/t This is a beautiful recording made in 1966 at a time when folk met psychedelia at places like The Ash Grove in LA. A vignette of a life lost too soon.

Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel Some of this material stacks up to Sweethearts of the Rodeo or his best Flying Burrito Brothers material.

Carole King: Tapestry One of the greatest Brill-Building songwriters of all time, Ms. King steps forth on this recording and shows the world how a songwriter makes a great record. Laura Nyro couldn't do it, and many of her contermporaries failed as well. Powerful, poignant and tasteful, this recording is a staple of radio and is one of the most popular recordings of all time.