The evolution of modern popular music is punctuated by seismic shifts—moments when culture, technology, and sheer creative brilliance converge to redefine the boundaries of sound. In a recent, deeply revealing retrospective curated by music journalist Michael Heatley, legendary guitarist Steve Hackett reflects on the foundational vinyl releases that forged his musical identity. Ranging from mid-1960s Motown masterworks and countercultural folk anthems to grandiose baroque-pop orchestrations and boundary-pushing progressive epics, these 10 landmark records trace an intimate cartography of a master musician’s upbringing.
Far from being a mere nostalgic inventory, this curated collection—complete with historical UK pressings and market valuations—serves as an investigative study into the DNA of progressive rock. Hackett, renowned for his tenure in Genesis and his enduring solo output (including the collaborative project The Roaring Waves alongside Steve Rothery via InsideOutMusic), offers profound critical insights into how these foundational tracks influenced his compositional approach, guitar techniques, and narrative structures. This feature explores the socio-cultural backdrop, technical genius, and enduring legacy of the records that shaped a generation of British rock royalty.
Detailed Chronology: Ten Records That Forged a Master’s Sonic Palette
1. Martha & The Vandellas – Dancing In The Street (Stateside SS 345, 7″, UK, 1964) – £20
The journey begins in the vibrant, tentative dawn of mid-60s youth culture. For a 14-year-old Hackett, experiencing this explosive Motown anthem at a Battersea funfair was a revelation.
The Cultural Context: While the song functioned globally as a clarion call for universal movement and revolution, its immediate local impact on teenagers was starkly humorous: polarized groups of adolescent boys and girls standing rigidly on opposite sides, paralyzed by the social anxieties of interaction.
Musical Impact: Hackett later confronted Martha Reeves to declare it the crowning achievement of the Motown catalog—a track that successfully "touched all the bases" and served as an unfiltered wake-up call to global youth.
2. The Who – My Generation (Brunswick 05944, 7″, UK, 1965) – £20
Embodying raw, unadulterated youthful defiance, The Who’s breakout anthem remains a masterclass in aggressive, forward-driving rock architecture.
The Technical Mythos: For years, aspiring guitarists—including Hackett—searched the mix for a complex guitar solo, only to discover that the blistering, high-register acrobatics in the middle were actually performed by bassist John Entwistle.
Stylistic Independence: Hackett notes that the track’s timeless attitude transcends temporary subcultural boundaries. Positioning himself outside strict tribalism—neither firmly a Mod nor a hippie—Hackett admired The Who’s ability to cast off restrictive stylistic labels early in their career.
3. Buffy Sainte-Marie – Many A Mile (Fontana TFL 6047, LP, UK, 1965) – £5
Shifting from electric fury to acoustic introspection, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s sophomore LP introduced a striking blend of traditional folk lyricism and fierce protest songwriting.
Vocal Vulnerability: Highlighting the traditional track "Must I Go Bound," Hackett recalls how Sainte-Marie delivered the lyrics with an "absolute sob from beginning to end," creating an emotional depth that immediately melted his teenage heart.
Media Exposure: First encountered via the 1965 television program Heartsong (alongside folk luminaries Marianne Faithfull and Julie Felix), Sainte-Marie’s uncompromising artistry demonstrated to the young guitarist the immense power of raw, unpolished vocal emotion.
The mid-60s transition of Bob Dylan from acoustic purist to electric visionary caused severe generational friction among young musicians grappling with lyrical versus instrumental supremacy.
The Dialectic of Appreciation: Hackett recalls spirited debates with a dedicated "Dylanologist" friend who worshipped Dylan’s most stripped-down recordings, while Hackett initially gravitated toward guitar-heavy virtuosos like Cream and Jeff Beck.
The Electric Breakthrough: The integration of elite session players like Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper on tracks like Like A Rolling Stone bridged the gap, proving that lyrical intensity could merge seamlessly with sophisticated guitar and keyboard arrangements.
5. The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby (Parlophone R 5493, 7″, UK, 1966) – £15
Arguably the pinnacle of pop composition, The Beatles’ string-backed masterwork shattered the conventions of standard verse-chorus songwriting.
A Genre Hybrid: Hackett regards Eleanor Rigby as potentially the finest rock song ever written due to its hybrid nature—simultaneously existing as rock and roll while completely transcending the genre.
Narrative Mastery: Functioning as a "fly-on-the-wall mini-documentary," its rich lyrical imagery set an intimidating benchmark for pop songwriting. Hackett recalls discussing the immense difficulty of crafting convincing narrative songs with Peter Gabriel during their early days in Genesis, cementing Eleanor Rigby as the gold standard.
6. The Rolling Stones – Paint It, Black (Decca F 12395, 7″, UK, 1966) – £15
A masterclass in dark, atmospheric texture, the Rolling Stones’ psychedelic-tinged hit relied on an exotic instrumentation palette to underscore Mick Jagger’s blistering vocal performance.
Structural Ingenuity: Musically operating as a two-part invention, the track weaves Jagger’s vocal lines directly beneath Brian Jones’s mesmerizing sitar motif, flowing organically into an extended pseudo-chorus.
Bedroom Practice: For Hackett, the record was a staple of heavy bedroom rotation, where he meticulously deconstructed and practiced the intricate guitar licks hammered out by both Brian Jones and Keith Richards.
7. Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West (Elektra EKL 315, LP, UK, 1966) – £50
The cross-pollination of American blues with Eastern modalities reached a watershed moment with the Butterfield Blues Band’s groundbreaking sophomore release.
Live Revelation: Witnessing the band perform at Eel Pie Island in 1966 to an intimate crowd of roughly 20 people, Hackett was utterly floored by the opening notes of Paul Butterfield’s harmonica.
Cultural Synthesis: Written by Mike Bloomfield, the epic title track takes listeners on a multi-cultural odyssey spanning Eastern, Western, Mexican, and Indian musical idioms, showcasing a fearless expansion of the blues vocabulary.
8. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone PCS 7207, LP, UK, 1967) – £175
As the crown jewel of psychedelic pop, Sgt. Pepper redefined the album as a cohesive, theatrical art piece.
Subverting Expectations: The title track brilliantly wrong-foots the listener by juxtaposing the mundane sound of an orchestra tuning up with the immediate, visceral intrusion of a rock band.
Magical Realism: Hackett praises the track’s structural discipline—knowing precisely when to stop playing—as a hallmark of the Beatles’ surrealist charm. He views She’s Leaving Home as the direct thematic and emotional bookend to Eleanor Rigby.
9. Richard Harris – MacArthur Park (RCA 1699, 7″, UK, 1968) – £3
Jimmy Webb’s ambitious, sprawling orchestration matched with actor Richard Harris’s theatrical delivery provided a crucial blueprint for the nascent progressive rock movement.
The Theatrical Approach: Harris approached the song with the deep emotional commitment of a trained actor, breathing profound life into a complex chord sequence and lush orchestral arrangement.
Profound Influence on Genesis: Clocking in at roughly seven minutes, the track served as a direct template for Genesis. It embodied everything Hackett and his bandmates aspired to achieve: intricate storytelling, unexpected harmonic changes, and the blending of traditional and modern instrumentation.
10. Kate Bush – The Man With The Child In His Eyes (EMI 2806, 7″, UK, 1978) – £15
Demonstrating astonishing maturity at a remarkably young age, Kate Bush’s haunting ballad signaled the arrival of a singular visionary artist.
Early Genius: Written when Bush was only 13 years old, the song captures the delicate threshold between childhood fantasy and the nascent stirrings of adult romance.
Debut Brilliance: Anchored by superb brass arrangements, this standout track from her landmark debut album, The Kick Inside, cemented Bush as an peerless songwriter capable of rivaling veteran orchestrators like Jimmy Webb.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Collector’s Market & Archival Value
To understand the enduring significance of Steve Hackett’s foundational playlist, one must examine not only their musical resonance but also their standing within the contemporary vinyl collecting market. Original UK pressings from the mid-to-late 1960s have transitioned from mass-market consumer items into highly coveted historical artifacts.
Artist & Title
Label & Catalog Number
Format
Vintage
Current Market Value (UK)
Martha & The Vandellas – Dancing In The Street
Stateside (SS 345)
7″ Single
1964
£20
The Who – My Generation
Brunswick (05944)
7″ Single
1965
£20
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Many A Mile
Fontana (TFL 6047)
LP
1965
£5
Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited
CBS (BPG 62572)
LP
1965
£80
The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby
Parlophone (R 5493)
7″ Single
1966
£15
The Rolling Stones – Paint It, Black
Decca (F 12395)
7″ Single
1966
£15
Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West
Elektra (EKL 315)
LP
1966
£50
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Parlophone (PCS 7207)
LP
1967
£175
Richard Harris – MacArthur Park
RCA (1699)
7″ Single
1968
£3
Kate Bush – The Man With The Child In His Eyes
EMI (2806)
7″ Single
1978
£15
As demonstrated by the data, high-demand stereo masterworks like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band achieve premium valuations (approaching £175 for pristine UK first pressings), reflecting their status as cultural cornerstones. Conversely, equally influential underground or folk releases, such as Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Many A Mile or Richard Harris’s theatrical singles, remain accessible yet deeply treasured gateways into the era’s expansive sonic experimentation.
Official Statements & Industry Perspectives
Reflecting on the curation of these defining records, musicologist and interviewer Michael Heatley emphasizes the rare clarity with which veteran artists can pinpoint the exact architectural influences of their youth:
"When musicians of Steve Hackett’s caliber deconstruct their formative listening habits, we are granted a rare masterclass in creative evolution. These records are not mere mementos of a bygone era; they are the literal building blocks of progressive and art-rock architecture."
Furthermore, industry insiders note that Hackett’s continuous reverence for 1960s and 70s composition paradigms underscores a broader truth about the longevity of physical media. The meticulous care required to spin a 7-inch single on a turntable or absorb the complete side of an LP mirrored the focused, uninterrupted engagement that these complex narratives demanded.
Future Outlook: Continuing the Progressive Tradition
As Steve Hackett continues to push contemporary boundaries—most notably through his collaborative project The Roaring Waves alongside Steve Rothery, released via InsideOutMusic—the lineage connecting 1960s radical pop experimentation to modern progressive rock remains unbroken.
The lessons absorbed in London dancehalls, underground blues clubs, and bedroom listening sessions half a century ago continue to inform modern compositional rigor. By honoring the emotional intensity of Bob Dylan, the narrative ambition of The Beatles and Jimmy Webb, and the textural daring of The Rolling Stones and Paul Butterfield, today’s veteran artists ensure that the revolutionary spirit of mid-century popular music endures for future generations of musicians and audiophiles alike.
