Album of the Day

Iron Butterfly's second album, IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA, featured five fine originals on the first side ranging from Summer-of-Love pop to proto-metal, but listeners really hit paydirt when they flipped the record over. Powered by Doug Ingle's hypnotic organ riff and ominous vocals (and one of the all-time great drum solos from Ron Bushy), the 17-minute title track is the ultimate in acid rock. This month in 1968, the collection was certified Gold; it would go on to sell more than 4 million copies and earn the first-ever R.I.A.A. Platinum sales certification. The gloriously excessive IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA is more than Iron Butterfly's magnum opus – it's a '60s touchstone.