Crosby, Stills & Nash

There's a reason why David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash didn't adopt a group name when they joined forces. From the start, they kept their identities distinct even when they blended their voices in lustrous harmony. Their 1969 debut album had the intimate, homemade feel of three friends making music together. Beneath the mellow surface, though, was a complex interweaving of folk, rock, blues, and Latin elements. Whether the trio veers into ethereal love ballads ("Guinnevere"), post-apocalyptic anthems ("Wooden Ships"), angry political manifestos ("Long Time Gone”), or joyful pop travelogues ("Marrakesh Express"), the results still sound fresh and uplifting. The album's signature tune, Stills' "Suite: Judy Blues Eyes," is a dazzling acoustic showpiece building to a glorious climax. Crosby, Stills & Nash is a groundbreaking work by three top-flight artists.