The Doors "The Doors"

The Doors is the debut album by the American rock band the Doors, released on January 4, 1967. The album features their breakthrough single "Light My Fire" and the lengthy song "The End" with its Oedipal spoken word section.

The Doors was central to the progression of psychedelic rock, and has been critically acclaimed. In 2012, it was ranked number 42 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest albums of all time.

The original album has sold 20 million copies, and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame; "Light My Fire" was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It has been reissued several times on CD, including a 2007 remaster and a 2017 "50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition."

In 2015, the Library of Congress selected The Doors for inclusion in the National Recording Registry based on its cultural, artistic or historical significance.

The Doors' final lineup was formed in mid-1965 after Ray Manzarek's two brothers left and Robby Krieger joined. Krieger had only been playing the electric guitar for six months when he was invited to become a member of the band. The group also featured jazz-influenced drummer John Densmore and the charismatic, and later iconic Jim Morrison on vocals. The band was initially signed to Columbia Records under a six-month contract but agreed to a release after the record company failed to secure a producer for the album. After being released from the label, the Doors played club venues, including the London Fog and Whisky a Go Go, until they were signed to Elektra Records by Jac Holzman.

The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California over six days, with producer Paul A. Rothchild and audio engineer Bruce Botnick. A four-track tape machine was used for recording, using mostly three tracks: bass and drums on one, guitar and organ on another, and Morrison's vocals on the third. The fourth track was used for overdubbing. Rothchild brought in session musician Larry Knechtel to play his Fender Precision Bass on "Light My Fire" and a few other songs in order to give some "punch" to the sound of Manzarek's Fender Rhodes piano bass. For "The End", two takes were edited together to achieve the final recording.

The Doors is ranked number 42 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time and also on "The Rolling Stone Hall of Fame". It is ranked number 75 on Q magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" and ranked number 226 in NME magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" In 2007, Rolling Stone put it on their list of the 40 essential albums of 1967.