Van Morrison-Moondance (1970)

For Van Morrison's most devoted fans, "Astral Weeks" is his masterpiece and the most fundamental album of his entire career, a work in which the Irishman perfectly fused acoustic folk, jazz, and American blues, all under the aura of a group of musicians who had played with greats like Miles Davis, Harry Belafonte, Ron Carter, and Archie Shepp. However, it was his subsequent album, "Moondance", that truly won him widespread acclaim thanks to its more balanced and varied repertoire of songs. It's also the album that features many of his greatest classics, such as "Moondance", a superb piece imbued with the magic of swing, and the gospel-infused "Brand New Day", not to mention other outstanding songs like the country track "And It Stoned Me", the soulful "Crazy Love", the R&B number "These Dream Of You", the lively "Glad Tidings", and the melodic "Caravan", as well as forays into his folk roots, as demonstrated by the beautiful "Into The Mystic". The album's widespread popularity led to multiple platinum records on both sides of the Atlantic and astonishing sales of over three million copies in the North American market alone.