Green Onions (album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Green Onions

| type = studio

| artist = Booker T. & the M.G.'s

| cover = BookerT.&theMG'sGreenOnions.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1962|10}}

| recorded = June–August 1962

| studio = Stax Recording Studio, Memphis, Tennessee

| venue =

| genre =

• R&B
• rock{{cite book|first= Michael |last= Lydon|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2016 |title= 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |chapter= Booker T. And the M.G.s.|publisher= Cassell Illustrated |location= London |page= 56}}
• soul{{cite book|first= Michael |last= Lydon|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2016 |title= 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |chapter= Booker T. And the M.G.s.|publisher= Cassell Illustrated |location= London |page= 56}}

| length = {{Duration|m=34|s=55}}

| label = {{hlist|Stax|Atlantic}}

| producer = Jim Stewart

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Soul Dressing

| next_year = 1965

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Green Onions

| type = studio

| single1 = Green Onions

| single1date = July 1962

| single2 = Mo' Onions

| single2date = January 1964

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000268176|label=Green Onions|first=Bruce|last=Eder|accessdate=December 1, 2015}}

| rev2 = BBC Music

| rev2Score = favorable{{cite web|last=Egan|first=Sean|title=Booker T. & the MG’s: 'Green Onions' review|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/q8m5/|website=BBC Music|access-date=September 21, 2024}}

| rev3 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |first=Colin |last=Larkin |author-link=Colin Larkin |chapter=Booker T. & the M.G.'s |title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |year=1998 |publisher=Groves Dictionaries |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofpo01lark/page/664/mode/2up 664–655] |isbn=1-561-59237-4}}

| rev4 = The Great Rock Discography

| rev4Score = 9/10{{cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |author-link=Martin C. Strong |title= The Great Rock Discography|chapter=Booker T. & the M.G.'s |date=2004|edition=7th|publisher=Canongate Books |pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr0000stro_r9o1/page/172/mode/2up 172–173]|isbn=1-84195-615-5}}

| rev5 = MusicHound

| rev5Score = 3.5/5{{cite book |title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |publisher=Visible Ink Press |year=1998 |isbn=1-57859-026-4 |editor1-last=Graff |editor1-first=Gary |editor2-last=Freedom du Lac|editor2-first=Josh |editor3-first=Jim |editor3-last=McFarlin |chapter=Booker T. & the M.G.'s |pages=[https://archive.org/details/musichoundrbesse00graf/page/62/mode/2up 62–63]}}

| rev6 = PopMatters

| rev6Score = 8/10{{Cite web |last=Leight |first=Elias |date=February 28, 2013 |title=Booker T. & the M.G.'s: Green Onions (Stax Remasters) |url=https://www.popmatters.com/booker-t-the-mgs-green-onions-stax-remasters-2495781929.html |access-date=September 21, 2024 |website=PopMatters}}

| rev7 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev7Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Booker T. & the M.G.'s |last=Evans |first=Paul |author-link= |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=DeCurtis |editor1-first=Anthony |editor1-link=Anthony DeCurtis |editor2-last=Henke |editor2-first=James |editor3-last=George-Warren |editor3-first=Holly |publisher=Random House |edition=3rd |year=1992 |isbn=0-679-73729-4 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/rollingstonealbu0000unse/page/74/mode/2up 74–75]}}

| rev8 = Under the Radar

| rev8Score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/green_onions_deluxe_60th_anniversary_edition|title=Booker T. & the M.G.'s: Green Onions (Deluxe 60th Anniversary Edition)|website=Under the Radar|last=Rushbury|first=Ian|date=June 29, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2024}}

}}

Green Onions is the debut album by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released on Stax Records in October 1962. It reached number 33 on the pop album chart in the month of its release. The title single was a worldwide hit and has been covered by dozens of artists, including the Blues Brothers and Roy Buchanan (both with Steve Cropper on guitar), as well as The Ventures, Al Kooper, The Shadows, Mongo Santamaría, Deep Purple (Live and studio versions) and Count Basie.

Three previous Stax LPs – two by the Mar-Keys, one by Carla Thomas – had been issued on Atlantic Records. Green Onions was the first album released on the Stax label. It was also Stax's first charting album, peaking at number 33 on the Billboard 200.Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records. New York: Schirmer Trade. p.229-233 {{ISBN|0-8256-7284-8}} The album features only instrumental songs and features Steve Cropper playing a Fender Telecaster.Electric Guitar Classics:2010 Calendar Published by [https://www.rsvp.com//home.php Sellers Publishing, Inc.] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20101229050447/https://www.rsvp.com//home.php |date=2010-12-29 }} Copyright 2009

The cover photo was shot by Irving Schild, who would go on to have a 52-year career as Mad Magazine's primary photographer.{{Cite news |last=Sampson |first=Tim |date=2023-02-26 |title=An update on Irving Schild, the man behind the lens of the first Stax Records album cover photo: Green Onions! - Stax Museum |url=https://staxmuseum.com/meet-irving-schild-who-took-the-very-first-stax-records-lp-cover-photo-green-onions/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230427031658/https://staxmuseum.com/meet-irving-schild-who-took-the-very-first-stax-records-lp-cover-photo-green-onions/ |archive-date=2023-04-27 |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Stax Museum |language=en-US}} The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. {{ISBN|978-0-7893-2074-2}}.

In 2012, the album was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, and/or aesthetically significant".{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/registry-by-induction-years/2011/ |title=2011 – National Recording Preservation Board |website=Library of Congress |access-date=April 25, 2017}}