The Velvet Underground, Aretha Franklin, Tiny Tim: An alternate history of music in 1968

“Beggars Banquet.” “Electric Ladyland.” “Wheels of Fire.”

Rock fans know the important albums from 1968 that helped set the table — along with the opening that year of the Forum in Inglewood and Madison Square Garden in New York — for what we now refer to as arena rock.

But shirtless guitar gods...