60s Songs by Month: How Many Do You Know?

[Marita40]

Ok Baby Boomers...how many of these songs can you sing word for word--or almost completely? I knew 98% of them. Born in 1956. Interesting progression from the beginning of the decade to the Beatles explosion in 1964 and beyond.

 

[aja8888]

I still play most of the "Doo Wop" songs that were popular before 1964 as I was born in 1943. And I know all the words.

In 1964 I was on my way to an all expense paid trip to SE Asia. No songs then for me for a while.

 

[RunningBum]

You know a lot more than me, maybe the 5 years age difference is why. I'm sure I can't get a lot of the lyrics (I've always had a bit of trouble making out lyrics in music) and just counting the ones I recognized pretty well and could probably hum along with, I missed 3 or 4 each year until 1964. I knew all the rest except for 1967, where I wasn't familiar with 4 of them.

I only new about half the Elvis songs, and one of the Shadows' four (with or without Little Richard, and only because I recognized Apache from the Ventures).

So I think my final count was 83/100, by my less stringent standards.

 

[razztazz]

The 1960-1963 ones took me back to the front seat of my father's 1957 Studebaker Silverhawk. W.I.P., 610 on the AM dial.

 

[MichaelB]

That sure was a pleasant trip down memory lane. Thanks, Marita40!

 

[Badger]

That was fun! I can pretty much sing the words of all of them except of course for the instrumentals and 1 song I didn't recognize. Of course it is probably because I have many of them recorded on an MP3 player and listen to them while I ride my recumbent trike in the morning. Even played a few in a small party band when I was in college and 4 chords could get you through most rock songs.


Cheers!

 

[jollystomper]

I'm curious about what music char(ts) this is based on. For example. "Light My Fire" by the Doors is not on this compilation. But it was number 1 in the US Billboard charts from late July through mid-August. "A White Shade of Pale", the selection for July, never got higher than #5, and "All You Need is Love", the August pick, did not reach #1 until later in August.

Also, "Windy", by the Association, was number 1 on Billboard almost the entire month of July 1967 (knocked off by "Light My Fire"), but is not in the list either.

This compilation might be more based on global song tracking charts. Maybe "songs that one thinks should have been in this compilation" would be a good discussion .

 

[RunningBum]

From the clip description:
In this video, you'll see the most popular songs throughout each month in the 60s. The tunes selected for this video are the ones that reached #1 or at least ranked higher in more countries than other hits in the same month, but it's not very accurate since many of them were number one for different periods, and I didn't want to repeat any song.

 

[Koolau]

I'm curious about what music char(ts) this is based on. For example. "Light My Fire" by the Doors is not on this compilation. But it was number 1 in the US Billboard charts from late July through mid-August. "A White Shade of Pale", the selection for July, never got higher than #5, and "All You Need is Love", the August pick, did not reach #1 until later in August.

Also, "Windy", by the Association, was number 1 on Billboard almost the entire month of July 1967 (knocked off by "Light My Fire"), but is not in the list either.

This compilation might be more based on global song tracking charts. Maybe "songs that one thinks should have been in this compilation" would be a good discussion .

I had run into this YT a few days back and wondered the same thing. I think there are several hits not featured that must certainly have been the top song of the month.

But I do recall almost all of the songs though I was never good with the words. As a child we usually had the radio on and I remember songs pretty much before RnR was a buzz word. Glow Worm by the Mills Bros. ca 1952, (song writers) Leiber and Stoller's Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots ca 1955, That's Amore by Dean Martin ca 1953, etc. If it was popular, I probably remember it up to about 1990. After that, not so much.

 

[Marita40]

One of the more interesting songs on the list, IMO, is this one by the Japanese singer Sakamoto. I well remember the tune, although admittedly do not know the lyrics! I hadn't thought about it in decades, but seeing this compilation made me look it up. I also looked Sakamoto up, and sadly he died in a plane crash in his 40s.

And here's a cool Covid-era version by contemporary Japanese artists. Now this tune is my ear worm du jour!

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Most of these songs were handed down by my older siblings (9 of them) on 45s.

 

[jollystomper]

From the clip description:
In this video, you'll see the most popular songs throughout each month in the 60s. The tunes selected for this video are the ones that reached #1 or at least ranked higher in more countries than other hits in the same month, but it's not very accurate since many of them were number one for different periods, and I didn't want to repeat any song.

Ah, I see, thanks.

I have other siblings born in the late 40s/early 50s, so from what they listened to I recognized some of the tunes.

In addition, being a radio DJ in the late 70s/early 80s, on a college radio station where I ended playing many different music formats, I liked to mix in oldies so did a lot of research where I learned about these songs. One of my favorite "devices" was to play a current song at the time, then play a song from the 60s that was related to the song in some way, shape or form (e.g. personnel, writer, producer, name, lyrics), etc. Sometimes I would run contests in this manner ("The 3rd caller who can tell me the connection between the next 2 songs wins a..."). Fun times.

 

[skyking1]

I still play most of the "Doo Wop" songs that were popular before 1964 as I was born in 1943. And I know all the words.

In 1964 I was on my way to an all expense paid trip to SE Asia. No songs then for me for a while.

I saw a veteran's ranger pickup the other day with a bumper sticker on it:
"This was the only Woodstock I remember from 1969" with a picture of an M14.

 

[Montecfo]

These are not in my wheelhouse till later half. But DW and I both remember our dads singing Jim Reeves' classic "Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone..."

That's a once in a generation voice.

 

[target2019]

An interesting trip through the 60's thanks to Marita40. My perspective comes from growing up in the city and listening to this music on an Emerson radio as a child.

This guy Elvis came along earlier, and turned the music world and culture upside down. That music became repetitious and re-inforced the dominant white vision of pop culture and radio play. Slowly R&B came into influence (Ray Charles). In 1964 the Beatles shattered the mold, and synthesized their idols (Elvis, Chuck Berry, R&B) into their Rock and Roll model. Folk music started to have greater influence on styles and lyrics. The British Invasion took hold with Rolling Stones, Animals, etc. adding to the Beatles launch. What became the constant was the Beatles changing each year, always incorporating more variety, new sounds, and an expanding message. The Motown influence was also great, and reflected by their catalog always sounding fresh and alive. Several documentaries today single out the session players behind the scenes not getting much credit. Whiter Shade of Pale showed a renewal in use of classical movements. George Martin blended that into the Beatles arrangements, and they became willing participants. By the conclusion of the 60's there was a clear battle of popularity between Rock and Pop. Rock became harder, and Pop grew more sugary. The messages of Folk and Rock became even more revolutionary, with Pop and programming becoming a music industry strategy. The Beatles as a group started to fracture and re-arrange, similar to Western society.

Is it memorable? That is an important element of songwriting. The melody and lyrics work together to achieve that, and the song hits the #1 position.

 

[Koolau]

I saw a veteran's ranger pickup the other day with a bumper sticker on it:
"This was the only Woodstock I remember from 1969" with a picture of an M14.

A true perspective of that time.

The music of the era was indelibly imprinted on me. I became 1-A in 1969 (end of 2S upon graduation.) I passed my physical and even though I was never called, just being "eligible" will change you though YMMV.

 

[eytonxav]

Thanks, I needed a lift on 9/11. As a teen in the 60s I remembered most of them, what a great compilation.