With a new year comes new posts! As 2022 gets started, I thought it would be fun to present a few consecutive lists of what I consider to be 50 fantastic songs from past decades. These can be from any genre, although my biased brain definitely prioritized some over others (sorry, country fans!). I also tried to limit my picks to no more than 3 per artist, although I definitely failed at this - I'm looking at you, Beatles - so I couldn't balance this thing perfectly.
So to get the ball rolling, let's dive into the psychedelic waters of the swinging sixties! From hippie jams to Motown soul, from humble folk to whirlwinds of jazz, the sixties have a lot to offer. Although tons of incredible music came out in the decades preceding this one, a bulk of my music knowledge starts here. Read and enjoy! And if you're feeling particularly adventurous, make a playlist and give some of these a listen. They are presented below in alphabetical order.
PS: To my hardcore music nerds, or to anyone reading who actually lived through the 60s, this list might seem a tad basic. Many of these are absolute classics, and although I have a warm adoration for deep-cuts, I want these lists to be at least marginally acceptable to the uninitiated.
- 40 Days - Dave Brubeck (1966)
- A Change is Gonna Come - Aretha Franklin (1967)
- Ain't That a Kick in the Head? - Dean Martin (1960)
- And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles (1966)
- Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension (1969)
- Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison (1967)
- Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot (1967)
- Classical Gas - Mason Williams (1968)
- Cry Me a River - Barbra Streisand (1963)
- Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin (1969)
- Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Chicago (1969)
- Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Bob Dylan (1963)
- Early Morning Rain - Gordon Lightfoot (1966)
- Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles (1966)
- Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) - Frank Sinatra (1964)
- Folsom Prison Blues (Live) - Johnny Cash (1968)
- Georgia on My Mind - Ray Charles (1960)
- Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones (1969)
- God Bless the Child - Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968)
- Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin (1969)
- Granadas - Bill Evans (1966)
- Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Beatles (1968)
- I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline (1961)
- I Think We're Alone Now - Tommy James and the Shondells (1967)
- I Want You Back - The Jackson Five (1969)
- Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition (1968)
- Kathy's Song - Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
- Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
- A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement - John Coltrane (1965)
- Me and My Shadow - Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. (1962)
- My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder (1969)
- My Favorite Things - John Coltrane (1961)
- No Easy Way Down - Dusty Springfield (1969)
- One - Three Dog Night (1968)
- Pinball Wizard - The Who (1969)
- Rain - Jose Feliciano (1969)
- Respect - Aretha Franklin (1967)
- Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash (1963)
- Something - The Beatles (1969)
- Stand by Me - Ben E. King (1961)
- The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
- Swing Dat Hammer - Harry Belafonte (1960)
- Them There Eyes - Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie (1963)
- These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra (1965)
- Time of the Season - The Zombies (1968)
- You Make Me Feel So Young (Live) - Frank Sinatra, Count Basie (1966)
- You Really Got Me - The Kinks (1964)
- You're Gonna Miss Me - The 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
- White Room - Cream (1968)
