A (half) Century of Music

[Lys]

There are an infinite number of boring relaxation pieces on offer, even in 1963. This is the one that became one of the most widely-selling Japanese-language songs of all time. I cannot possibly tell you why.

Because reality runs on a random number generator?

Really? It deserved to win the Grammy over Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, did it?

No, I said it deserved it over the other stuff that hit #1.

HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO BOB DYLAN WAS?!?!?!?!?!

Nobody told me?

Bob Dylan was arguably the greatest songwriter of the 20th century. His music defined the 60s, and produced hits for bands as varied as Peter, Paul & Mary to Metallica. He's one of the most legendary figures of the American music scene, and not to sound too confrontational, but it is impossible to discuss the music of this period without knowing who he was. "The Times Are A Changin'", "Blowing in the Wind", "All Along the Watchtower", "Like a Rolling Stone", "Knocking on Heaven's Door", all songs that framed the decade, all songs (thankfully) sung by someone else. Dylan was simultaneously the best songwriter and worst singer of the 1960s, and moreso perhaps than any other man, even Lennon, defined what the 60s were all about.

Bob Dylan is an absolutely seminal figure in the music of the last fifty years. It is not possible to comprehend music without at least knowing who he was. And this is not the last time we will encounter his music along the way.

Well I knew of him, because his name kept coming up, and I kept being confused because he wasn't listed as the artist for any song, or the member of any band, at least not the ones I knew. Like I said, it felt like a ghost story, everyone's heard or seen it, except me. I just couldn't figure out what the hell he sung or played that made him worth mentioning. Apparently the answer is "nothing", he did not sing or play a damn thing worth mentioning. He's famous for writing the songs that were worth mentioning. Which explains my confusion really, it didn't occur to me that anyone cared who wrote the music. I always just give credit to the artist for the lyrics, same way movie directors get all the credit for the script.

Funny, I was thinking Bob Dylan might have been that guy who died in a plane crash and inspired "The Day the Music Died", but apparently Dylan's still alive. Do you think killing him in a plane crash will produce a better eulogy? Because it's kind of hard to top that one. Shouldn't be hard to test...

In fairness, it did better on the country charts, but it's still a crime to have it languishing here while shit like all the rest of the number 1 hits received the plaudits from that year.

Despite his name, Johnny Cash was no Uncle Moneybags, and he couldn't afford a good marketing team. Sadly word of mouth just didn't cut it in the pre-internet days.

[General Havoc]

You're thinking of Buddy Holly, Lys. And to say Bob Dylan is famous for writing songs is like saying Michael Jordan is famous for playing basketball. It is technically correct on every level, but does not get across the sheer impact of what the man actually did. Dylan did (unfortunately) sing and play music, but he was terrible at these things. What he was not terrible at was composition, and in that field, he may have been the greatest pop and folk songwriter of the last century. Many men wrote songs. Some even wrote anthemic songs. Dylan wrote the soundtrack to an entire decade.

Also, thank you for pushing the thread into page 2. Even with the new system, that first page was becoming difficult to load for anyone. I'll avoid actual in-post Youtubes from now on.

[Lys]

I'm afraid the Michael Jordan analogy doesn't resonate with me because to me Jordan was the face of basketball in the 90s, by virtue of being the best. Bob Dylan wasn't the face of anything because he wasn't up on stage, no matter how good his songwriting was. If I were to make a musical comparison to Michael Jordan it would be the Beatles, who were the face of Rock and Roll, because they were the best.

But I think I get the gist of what you're trying to tell me. You're saying that Bob Dylan is the John Philip Sousa of the 60s and 70s, right? (Coincidentally, Sousa is at the tail end of the period were I consider the song's writer relevant.)

Also, yeah, it's Buddy Holly. I always feel a little guilty about liking the The Day the Music Died so much. I think that one song is better than the sum total of everything Buddy Holly could have produced for the rest of his natural life. Which is to say I think his greatest contribution to music is tragically dying at 22. That's a pretty awful thing to say to someone, and while Buddy's too dead to care, I still feel bad about it.

[General Havoc]

I'm sorry, Lys, but that's flat out wrong. Dylan was considered, then and later, the soul of the 60s, by largely everyone present. Part of that was because he was on stage, constantly. He can't sing for shit, but that has never stopped him from trying, nor has it stopped people from going to see him, because his songs were that good. He's been on what's called the "Neverending tour" since 1988, and has played twenty-five hundred shows since it began. And this long after his period of greatest influence. He toured constantly in the sixties, and in every decade since, and has released thirty-five albums since he began, the most recent one last year. I would wager that for every minute the Beatles spent on stage, Dylan has spent an hour.

Moreover, even if Dylan had never sung a note or played a tune, he would still be the defining figure of the 60s. To argue otherwise simply because he wrote songs is like claiming that Shakespeare was irrelevant because he wasn't playing the starring role in his plays. The man produced eight times as much music as the vaunted Beatles, and John Lennon called him the most influential songwriter of the 20th century. His songs were the anthems of a decade, and literally everyone in the counterculture movement knew that they were his. When he switched from writing and performing acoustic music to electric guitar material, folk fans burned him in effigy in Grenwitch Village. Rolling Stone magazine called his "Like a Rolling Stone" (no relation) the greatest rock & roll song of all time back when they compiled their list in 2004. When remade the list in 2011, they did it again. Time Magazine placed him on their list of the hundred most influential people of the 20th century, and compared him in their announcement to Mozart, Picasso, Shakespeare, and Frank Lloyd Wright. When a poll was circulated among major figures in music, asking who was the most influential person in the 60s (musically speaking), the list of people who cited Dylan included all four Beatles, Pete Townsend, Neil Young, David Bowie, Tom Waits, and in later editions of the poll, Bruce Springsteen and Syd Barret. Tens of millions of people saw him perform in the 60s, and tens of millions more listened to his music. He was more than huge, he was omnipresent. Even the Beatles were singing his songs.

I grant it's certainly possible to not know who the man is, or to dislike his work (I dislike a fair amount of his work). That's fine. But I'm not sitting here trying to argue that some obscure figure nobody's ever heard of was actually the best singer/songwriter ever. Bob Dylan was as big as the Beatles, as big as the Stones, as big as anyone could have been in the 1960s. He wrote half the songs that are now associated specifically with that decade, and people knew it. Dylan was the Beethoven of the 1960s, the face of the decade, perhaps alongside the Beatles themselves, but certainly not behind them or anyone else. His importance and profile within the 60s is beyond question.

[Lys]

Dylan was the Beethoven of the 1960s, the face of the decade, perhaps alongside the Beatles themselves, but certainly not behind them or anyone else. His importance and profile within the 60s is beyond question.

The comparison to Beethoven was exactly what sprang to mind about half way down your post. That clarifies matters quite a bit.

It's still curious I didn't know him though. I took a College level course on the 60s at ISU in Terra Haute (during a High School summer, highlight of the trip was awkwardly crushing on straight girls who were straight), and I was at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland a couple of years ago. If what you say it's true, you'd think I would have learned something substantial about him in either place. The class where I learned the meaning of "The Day the Music Died", and I learned other stuff, mostly political, but if he was mentioned it was barely. The Hall of Fame of all places should have a damned room dedicated to the guy, but if they did I walked right past it. I cannot recall him being mentioned anywhere there at all.

Though, "Like a Rolling Stone", best rock song ever? Fuck you Rolling Stone magazine. It's a damned good song, really and it is, I like it a lot. I like it when Bob Dylan does it (turns out it's him), and I like it when Jimmi Hendrix does it, and I like it when other people do it. But if there's a line dividing blues from rock, "Like a Rolling Stone" is snuggled up right next to it. Calling it the best rock song ever is like saying that rock actually sucks and the blues is where it's at, which is a fine opinion to hold but not when declaring the best rock song ever.

[General Havoc]

Though, "Like a Rolling Stone", best rock song ever? Fuck you Rolling Stone magazine. It's a damned good song, really and it is, I like it a lot. I like it when Bob Dylan does it (turns out it's him), and I like it when Jimmi Hendrix does it, and I like it when other people do it. But if there's a line dividing blues from rock, "Like a Rolling Stone" is snuggled up right next to it. Calling it the best rock song ever is like saying that rock actually sucks and the blues is where it's at, which is a fine opinion to hold but not when declaring the best rock song ever.

On this we agree completely. I like "Like a Rolling Stone", but it's not even Bob Dylan's best song, let alone Rock & Roll's, and as you pointed out, it's not really, by any definition, a rock song. There are those who simply refer to anything from the 60s-80s that wasn't some other obvious genre like country or gospel "rock", but I would anticipate that Rolling Stone Magazine would not be stupid enough to be among them.

Dylan's best song, in my mind, is "The Times are a Changin'". And as to the best rock song ever... well I'll get back to you when the project is complete.

[Lys]

I wouldn't know what the best rock song ever is, I have trouble enough deciding what my favourite colour is, but I do know that the honour of the most meta of rock songs goes to Billy Joel. You'll mention that same song if you get as far as 1980.

[General Havoc]

1964
Yearly GPA: 1.673


We made it, guys. We made it to the 60s proper. The British Invasion kicked off at the start of this year and changed music forever. For the first time, you're going to start to hear a range of quality throughout the year, with bad songs alternating with good ones, and more importantly with songs you can actually distinguish between, unlike the five years that preceded it. Even with the 60s sound still raw and unfinished (the apogee will need to wait a few years), note the sudden uptick in the Yearly GPA.


Bobby Vinton - There, I've Said it Again
Number 1 song from January 4th-31st, 1964 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Languid crooner bullshit. Utter drivel. This is not the last we'll hear of Vinton, but it is the last we'll see of the endless supply of dreck and crap that we've suffered through for five long years, because...



The Beatles - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Number 1 song from February 1st-March 20th, 1964 (7 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
THE BEATLES HAVE COME!!!

Honestly, this is a middling Beatles song at best, but I damn near gave it an A just for annihilating every stupid piece of late-50s shit from the radio airwaves. 50s shit will re-appear, of course, but only in dribs and drabs and fitting in between the cracks of the greater music that surrounds it. Never again will it dominate our lives. FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY! I AM FREE AT LAST!

Seriously, put aside the fact that the song is nothing but a stupid, airheaded brit-pop song. Listen to it again. Listen to the harmonies, the chords, the general sound of the thing relative to everything else we've heard. This was a light-year ahead of everyone else, and it struck the charts with the power of a thunderbolt from Jupiter. We jaded millennials can look back on the song and regard it as insubstantial only because we live in the wake of its landing. This song changed everything, even if nobody knew it yet.



The Beatles - She Loves You
Number 1 song from March 21st-April 3rd, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
That's not to say that everything's peaches and cream from here on out though. Even the Beatles can suck when they put their minds to it, and this is proof positive. This song was the one that catapulted the Beatles into the spotlight in Britain originally, and based on it, they're very lucky it was a particularly fallow time for music. This one's just oppressively loud and obnoxious to my modern ears, unpolished and unworthy of the legacy it created.



The Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
Number 1 song from April 4th-May 8th, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
This, on the other hand, is more like it. Can't Buy Me Love is one of the stronger early Beatles songs, not their best, but a sign of just what they were capable of. Fun facts, when this song hit number one, the Beatles held all five of the top five spots on the Billboard hot 100 chart, including this, the two songs above, and two others that never made number 1. They had 14 overall on the top 100 list. No other band has ever replicated this feat.



Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly
Number 1 song from May 9th-15th, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
In this, his biggest ever hit, it's hard to get around the fact that Louis Armstrong couldn't sing. There are occasions when this matters and ones where it does not, but this is one of the former.



Mary Welles - My Guy
Number 1 song from May 16th-29th, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Borderline, but frankly this song just isn't that interesting, Motown soul or not.



The Beatles - Love Me Do
Number 1 song from May 30th-June 5th, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
Sounds like a Sesame Street ripoff. Nowhere near the Beatles' best, but then they were still forming up.



The Dixie Cups - Chapel of Love
Number 1 song from June 6th-26th, 1964 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
I did promise you that the crap 50s incipitness would still occur in dribs and drabs, didn't I?



Peter & Gordon - A World Without Love
Number 1 song from June 27th-July 3rd, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
I originally dismissed this as one of the first Beatles ripoffs, until I discovered that this was written by Paul McCartney as a favor for his girlfriend's brother. It's not godawful, but very boring, and lacks the Beatles' musicianship.



The Beach Boys - I Get Around
Number 1 song from July 4th-17th, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
A stupid, bubbly pop song, but just listen to those choral harmonies. The Beach Boys were miracle-workers in terms of putting sound together, even if the majority of their songs were simply stupid surf-ditties. It's impossible to dismiss them, no matter how stupid the subject matter gets.



The Four Seasons - Rag Doll
Number 1 song from July 18th-31st, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: B
Believe me, I'm as surprised as any of you. Vallie tones the falsetto down a notch or two this time, and the harmonies far superior to anything they'd put out before. It's just a well-orchestrated, well-sung song, the last thing I'd have expected from the Four Seasons.



The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
Number 1 song from August 1st-14th, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
I'm sort of ambivalent on this one. It's not a tremendously interesting song, but the Beatles once again perform it exceptionally well. Its popularity was such that it was used as the wake-up music on the Space Shuttle.



Dean Martin - Everybody Loves Somebody
Number 1 song from August 15th-21st, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
Languid garbage. Martin's reputation forced this one through by sheer force. The story is that Martin recorded in order to knock his son's "pallies" (The Beatles) off the charts. Congratulations.



The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go?
Number 1 song from August 22nd-September 4th, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
I'm not a big Supremes fan, but this song is okay, I suppose. A bit down-tempo and low-energy (the backup singers sound like they're on Prozac), but decently-well constructed.



The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
Number 1 song from September 5th-25th, 1964 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
Rock, meet the charts. Charts, meet rock. The Animals' cover of this ancient English-Southern ballad completely reshaped what was possible musically. Bob Dylan is supposed to have gotten into a car wreck upon hearing this song for the first time, so shocking and thunderous did he find it. Time has not softened it one bit in my mind.

The British Invasion spawned many things, many of them excellent, and the credit for leading the charge tends to go to the Beatles and Rolling Stones. But there's a very good case to cite the Animals up there, as the progenitors of what would eventually become Hard Rock, and from there, Metal. Stick with us, ladies and gentlemen, and you'll hear it coming.



Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman
Number 1 song from September 26th-October 16th, 1964 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Probably Roy Orbison's greatest hit, this one isn't my favorite by any stretch, but it's a very solid song, extremely tightly-crafted, with one of the most distinctive bass lines in the 60s. Not for nothing was Orbison so highly-regarded by his peers.



Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy
Number 1 song from October 17th-30th, 1964 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: B
Shut up. This is one of the catchiest songs ever recorded. If I have to put up with all the rest of this crap, I get to like the occasional stupid song too.



The Supremes - Baby Love
Number 1 song from October 31st-November 27th, 1964 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
The Supremes had twelve number one hits over the course of their career, including all five of their first five released singles, and almost all of them sound just like this one. This song was literally written to sound as close to the previous one as possible so as to cash in on the popularity of Where did our Love Go. In this I suppose it was successful, but the Supremes, in consequence, just sound like the same damn thing over and over again to me.



The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack
Number 1 song from November 28th-December 4th, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
I'm not fond of Teenage tragedy songs, but the music here is actually decent, and the callback style doesn't get as annoying as some I could mention. Legend has it that the sound of the motorcycle on this track was provided by a studio assistant riding his motorcycle into the recording studio and revving the engine.



Lorne Greene - Ringo
Number 1 song from December 5th-11th, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
What do you make of this thing? A morose-little John Ford-inspired number, released (I'm not making this up) to capitalize on the fact that the song shared a name with Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr. I'm just not fond of these western-recitations I guess.



Bobby Vinton - Mr. Lonely
Number 1 song from December 12th-18th, 1964 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
Linkin Park, the 1964 edition. :)

I kid, I kid. This song was actually written while Vinton was in the army, pining to return to the States, and has a very genuine feel to it, despite the extremely mopey subject matter. The reason goth-weepy songs are ridiculed is because they clumsily attempt to relate their experience to the "WORST THING EVAR", whereas this one avoids histrionics in favor of simple sorrow. For all the absurdities regarding crawling in one's skin, one must always remember that there is a place in music for pain and misery. And sometimes that results in greatness.



The Supremes - Come See About Me
Number 1 song from December 19th-25th, 1964, January 16th-22nd, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Borderline in the extreme, but I gave this one a pass because there's nothing specific I can point to that's wrong about it. It's nothing great, but it's probably about as good as the Supremes ever got.



The Beatles - I Feel Fine
Number 1 song from December 26th, 1964-January 15th, 1965 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
If you listen carefully to this song, you can hear what the Beatles will eventually become. But there's not enough of that to salvage this song.






Supplemental Songs

Improvement though 1964 was, there were, as always, songs left undeservedly off the top of the charts:


The Drifters - Under the Boardwalk
1964 Billboard Top 100 position: 20


Havoc's Grade: B
The Drifters' original lead singer, Rudy Lewis, died of a heroin overdose the night before they were set to record this song. Johnny Moore was desperately brought in to replace him for the recording session, to excellent effect. This is one of the better examples of early 60s Soul.



The Beatles - Twist and Shout
1964 Billboard Top 100 position: 40


Havoc's Grade: B
This might be my favorite early Beatles song, recorded by John Lennon in the midst of a terrible cold, and one which nearly destroyed his voice. This was only kept out of the number 1 spot by another Beatles song, but it deserved it over all the rest of their work this year.

[General Havoc]

I wouldn't know what the best rock song ever is, I have trouble enough deciding what my favourite colour is, but I do know that the honour of the most meta of rock songs goes to Billy Joel. You'll mention that same song if you get as far as 1980.

You think that's the most meta Joel song? Clearly you haven't heard this one.

[Lys]

You think that's the most meta Joel song? Clearly you haven't heard this one.

I have, but I consider "It's still Rock 'n Roll to me" the most meta of rock songs because it remains true to this day, and it's relevant to my life. Whenever an argument about modern music genres starts up, and believe me that those can get as heated as they are inane, that's usually my response: It's all rock to me. Because much of the time, the argument's about something that sprang from rock. Except when it's techno/electronic/trance or whatever sub-genre of it, then I just say it's all disco to me. Why? Because those spawn the worst arguments, and calling it all disco pisses them off. Seriously, I do not want to hear about how your stupid underground band nobody's ever heard of used to have the best Breakcore, but now they suck because they're starting to go Hardstyle. I don't care, it's all fucking disco.

[Lys]

We made it, guys. We made it to the 60s proper. The British Invasion kicked off at the start of this year and changed music forever. For the first time, you're going to start to hear a range of quality throughout the year, with bad songs alternating with good ones, and more importantly with songs you can actually distinguish between, unlike the five years that preceded it. Even with the 60s sound still raw and unfinished (the apogee will need to wait a few years), note the sudden uptick in the Yearly GPA.

The Beatles - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Number 1 song from February 1st-March 20th, 1964 (7 weeks)
Havoc's Grade: C
THE BEATLES HAVE COME!!!

Honestly, this is a middling Beatles song at best, but I damn near gave it an A just for annihilating every stupid piece of late-50s shit from the radio airwaves. 50s shit will re-appear, of course, but only in dribs and drabs and fitting in between the cracks of the greater music that surrounds it. Never again will it dominate our lives. FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY! I AM FREE AT LAST!

Seriously, put aside the fact that the song is nothing but a stupid, airheaded brit-pop song. Listen to it again. Listen to the harmonies, the chords, the general sound of the thing relative to everything else we've heard. This was a light-year ahead of everyone else, and it struck the charts with the power of a thunderbolt from Jupiter. We jaded millennials can look back on the song and regard it as insubstantial only because we live in the wake of its landing. This song changed everything, even if nobody knew it yet.

And here's where me and Havoc disagree again, because I see "I Want to Hold Your Hand" as a natural evolution of what came before. Nothing in music is revolutionary, it's evolutionary, people just like to see it as revolutions because once a new sound clicks everyone jumps on the bandwagon, and those who don't get left behind. Which sound like a revolution, except the new sound isn't all that different. I don't consider it a light year ahead of everyone else, I consider it someone figuring out how to tweak it so that it worked better.

There was cultural momentum building up behind this. We're in 1964 but the Beach Boys had already been doing what you see there since 1961. It just didn't hit the top of the charts, because it was new stuff kids in California listened to, it wasn't mainstream yet. It was similar for the Beatles until 1962 when they finally hit it big in Britain, and their kind of music, along with that of others, had already been leaking across the pond. What you see at the top of the charts from 1958-63 is basically the left over momentum from the first rock 'n roll boom that started around 1950. People liked that stuff, so they kept buying stuff that sounded like it, even if it was starting to get stale.

So there was undeniably a slump around 1960, but it's not because people stopped innovating music, or because nothing new was coming up. The new stuff was there all along, brewing and building itself up. It didn't just come out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning, it just needed time to come into its own, to get wide acceptance and hit the mainstream. And it did so not because it was some sort of totally new breed of music, it happened because it took the stuff that was "this sounds nice" and turned into something that was "this sounds great!". Definitely an improvement, but by no means a jump to light speed.

[General Havoc]

And here's where me and Havoc disagree again, because I see "I Want to Hold Your Hand" as a natural evolution of what came before. Nothing in music is revolutionary, it's evolutionary, people just like to see it as revolutions because once a new sound clicks everyone jumps on the bandwagon, and those who don't get left behind. Which sound like a revolution, except the new sound isn't all that different. I don't consider it a light year ahead of everyone else, I consider it someone figuring out how to tweak it so that it worked better.

There was cultural momentum building up behind this. We're in 1964 but the Beach Boys had already been doing what you see there since 1961. It just didn't hit the top of the charts, because it was new stuff kids in California listened to, it wasn't mainstream yet. It was similar for the Beatles until 1962 when they finally hit it big in Britain, and their kind of music, along with that of others, had already been leaking across the pond. What you see at the top of the charts from 1958-63 is basically the left over momentum from the first rock 'n roll boom that started around 1950. People liked that stuff, so they kept buying stuff that sounded like it, even if it was starting to get stale.

So there was undeniably a slump around 1960, but it's not because people stopped innovating music, or because nothing new was coming up. The new stuff was there all along, brewing and building itself up. It didn't just come out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning, it just needed time to come into its own, to get wide acceptance and hit the mainstream. And it did so not because it was some sort of totally new breed of music, it happened because it took the stuff that was "this sounds nice" and turned into something that was "this sounds great!". Definitely an improvement, but by no means a jump to light speed.

At risk of sitting here and repeating the painfully obvious, of course the Beatles came from somewhere, as all bands do. We can all sit here and go through the obscure influences that this band and that one had, but that wasn't even close to what I was saying. We are examining the charts here, the number one hits, the songs that were actually popular in their day and the bands that produced them. What I was talking about was the manner in which, from the perspective of the general tastes of the public, the Beatles represented an overnight shift. They obviously did not spring forth from Mars, or Zeus' head, or any other damn place fully formed. Antecedents can be found for them as much as any other band. But none of those antecedents were popular enough to make waves on radio or in singles sales, not until the Beatles and their ilk invaded in the beginning of 1964. THAT was the point I was making, and if you're going to disagree with me, please disagree with me on that.

When I say that the Beatles are light years ahead of everyone else, I mean everyone else on the charts, not everyone else who ever lived. The charts showed an instantaneous and immediate shift away from the music of 1951-53 as soon as the Beatles landed on the scene, and even though a song like I Wanna Hold Your Hand is not even close to their best, it is, structurally and musically, a completely different beast from everything else you saw at number 1. The seismic impact of the Beatles arrival in the mainstream is impossible to understate, they don't call it Beatlemania and the British Invasion for no reason. The song absolutely changed everything insofar as the popular music landscape in the United States was concerned. Irrespective of the fact that it quite naturally sprang forth thanks to an evolution from the Beatles' influences. I'm not sure I'd describe the earliest Beach Boys as being similar, but I'm not familiar enough with their work to speak on the subject with authority.

What I am familiar enough to speak on is what immediately preceded the Beatles on the charts. It's all above this post to see, and to claim that the Beatles work was merely a "tweaking" of the stuff that was hitting number 1 in the fall of 1963 is to be insane. The Beatles evolved from other bands who themselves were nothing like the popular music of 1963, and like other bands would do later on, their advent brought an entirely new style of music into vogue, one which had existed before of course, but not been graced with popular acclaim. If you wish to discuss the influences of the Beatles, please do so, but I am talking about their presence on the airwaves relative to the things that they displaced, and the difference could not be more stark to my ears.

My point was not that music failed to innovate in 1961 or 1963. My point was that the most popular music failed to innovate in that period. Such innovation as was ongoing was not making it into the mainstream, not to the extent that the dregs of the 50s were. As far as the charts are concerned, the Beatles did indeed come out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning. Nobody except that relatively small group of people familiar with the Beatles' influences (or the Beatles themselves before they made it big) had ever heard anything like the Beatles. And it's a bit rich to claim that a band who showed up and proceeded to take over the top 100 charts in a way nobody has done before or since was "no big deal".

I am not claiming that the Beatles emerged ex nihilo. I am however claiming that to someone watching only the charts, it would certainly have looked that way. The charts tend to change gradually over time, something we'll see in the years to come, but the Beatles (and a couple others we'll get to) are the exception. They changed the face of popular music almost literally overnight. That which came before them ceased to appear in the charts except for the occasional throwback hit. And they, their imitators, and the ones they inspired would proceed to hold the charts hostage for the better part of a decade.

[General Havoc]

1965
Yearly GPA: 1.634



With the British Invasion now well and truly in place, and Vietnam heating up, we are ready for what we remember as the 60s proper. This year continues the momentum from 1964, not only by producing high quality hits, but also by generally elevating the overall level of even the non-masterpieces that the charts produced. Not for nothing are the mid-60s regarded as one of the greatest eras in music.



Petula Clark - Downtown
Number 1 song from January 23rd-February 5th, 1965 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
It's like a low-rent version of the Mary Tyler Moore theme. Useless.



The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Loving Feeling
Number 1 song from February 6th-19th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: B
Bill Medley is one of the most underrated singers of all time. His hits were few, but his singing unique in its richness. This, the Righteous Brothers' biggest hit, one of the very first beneficiaries of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" system, is not actually my favorite song of theirs, but is certainly one of the best of the year.



Gary Lewis & The Playboys - This Diamond Ring
Number 1 song from February 20th-March 5th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Welcome to one of the first third-rate Beatles ripoffs to appear on the charts. It was inevitable that the Beatles would start to attract copycats, but these guys compound their chord plagiarism with being terrible singers, making it paradoxically quite difficult to hear the theft. The only good things to be cited are the backing instrumentals, played by the legendary Hollywood session band The Wrecking Crew, enablers of cheap hacks for three decades. Rock on, guys.



The Temptations - My Girl
Number 1 song from March 6th-12th, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
Classic Motown, with one of the most iconic openings of the 60s. It's not a personal favorite, but it's sung very well by lead singer David Ruffin. Just never really caught me.



The Beatles - Eight Days a Week
Number 1 song from March 13th-26th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Probably the first Beatles hit that deserved to be one on its own terms, instead of simply being so different from its surroundings.



The Supremes - Stop in the Name of Love
Number 1 song from March 27th-April 9th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Well-crafted, albeit without being particularly interesting. This probably showcases Diana Ross at her best, for whatever that's worth.



Freddie & The Dreamers - I'm Telling You Now
Number 1 song from April 10th-23rd, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
There is no excuse at this stage in the game for a Beatles ripoff this bad. That said, even if you watch nothing else that I post, you owe it to yourselves to watch this video. I'm so glad I found it.



Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders - Game of Love
Number 1 song from April 24th-30th, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
Not a piece whose lyrics have aged all that well, in fact I'm rather surprised the Tea Party hasn't picked up on it. But ignoring unintentional modern implications, this is an unremarkable mid-sixties piece from a band I know nothing whatsoever about.



Herman's Hermits - Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter
Number 1 song from May 1st-21st, 1965 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: F
What the hell was THAT? I took this for ukulele music when I first heard it, and can anyone blame me? It sounds like amateur hour at the Wallabanga Talent Contest.



The Beatles - Ticket to Ride
Number 1 song from May 22nd-28th, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
Consider this a very strong C. Ticket to Ride is one of the Beatles' first songs in which you can hear the eastern influence starting to creep in, particularly the droning guitar. Extremely well-orchestrated by Lennon and McCartney.



The Beach Boys - Help Me Rhonda
Number 1 song from May 29th-June 11th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Not one of the Beach Boys' best. Not even close. But then given the absurd background in which it was made, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This was the song that Murray Wilson (father of the Beach Boys) stormed into the recording session of while drunk and got into a screaming argument with Brian, culminating in clubbing him in the head with a 2x4. I think we'll forgive the Beach Boys for this one, given that.



The Supremes - Back in My Arms Again
Number 1 song from June 12th-18th, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
A shameless rippoff of The Isley Brothers' 'This Old Heart of Mine'. I know the Supremes were not the pinnacle of innovation, but ripping their own label off takes some balls.



The Four Tops - Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
Number 1 song from June 19th-25th, July 3rd-9th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
This might be the perfect Motown song. Soulful singing, extremely tight musicianship, an instantly distinctive bass line, and a great, energetic beat supplemented by what sounds like an entire gospel choir in the other room. Stupid title or not, this one of the best songs to come out of Motown.



The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Number 1 song from June 26th-July 2nd, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
I respect this song more than I like it. The Byrds more or less invented Folk Rock with this song, blending the Animals and the Beatles together into a type of sound that would dominate the mid-late 60s. This was also the first cover of a Bob Dylan song to hit number 1, reputedly with his blessing. Acts as varied as the Doors, Sonny & Cher, and Simon & Garfunkle. I think the song is only decent, but we will be hearing the impact it had for years to come.



The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
Number 1 song from July 10th-August 6th, 1965 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
One of the first memorable guitar riffs begins the song that made the Rolling Stones into one of the Great Bands. Someone described the late 60s to me once as the Stones and Beatles trying to outdo one another while everyone else walked in their path. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but Satisfaction was one of the first indications to hit the charts that there were British Invasion bands besides the Beatles with staying power and serious chops.



Herman's Hermits - I'm Henry VIII, I am
Number 1 song from August 7th-13th, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
WARNING: LOSS OF CREDIBILITY DETECTED!
A day will come when I will learn how it was that Herman's Hermits became popular. Probably about the same time I understand the true nature of Cthulhu and go insane (I'm not entirely convinced the two subjects aren't connected). This was, when it came out, the fastest-selling single in history. And if I'm being absolutely, blatantly, horrifyingly honest with myself... I... kinda like it. I don't know what it is, the song is manifestly and imbicilically stupid, and yet the melody is catchy as hell, and the stupid terrible cockney non-singing, seems to fit it. Maybe the 50s managed to addle my brain after all.



Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe
Number 1 song from August 14th-September 3rd, 1965 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Most songs improve on being heard for the first time in years. This meandering, off-tune ballad did not. Groundhog Day's use of this song to represent being trapped in a boring Hell for all eternity was appropriate.



The Beatles - Help
Number 1 song from September 4th-24th, 1965 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Supposedly an autobiographical song from Lennon, Help begins to showcase the Beatles competition with one another and with the Stones. Consider this a strong C.



Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction
Number 1 song from September 25th-October 1st, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: B
One of the first major protest songs to hit it big, and one of the only ones to wind up on top of the charts, this song has remained a staple of general misanthropy ever since. It's an exceptional song, especially for the time, raw and unfiltered, and remains powerful to this day.



The McCoys - Hang on Sloopy
Number 1 song from October 2nd-8th, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
Yes, that's the correct title, and no, I have no idea why it was called that. The origins of this song are apparently a complete mystery, as nobody seems to know who actually wrote it, only that it wound up in the hands of producer Wes Ferrel, who sold the rights to the band that would become the McCoys. That's about as much thought as I want to put into this third-rate ripoff of early Beatles crap. Ohio State's marching band can keep this one.



Paul McCartney - Yesterday
Number 1 song from October 9th-November 5th, 1965 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
I know this was credited to the Beatles, but this was McCartney's song from beginning to end and credit goes where it's due here. Yesterday is an extremely influential song, with excellent chords and melody, but one that's too slow for my tastes, and frankly doesn't amount to much in sum or lyrically. Objectively a better song than most I've given a C to, it's just not to my taste.



The Rolling Stones - Get Off of my Cloud
Number 1 song from November 6th-19th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
The Stones always did have a tendency to ramble aimlessly. This time they did so to the Louie Louie riff I guess.



The Supremes - I Hear a Symphony
Number 1 song from November 20th-December 3rd, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Meanders on and on, but this one of the more musically complex numbers that the Supremes ever released, and the singing is top quality. I can't hate on it.



The Byrds - Turn Turn Turn
Number 1 song from December 4th-24th, 1965 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
A masterpiece. Rich and melodious and distinctive and tremendously influential. Remember how the Byrds invented Folk Rock a few months ago? This might well be its apogee.



The Dave Clark Five - Over and Over
Number 1 song from December 25th-31st, 1965 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
Sounds like a skipping CD, one not worth fixing.






Supplemental Songs

Even decent years manage to leave off obvious classics, and this one is no exception:


The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
1965 Billboard Top 100 position: 21


Havoc's Grade: B
Originally written for an obscure 1955 prison film, the Righteous Brothers took artistic possession of this song with Bobby Hatfield's superlative rendition. Despite being covered by literally hundreds of other artists, this is the definitive version of the songs, emotive and rich and symphonic, a perfect example of Blue-eyed Soul.



The Four Tops - The Same Old Song
1965 Billboard Top 100 position: 83


Havoc's Grade: B
Yes, I'm well aware of the great irony that the Same Old Song, really is the same old song (Can't Help Myself) with the chord progression reversed. I don't care. The Four Tops were one of the finest bands of Motown's history, and Levi Stubbs brings no less soul and heart to this song than he did its predecessor.

[frigidmagi]

I would have given Eve of Destruction a C honestly. Which it doesn't deserve such a low grade but the lyrics and subject matter make me roll my eyes. Like I do at a number of modern predictions about how we're done and it's all down hill and blah blah blah. The music itself is great and McGuire has a very pleasant voice for me.

I would have never heard of you lost that loving feeling if not for Top Gun.

I fully agree with giving Turn, Turn, Turn an A. I even like the Bible verse it's based on, it's something I try to keep mind.

I can't say I had strong feelings abut any of the other songs.

I await Lys' response to Havoc in her role as leader of the Loyal Opposition eagerly of course.

[General Havoc]

I agree that the subject matter of Eve of Destruction is eyeroll worthy, but you have to gauge it in the context of the times, post-Cuban Missile Crisis, as Vietnam was heating up, with the Red Scare in the background and the Cultural Revolution in the foreground. It was the first of its kind, really, or at least the first to make a major dent on the charts, and the song just came from nowhere. I had to bump it to a B.

[Lys]

I await Lys' response to Havoc in her role as leader of the Loyal Opposition eagerly of course.

I've not been well this past few days, but I'll try. First though, I barely commented on 1964 so I'll point out one song in particular at this time.

The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack

I hate this song. I can't quite put my finger on the why, but it makes me feel all queasy and upset inside. One of my area supermarkets occasionally plays a version with all the motorcycle sounds edited out. It's so much worse for denying me those brief respites from the actual song, and when it comes on I can do nothing but shiver and hope it ends soon.


Moving on to 1965

The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Loving Feeling

I don't think Bill Medley is that underrated. At the very least this song still gets quite a bit of play and appreciation to this day. It's a definitely a real classic, a song that goes beyond ageing gracefully for it has a certain timeless quality to it. Might not be your favourite song of theirs, but unless I'm forgetting something it is mine.

The Temptations - My Girl
The Four Tops - Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)

I have pretty much the reverse opinion of yours with respect to these two songs. Can't Help Myself is classic Motown but it just never caught me. Whereas My Girl is to me not just the pinnacle of Motown, but the very definition of the genre.

Freddie & The Dreamers - I'm Telling You Now.

I don't get it, what's so special about the video? I suppose it's the silly dancing and the lead singer's impressive leaping abilities, but I don't understand why you'd want to call attention to that.

Herman's Hermits - Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter

If Havoc hates this song more than I do, it's because he listened to it the whole way through. I quit after one minute. I tried to give it a second chance just now, but noped out of there as soon as the screeching singing started.

The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love
The Supremes - Back in My Arms Again
The Supremes - I Hear a Symphony

Heh, you're definitely not a Supremes fan. I wouldn't really describe myself as a Supremes fan either, but I do rather like them. I think of them as what music around 1960 would have sounded like if it had actually been good. Which, yes, means they're not very innovative but that's what I find charming. It's like they take the stuff that made the late 50s rock slump and they do it right, lifting it up from the mire of mediocrity it had been drowning in. Also I have a weakness for female singers in general.

Herman's Hermits - I'm Henry VIII, I am

Yes, the word "imbecilic" is precisely the one I would use to describe this. I couldn't stand to listen to it, which is my personal definition of an failing grade.

The McCoys - Hang on Sloopy

If it weren't for the Byrds this would be the best song of 1965, followed by the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction, and then the Beatles' Help.

It's got all the hallmarks of a nice and cheery song that's pleasant to listen to but otherwise unremarkable. Instead the energy of it is such that I was dancing in my seat within seconds of it starting. The theme that dominates the song is fairly straightforward and somewhat repetitive, but it's so upbeat and fun that I just don't get tired of it. That theme is fleshed out by singing that's just the right mix of playful and emotional, plus easy and fun to sing along with, and the whole thing is punctuated by truly excellent - if short - guitar solos. The entire composition carries tremendous energy with it and it just works so well that I would point to it as one of those songs the repeat button was invented for. In fact, I put a better quality version of it in Infinite Looper for over three hours.

If Hang on Sloopy is a rip-off of the Beatles -and I would debate that - it's better than the stuff it's ripping off. The early Beatles were good, but they weren't great, they didn't have that je ne se quoi that makes a song more than just a song. I mean, sure it was their early music that made them famous and defined Beatlemania, but fuck it that doesn't make a thing great. No, the Beatles don't clear the threshold of greatness until they release Revolver in 1966. There are many things that make a great song, and Hang on Sloopy isn't most of them, it doesn't even try to be. It's not particularly high minded or complex, it doesn't tug at your heartstrings or send shivers down your spine, but it makes me want to get up and dance and that is quite enough for me.

The Dave Clark Five - Over and Over

I swear I'm listening to a 50s song there... and turns out that yes I am. I think Grease copied the DC5's "ah-uum" thing for one of their songs too. Or maybe they just played it and I only remember the opening. I don't really like it, but it sounds familiar and that keeps me from hating it. I almost want to hate it though, because listening to Over and Over before Eve of Destruction tainted the latter. I might have enjoyed Eve a lot better if I had gone through the songs in order rather than haphazardly.

Upsiditus7 on YouTube offers an insightful take on it, "This sound is really just so-so. IMO, the reason this song got released is because Barry McGuire had a big hit earlier in the year with 'Eve of Destruction'. Then a group called the Spokesman had small hit with 'Dawn of Correction'. Both of these records used the phrase 'Over&Over' repeatedly. DC was in it for the money, and he certainly did collect."

The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!

Song of the year. It has an absolutely beautiful, dreamy quality to it, almost ephemeral. It should be all rights lend itself well to infinite repeat, yet for some reason it doesn't, and somehow that just makes it more beautiful. Pity it didn't stay at the top of the charts longer, it deserved it. Maybe everyone else felt the same as I did, in that they loved it but just couldn't listen to it endlessly.

[General Havoc]

I've not been well this past few days, but I'll try. First though, I barely commented on 1964 so I'll point out one song in particular at this time.

Very sorry to hear that, Lys. Hope you're feeling better.

The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack
I hate this song. I can't quite put my finger on the why, but it makes me feel all queasy and upset inside. One of my area supermarkets occasionally plays a version with all the motorcycle sounds edited out. It's so much worse for denying me those brief respites from the actual song, and when it comes on I can do nothing but shiver and hope it ends soon.

I'm no great fan of the song, but I will confess to puzzlement, as there's nothing to it that I can detect that's any different from a hundred other songs from the ten previous years. Save perhaps the somewhat odd musical arrangement underlying the verses. It sounds rather like three different bands are trying to play the accompaniment slightly out of sync with one another.

The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Loving Feeling
I don't think Bill Medley is that underrated. At the very least this song still gets quite a bit of play and appreciation to this day. It's a definitely a real classic, a song that goes beyond ageing gracefully for it has a certain timeless quality to it. Might not be your favourite song of theirs, but unless I'm forgetting something it is mine.

If I call Bill Medley underrated, it's a measure of my respect for the Righteous Brothers, who are today remembered only as that band which sang a good song or two once. I regard Medley as one of the finest Baritone singers of the late 20th century, and he never received the level of recognition that I felt he deserved.

As to this song, it is excellent beyond question, but my personal favorite of the Righteous Brothers' work is coming up in 1966.

The Temptations - My Girl
The Four Tops - Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
I have pretty much the reverse opinion of yours with respect to these two songs. Can't Help Myself is classic Motown but it just never caught me. Whereas My Girl is to me not just the pinnacle of Motown, but the very definition of the genre.

To me, Motown probably never got better than the Four Tops. My Girl is a tremendous classic, with an excellent opening riff, but it may simply be that Can't Help Myself is more upbeat in terms of tempo, something I always am happy to see. I regard My Girl as a simple song sung pretty well, but Can't Help Myself, despite the dumber title and subject matter, is more musically complicated and interesting, at least from where I sit.

Freddie & The Dreamers - I'm Telling You Now.
I don't get it, what's so special about the video? I suppose it's the silly dancing and the lead singer's impressive leaping abilities, but I don't understand why you'd want to call attention to that.

This video, to my mind, speaks for itself, if nothing else as proof that getting on stage and looking like a complete idiot was not invented by Miley Cyrus. I did a spit-take when Freddie and his Dreamers started doing high kicks in the middle of a bad Beatles ripoff.

Herman's Hermits - Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter
If Havoc hates this song more than I do, it's because he listened to it the whole way through. I quit after one minute. I tried to give it a second chance just now, but noped out of there as soon as the screeching singing started.

Believe me, nobody can blame you for failing to complete this horrid, wretched song. Most songs whose status as a number 1 hit I question are properly explained simply by changing tastes in older times, but this is one of those that utterly mystifies me. Forget liking it, how did people tolerate this song in its day?

The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love
The Supremes - Back in My Arms Again
The Supremes - I Hear a Symphony
Heh, you're definitely not a Supremes fan. I wouldn't really describe myself as a Supremes fan either, but I do rather like them. I think of them as what music around 1960 would have sounded like if it had actually been good. Which, yes, means they're not very innovative but that's what I find charming. It's like they take the stuff that made the late 50s rock slump and they do it right, lifting it up from the mire of mediocrity it had been drowning in. Also I have a weakness for female singers in general.

Yeah, it's pretty fair to say that I'm no Supremes fan. Not that I hate them, I just regard them as too cloying for my tastes, and their music all sounds the same to me. I agree that they do sort of sound like a 50s band with actual talent, trading authenticity and innovation for competence and technical expertise. As to female singers, I also enjoy them, but I prefer ones who inject passion into their music. Give me Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Marie Fredriksson, Annie Lenox, Leona Lewis, even Fergie when she's not trying to be as annoying as humanly possible. But not Diana Ross.

Herman's Hermits - I'm Henry VIII, I am
Yes, the word "imbecilic" is precisely the one I would use to describe this. I couldn't stand to listen to it, which is my personal definition of an failing grade.

I can't possibly defend Herman's Hermits, one of the most inexplicably popular bands of the decade. All I can say in my own defense is that I listened to a hundred and fifty + 50s songs before coming to this point, and so it's possible that this one managed to ingratiate itself into my brain via some dark alchemy. Don't judge me!

The McCoys - Hang on Sloopy
If it weren't for the Byrds this would be the best song of 1965, followed by the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction, and then the Beatles' Help.

It's got all the hallmarks of a nice and cheery song that's pleasant to listen to but otherwise unremarkable. Instead the energy of it is such that I was dancing in my seat within seconds of it starting. The theme that dominates the song is fairly straightforward and somewhat repetitive, but it's so upbeat and fun that I just don't get tired of it. That theme is fleshed out by singing that's just the right mix of playful and emotional, plus easy and fun to sing along with, and the whole thing is punctuated by truly excellent - if short - guitar solos. The entire composition carries tremendous energy with it and it just works so well that I would point to it as one of those songs the repeat button was invented for. In fact, I put a better quality version of it in Infinite Looper for over three hours.

If Hang on Sloopy is a rip-off of the Beatles -and I would debate that - it's better than the stuff it's ripping off. The early Beatles were good, but they weren't great, they didn't have that je ne se quoi that makes a song more than just a song. I mean, sure it was their early music that made them famous and defined Beatlemania, but fuck it that doesn't make a thing great. No, the Beatles don't clear the threshold of greatness until they release Revolver in 1966. There are many things that make a great song, and Hang on Sloopy isn't most of them, it doesn't even try to be. It's not particularly high minded or complex, it doesn't tug at your heartstrings or send shivers down your spine, but it makes me want to get up and dance and that is quite enough for me.

... especially when you turn around and call this thing the best of the year. I question at this point if we were listening to the same song. If I squint my ears, I can see where Hang on Sloopy could be described as playful, but not emotional, not at all. The guitar solos are generic, the theme is boring, and the reason it repeats so well is because there's nothing to distinguish the beginning of the song from the end of it. I'm well aware that given enough determination to do so, one may dance to anything, even random car noises in the street, but how one contrives to do so to this completely eludes me.

It's true that the Beatles would not truly become great until Revolver (some would argue until Sgt. Pepper's), but their less-than-great material is still considerably more listenable and admirable than this song. In my mind, this is the very definition of a boring, generic ripoff, one I never intend to listen to again.

The Dave Clark Five - Over and Over
I swear I'm listening to a 50s song there... and turns out that yes I am. I think Grease copied the DC5's "ah-uum" thing for one of their songs too. Or maybe they just played it and I only remember the opening. I don't really like it, but it sounds familiar and that keeps me from hating it. I almost want to hate it though, because listening to Over and Over before Eve of Destruction tainted the latter. I might have enjoyed Eve a lot better if I had gone through the songs in order rather than haphazardly.

Upsiditus7 on YouTube offers an insightful take on it, "This sound is really just so-so. IMO, the reason this song got released is because Barry McGuire had a big hit earlier in the year with 'Eve of Destruction'. Then a group called the Spokesman had small hit with 'Dawn of Correction'. Both of these records used the phrase 'Over&Over' repeatedly. DC was in it for the money, and he certainly did collect."

Huh. You know, I never made the correlation between this thing and Eve of Destruction. Two songs more different tonally from one another you would be unlikely to find in 1965, and yet I think you may be right. At the same time, the broken cadence and faux-50s dressing on this song is enough to poison me against it with or without Barry McGuire's assistance. Still, a fascinating little tidbit concerning a song I knew almost nothing about.

The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Song of the year. It has an absolutely beautiful, dreamy quality to it, almost ephemeral. It should be all rights lend itself well to infinite repeat, yet for some reason it doesn't, and somehow that just makes it more beautiful. Pity it didn't stay at the top of the charts longer, it deserved it. Maybe everyone else felt the same as I did, in that they loved it but just couldn't listen to it endlessly.

I find it repeats itself very well, but then I'm weird. That said, Turn Turn Turn is indeed my pick for song of the year as well. Not only has it stood the test of time, it emerged as one of the pinnacles of the genre, an ephemeral piece of folk rock that served as a symbol for the entire decade. It did indeed deserve to remain at the top of the charts for longer, but then every good song does, and no terrible one can leave them quickly enough.

[Lys]

... especially when you turn around and call this thing the best of the year. I question at this point if we were listening to the same song. If I squint my ears, I can see where Hang on Sloopy could be described as playful, but not emotional, not at all. The guitar solos are generic, the theme is boring, and the reason it repeats so well is because there's nothing to distinguish the beginning of the song from the end of it. I'm well aware that given enough determination to do so, one may dance to anything, even random car noises in the street, but how one contrives to do so to this completely eludes me. In my mind, this is the very definition of a boring, generic ripoff, one I never intend to listen to again.

Hey, I called it the second best song of the year! Which was wholly unwarranted because it's not the second best song of the year, it's my second favourite song of the year, which is not the same thing. I just took a shine to it pretty much instantly and it rapidly grew into an intense and obsessive attachment that lead to me listening to it for hours. It really isn't that good a song, I just happened to inexplicably like it beyond all reason on that particular day. I could have said that to begin with, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I meant every word I said about it at the time I said it. I don't think it will ever feel quite like it did that first day, so I probably won't listen to Hang on Sloopy again either, it would only lead to increasing disappointment. Better to remember it for the several hours during which it truly was the best thing ever!

[Lys]

I'm no great fan of the song, but I will confess to puzzlement, as there's nothing to it that I can detect that's any different from a hundred other songs from the ten previous years. Save perhaps the somewhat odd musical arrangement underlying the verses. It sounds rather like three different bands are trying to play the accompaniment slightly out of sync with one another.

It might be disharmonious accompaniment that just rubs me the wrong way and makes me uncomfortable. The lyrics don't exactly help. Like I said, I can't really put my finger on what it is that makes me hate it so much, but I can't stand it.

If I call Bill Medley underrated, it's a measure of my respect for the Righteous Brothers, who are today remembered only as that band which sang a good song or two once. I regard Medley as one of the finest Baritone singers of the late 20th century, and he never received the level of recognition that I felt he deserved.

Admittedly my preferred male singing voice is the tenor, though I can like a deep rumbling bass as well. The baritone is stuck in this middle ground of being neither soft nor strong enough to really grab me. Plus a lot of baritones have this gravely-sort of tone that kind of grates on me. Luis Armstrong being the go-to example of just that.

Give me Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Marie Fredriksson, Annie Lenox, Leona Lewis, even Fergie when she's not trying to be as annoying as humanly possible. But not Diana Ross.

Tarja Turunen FTW

[General Havoc]

Hey, I called it the second best song of the year! Which was wholly unwarranted because it's not the second best song of the year, it's my second favourite song of the year, which is not the same thing. I just took a shine to it pretty much instantly and it rapidly grew into an intense and obsessive attachment that lead to me listening to it for hours. It really isn't that good a song, I just happened to inexplicably like it beyond all reason on that particular day. I could have said that to begin with, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I meant every word I said about it at the time I said it. I don't think it will ever feel quite like it did that first day, so I probably won't listen to Hang on Sloopy again either, it would only lead to increasing disappointment. Better to remember it for the several hours during which it truly was the best thing ever!

Music is truly a personal matter then. I can't even begin to see what might appeal from a song like this. It's not even bad enough for me to properly despise. But then clearly somebody liked it, as it made the top of the charts...

It might be disharmonious accompaniment that just rubs me the wrong way and makes me uncomfortable. The lyrics don't exactly help. Like I said, I can't really put my finger on what it is that makes me hate it so much, but I can't stand it.

Yeah, there is a sort of weird echo effect underlying the whole thing now that I listen to it again. I took it to be a poor quality recording, but it's there in the LP version. Maybe it's some kind of subconscious rejection of that undertone.

Admittedly my preferred male singing voice is the tenor, though I can like a deep rumbling bass as well. The baritone is stuck in this middle ground of being neither soft nor strong enough to really grab me. Plus a lot of baritones have this gravely-sort of tone that kind of grates on me. Luis Armstrong being the go-to example of just that.

Bill Medley could grate his voice like nobody else, and never received the recognition that many of his contemporaries did. He had to perform for most of his career in Missouri after all.

[General Havoc]

1966
Yearly GPA: 1.981



Arguments over which year was the greatest in music history abound, and no consensus is possible, even in theory, but all those who seriously consider the subject have to consider 1966 as one of the short list of candidates for the title. '66 was the heart of the 60s, the year when all of the work and innovation of the two previous years finally bloomed into full flower. No longer were the Beatles the only ones carrying the torch, for 1966 saw all manner of legendary bands either make their first appearance or reveal the full extent of their talents and powers. There's an even chance that when you think of a fondly-remembered 60s classic, it comes from 1966, and while there was still much more to go in the 60s movement, and plenty of room on the charts this year for the usual crop of dross, this was when the 60s became something truly special, and when Pop music as most of us understand it came into its own.



Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence
Number 1 song from January 1st-7th, 22nd-28th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
Welcome to 1966.

Sound of Silence, believe it or not, is an argument in favor of record company meddling. The original acoustic ballad from 1964 was popular enough in the acoustic folk circles, but not a mega-hit contender. Columbia Records, without even informing the duo, remixed it with electric guitar and drums, and produced one of the biggest hits of the decade, one which catapulted Simon & Garfunkel to stardom and kicked off the most productive musical era (arguably) in history. Some purists prefer the acoustic version (I don't), but the remastered Sound of Silence was a tremendous song, one of the most widely-performed to this day. Poetic, lyrical, and deeply moving, it is one of the greatest (though not the greatest) works that the finest singing duo of the 20th century ever produced.



The Beatles - We Can Work it Out
Number 1 song from January 8th-21st, January 29th-February 4th, 1966 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
An excellent example of The Beatles' more mature work from the later 60s, this is one of the purest examples of the famous Lennon-McCartney collaboration, one which began at this point to produce fewer, but arguably more important hits as time would go on. I regard this one as decent, not great, with seams between the Lennon and McCartney elements that are too obvious.



Petula Clark - My Love
Number 1 song from February 5th-18th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Raffi's singalong time probably got some decent mileage out of this one. An utterly forgettable rocked-up love song, the precursor to the Olivia Newton-Johns of the world. So generic that the studio literally hired an intern to add some lyrics to an established music sequence at the last minute.



Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes
Number 1 song from February 19th-25th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
Screeching inanities. Useless.



Nancy Sinatra - These Boots are Made for Walkin'
Number 1 song from February 26th-March 4th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
Supposedly, Lee Hazleman told Nancy Sinatra to sing this song "Like a 16-year-old who fucks truck drivers". Wonderful sentiment aside, this is a weird song, a minor chord-laden fake-country piece that inexplicably became ridiculously popular among troops in Vietnam. I can't say I hear the appeal.



SSgt Barry Sadler - Ballad of the Green Berets
Number 1 song from March 5th-April 8th, 1966 (5 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
It's difficult to be objective about this song, politically charged as it remains today, but if I'm being brutally honest, I really can't hate it. Yes, it's patriotic enough to make John Wayne vomit, and yes, it would soon sound quite anachronistic once the public turned hard against the Vietnam War, but the song is simply well-made, with a gradual, patient build, an excellent backing chorus, and strong singing by Sgt. Sadler. Covers by Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton are probably better, but as patriotic songs go, there are far worse to pick on. I'll also mention that this song has been taken and repurposed by countries as diverse as Switzerland, Holland, Croatia, Zimbabwe, Italy and Sweden, always with a few obvious lyrical changes, to commemorate their own respective special forces units.



The Righteous Brothers - Soul & Inspiration
Number 1 song from April 9th-29th, 1966 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
This is my favorite Righteous Brothers performance, sufficient to cement them as one of the finest singing duos of all time. Some find the song a bit overwrought, but I think their efforts to replicate Spector's Wall of Sound work brilliantly, and go a long way to making this song what it is.



The Young Rascals - Good Lovin'
Number 1 song from April 30th-May 6th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
Believe me, you've heard this song before. A cover of an R&B hit from the previous year, this song is sort of the anti-Rock song, in that it's a white soul, garage band song written and performed originally by a white songwriter, covered and made popular by black singers, in a time when rock was generally regarded as the reverse. It's a decent song, upbeat and peppy, but a bit empty for my tastes.



The Mamas and the Papas - Monday, Monday
Number 1 song from May 7th-27th, 1966 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
I went back and forth fifty times on this one as to what grade to give it, but ultimately, this song is as good as the Mamas and the Papas, or for that matter any of their imitators, ever got. A strange folk-harmony whose subject matter isn't entirely obvious on first listen, this song bears multiple listens, moreso I think than their other famous hit, California Dreamin'. The song simply has a wonderful sound to it, and while it does sort of just peter out, the underlying sound and harmony is so strong that I can't find it in me to complain. A classic of the sixties, without question.



Percy Sledge - When a Man Loves a Woman
Number 1 song from May 28th-June 10th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: B
I use this song as a counterpoint to people who like to dismiss a piece of music as being "nothing but a four-chord song". Musically, this song is nothing special, but Sledge's singing is so packed with soul as to render the music almost irrelevant. It's not a song I listen to tremendously often, but I reflect anew on its qualities whenever I hear it.



The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black
Number 1 song from June 11th-24th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: A
Jagger wrote this song about the funeral of a girl he had known, and Keith Richards put it to the famous sitar riff that it now bears. Paint it Black is not my favorite Stones song (we'll meet that one in a couple years), but it's probably their best in an objective sense (insofar as such things are possible). Instantly catchy, with that wonderful slightly-off-kilter sound that the Stones made their trademark. Their contribution to an excellent year.



The Beatles - Paperback Writer
Number 1 song from June 25th-July 1st, July 9th-15th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
And here's the Beatles contribution. Supposedly this song came about when McCartney's aunt challenged him to write a song that wasn't about love. Perhaps he should have stuck to what he was good at. It has a strong bass line, but the song is discordant, disjointed howling, unworthy of the Beatles.



Frank Sinatra - Strangers in the Night
Number 1 song from July 2nd-8th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
It's hard to look back on this one with fresh eyes, as it's been used as a punch line for so long. But doing my best, I'm afraid the sole conclusion I can come to is that Frank Sinatra, suave and cool as he was, simply couldn't sing very well, and did not belong on the pop charts at all. The song was reviled by critics and musicians when it first came out, and probably its harshest critic was none other than legendary singer Frank Sinatra, who called it "the worst fucking song I have ever heard". While I certainly won't go that far (I listened to all of 1963, for god's sake), I can't disagree with the central conceit.



Tommy James & the Shondelles - Hanky Panky
Number 1 song from July 16th-29th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
I apologize for the poor quality of the recording for this one. I literally could not find another, as apparently THIS is the song the internet forgot, at least this version of it. I also apologize for the image. You do not want to know what came up on my image search for this one.

Take it from me though, I've listened to the full studio version. It's badly mixed, badly sung, badly written, badly arranged, badly out of date for 1966, and badly in need of a blender.



The Troggs - Wild Thing
Number 1 song from July 30th-August 12th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
There is a supposition that the Troggs intentionally mis-tuned their instruments for this song to confound those who would seek to cover it. Either way, I've never understood its appeal. The song is bare-bones basic, the singing, while unusual, isn't particularly good, and the song just sort of meanders along. Not for me.



The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer in the City
Number 1 song from August 13th-September 2nd, 1966 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
A series of very strong chords does not a good song make, but they certainly help. Summer in the city is a song that sounds considerably angrier than I think it was meant to be. The song originated as a poem submitted to some literary magazine by one of the band members, and transformed into a strange, folk-rockish thing that I can never quite decide if I like or not.



Donovan - Sunshine Superman
Number 1 song from September 3rd-9th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
It takes more than a casual reference to Superman and Green Lantern to get me to buy in, I'm afraid. This song is meandering and stupid.



The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love
Number 1 song from September 10th-23rd, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
I admit, this is better than the typical Supremes fare, more complex and musically interesting, but I stand by my general opinion of the Supremes as being a shallow band that took no risks and produced nothing revolutionary.



The Association - Cherish
Number 1 song from September 24th-October 14th, 1966 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
I actually thought my subconscious had made this song up as a false memory from childhood. Painfully boring, it should have stayed imaginary.



The Four Tops - Reach Out (I'll Be There)
Number 1 song from October 15th-28th, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Decent song construction I suppose, but way too disjointed for my taste. I do like the Four Tops, but only when they're actually singing.



? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears
Number 1 song from October 29th-November 4th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
Arguably the first garage band to hit number 1, this is a strange little song, but with a decent organ riff and very minimalist singing. I don't love it, but it's interesting enough to be worth a listen.



The Monkees - Last Train to Clarkesville
Number 1 song from November 5th-11th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
The Monkees were a strange cultural phenomenon, even by the standards of the day, a fake band created for a TV show about a wannabe Beatles knockoff group who eventually wound up becoming a real, successful, Beatles knockoff group. Last Train to Clarkesville might as well be an early Beatles song, for all the jangly chord structure, and like many early Beatles songs, it's simply not very good. That said, in defense of the Monkees, it's no worse than any other "legitimate" Beatles imitator on the charts in the mid-60s, and they would, somehow, manage to get better.



Johnny Rivers - Poor Side of Town
Number 1 song from November 12th-18th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: F
Believe it or not, Johnny Rivers was a talented songwriter, not that this song provides any evidence for that. I've heard this song described as Rivers' "Soul phase", which sounds to me like someone doesn't know the meaning of certain words. This easy listening crap belongs on the adult contemporary lists and away from me, as it's so painfully boring I struggled to get through the first ten seconds.



The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On
Number 1 song from November 19th-December 2nd, 1966 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
The fact that Lamont Dozier took the guitar riff from this song from a morse code broadcast he heard on a shortwave radio one night is the only interesting thing I can think of to say about this song. The song is described as "proto-funk" by some. I suppose I can hear it. But this song is simply a mess, boring and rambling, many of the worst habits of the Supremes condensed together.



The New Vaudville Band - Winchester Cathedral
Number 1 song from December 3rd-9th, 17th-30th, 1966 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Say hello to the 1966 Grammy Award winner for best Rock & Roll recording. No, that's not a typo, they gave this song the award over everything else you see here, despite the fact that Winchester Cathedral isn't a rock & roll song. I should flunk the damn thing for that alone. But while it's not quite as awful as a number of songs I've heard, it is still garbage. The best I can say for it is that the melody sounds like it could find re-purposing on Schoolhouse Rock. The Grammy Awards have been bullshit since their inception, we all know this, but this may be the most absurd award in the history of awardgiving, at least up until Vladimir Putin won China's alternative Nobel peace prize.



The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Number 1 song from December 10th-16th, 1966 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: B
Good Vibrations is one of the most astonishing pieces of music ever produced, the crowning jewel of Brian Wilson's immense talents as a musician and producer. He pulled all the stops out for this one, employing everything from cellos to electro-theramins, mixing and re-mixing dozens of different tracks of recording together, replaying and enhancing this or that one via technical trickery to prove his theory of the recording studio as an instrument in and of itself. Seventeen recording sessions at four different studios over a year and a half resulted in a piece of music that nobody knew what to do with. Derek Taylor called it a "pocket symphony".

I don't adore Good Vibrations, but I respect the hell out of it. Brian Wilson was one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century, worthy of inclusion in the pantheon of Beethoven and Wagner, albeit in a different medium. There is a case to be made that Good Vibrations, while not my favorite Beach Boys track, is his finest work.



The Monkees - I'm a Believer
Number 1 song from December 31st, 1966-February 17th, 1967 (7 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Yes, it squeaked into the year by one single day, and did almost all of its work in 1967, but I'm a Believer still counts, at least for the last week of the year. An extremely peppy song, I think I prefer this version over Smash Mouth's (not the last time I'll say that). The Monkees' version is lower key, less bubblegum at least in singing style, seems a bit more genuine. Nothing amazing, of course, but like I said, the Monkees were nowhere near the joke they were made out to be, perfectly qualified to stand beside the other bands of their era, though not in the stratosphere of the year's greats.






Supplemental Songs

Unsurprisingly, one of the best years in music history produced too many great songs to fit on the charts. Behold what was left behind:


Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man
1965 Billboard Top 100 position: 53


Havoc's Grade: B
Oh shut up, this song is awesome.

Remember how I mentioned above that Johnny Rivers, despite all evidence at the moment, was talented? Here's an example of how. Written as a theme for the British series Danger Man, I think of this song as the upbeat counterpart to Bond's theme. Though very 60s, it's a wonderfully cheesy and evocative little theme, and why this one wound up languishing while the other hit number 1 is beyond me.



Simon & Garfunkle - Homeward Bound
1965 Billboard Top 100 position: 56


Havoc's Grade: B
Paul Simon wrote this song in a railway station in the middle of the night, far from his destination. It's a beautiful little folk ballad, evocative and emotional, as is most of S&G's work.



The Beach Boys - Sloop John B
1965 Billboard Top 100 position: 61


Havoc's Grade: A
THIS is my favorite Beach Boys song, an adaptation of a traditional West Indies sea chanty about an infamous turn-of-the-century schooner, transformed by Brian Wilson's magical music-alchemy into a completed song in 24 hours. Sporting the Beach Boys' signiature perfect harmonies alongside a wonderful four-chord-based structure, Sloop John B isn't the most complex or technically challenging piece the Beach Boys ever produced, but in my mind, it is their strongest work.



Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought the Law
1965 Billboard Top 100 position: 95


Havoc's Grade: A
I recognize it was an uncommonly strong year, but there's no excuse for leaving this one to languish. I fought the law might be the quintessential Vietnam-era anthem, and has not aged a bit. Some prefer the Clash version from 1979, but I think the original is second to none, of the defining rock songs of the 60s. Sadly, this would be the first and only hit for Bobby Fuller, who would commit suicide by asphyxiation six months later at the age of 23.



Other noted songs from 1966 (not endorsements, just other songs I happened upon from this year):
The Capitals - Cool Jerk
Simon & Garfunkle - I am a Rock
Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Cher - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot me Down)
The Surfaris - Wipe Out
The Beach Boys - Barbara Ann
The Beatles - Yellow Submarine

[LadyTevar]

I believe that "Danger Man" did not hit the top *Because* it was a TV theme. Very few TV themes have been seen as "serious music" or received enough radio airplay to become hits. Look at the Monkees, with their theme "Hey we're the Monkees". Popular, but little airplay and no chart-rise because you could hear it every week on the show.
There are a couple songs in the 80's that went from TV theme to chart-hopping, but we're not there yet. Still, this is why "Poor Side of Town" beat the far superior "Danger Man" to the top of the charts imho.


"Paint It Black" is a song that became an anti-War anthem as well, and you're right, it's damn catchy and even *I* figured out the sitar riff (it's also the only riff I really can play on guitar). Driving drum, the odd harmonic of the sitar, and the subject matter should have made this the hit of the year.

[General Havoc]

1967
Yearly GPA: 1.615



Some drop off after a year like 1966 was probably inevitable, but frankly I'm surprised the GPA came out as high as it did. 1967 was not a classic year of music, as all the acts that couldn't hack it the year before simply waited until the buzz of '66 had died back and then made their move. Frankly, half the reason the year rates as highly as it does is because the previous year's singles continued to top the charts until mid-February. Dig in, ladies and gentlemen, this one's not gonna be fun...


The Buckinghams - Kind of a Drag
Number 1 song from February 18th-March 3rd, 1967 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Boring, esoteric crap, without enough strangeness to make it interesting, or song quality to make it worth listening to. Not for nothing are the Buckinghams forgotten today.



The Rolling Stones - Ruby Tuesday
Number 1 song from March 4th-10th, 1967 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
So shocking and revolutionary that they named a restaurant chain after it. Seriously, I don't get the popularity of this one. Mick Jagger's tendency to be off key hurts way more than it helps this time round, and the song is simply monotonous. Supposedly it's about a groupie that Keith Richards knew, but if I was her, I wouldn't be speaking up either.



The Supremes - Love is Here and Now You're Gone
Number 1 song from March 11th-17th, 1967 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: F
Woebegone warbling nonsense, and worse yet, completely disjoined as a song. It would be bad enough if the song itself were simply bad, but it appears to need side-explanations as to what's going on every forty-five seconds. Terrible, even by Supremes standards.



The Beatles - Penny Lane
Number 1 song from March 18th-24th, 1967 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
I wouldn't call this the best Beatles song ever, but it's simply a nice, soothing song. I've no complaints.



The Turtles - Happy Together
Number 1 song from March 25th-April 18th, 1967 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
This song starts out with a very strong, vaguely disturbing vibe, one entirely torpedoed by the upbeat chorus. It's unfortunate, but the song is still quite strong, well-crafted, and the pinnacle of the Turtles' work. And in fairness, efforts to bring the disturbing element to the forefront in covers of this song have had mixed results.



Somethin' Stupid - Frank & Nancy Sinatra
Number 1 song from April 15th-May 12th 18th, 1967 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Nancy Sinatra reports that some people call this "the incest song", which is literally the only interesting thing about it. This song is the only father-daughter song to ever hit number 1, thank god. I'll give you my opinion on it once I wake up.



The Supremes - The Happening
Number 1 song from May 13th-19th 18th, 1967 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
PICK A KEY FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!



The Young Rascals - Groovin'
Number 1 song from May 20th-June 2nd, June 17th-30th, 1967 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Yeah, I know it's a classic, I'm sorry. This song is boring. Just flat out boring.



Aretha Franklin - Respect
Number 1 song from June 3rd-16th, 1967 (2 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
Another classic song I'm just not that fond of. I can't call this either boring or bad, but it just doesn't do anything for me.



The Association - Windy
Number 1 song from July 1st-28th, 1967 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Cloying, saccharine crap. This dominated an entire month?



The Doors - Light my Fire
Number 1 song from July 29th-August 18th, 1967 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Meandering stoner-warbling, which is to say a typical Doors song.



The Beatles - All You Need is Love
Number 1 song from August 19th-25th, 1967 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: D
One of the most forgettable songs the Beatles ever produced. This was actually played live as the first worldwide broadcast in history. What a way to inaugurate such a thing...



Bobby Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe
Number 1 song from August 26th-September 17th, 1967 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
A strange little acoustic ditty about the banality of suicide. Actually not half-bad. This was apparently so popular that it was turned into a movie, though how that worked, I'm not sure.



The Box Tops - The Letter
Number 1 song from September 23rd-October 20th, 1967 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: C
This is not the voice I would have expected from the above picture. But frankly this song's not bad, with a strong bass line and singing that's interesting at the least.



Lulu & The Mindbenders - To Sir With Love
Number 1 song from October 21st-November 24th, 1967 (5 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
Lulu could have been any chaste white female singer from 1931 to 1986. And this movie-theme could have been their headlining single. Absolutely nothing distinctive about it, much like the film it was the theme to.



Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense & Peppermints
Number 1 song from November 25th-December 1st, 1967 (1 week)


Havoc's Grade: C
One of the premier psychedelic themes of the late sixties. I can't claim to be a giant fan, but the sound is distinct and interesting, and the vocals strong enough to make it worth the occasional listen. Fun fact, after going through the entire band trying to decide who should sing the lead vocals, the band wound up grabbing random passersby off the street who looked like they might have an interesting voice, and inviting them in to record. One such passerby wound up the singer.



The Monkees - Daydream Believer
Number 1 song from December 2nd-29th, 1967 (4 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: B
Oh shut up. I don't want to hear anything about this grade. As I said before, The Monkees, despite being a wholly artificial band, were in my mind an actually legitimate addition to the ranks of mid-late sixties bands. This song, probably the best they ever made, was originally supposed to be for the Kingston Trio (we met them all the way back at the beginning of this project). I really like this song, and will defend its qualities to those who don't. In fact, I'm prepared to declare this one the best of the year, based solely on the number 1 hits of course. It's not like anyone else is clamoring for the title...



The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye
Number 1 song from December 30th-January 19th, 1967 (3 weeks)


Havoc's Grade: D
At this point I doubt that anyone actually believes me when I say I like the Beatles, but this song, yet again, is from their "monotonous repetition" period. The song just drones on endlessly, like some demented version of a kids' song. I have no use for it whatsoever, and the only thing that keeps it from the dreaded F rating, is a somewhat interesting extended coda.






Supplemental Songs

The lackluster list above managed to keep the following songs off the charts:


Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl
1967 Billboard Top 100 position: 35


Havoc's Grade: B
My apologies, I could not find a studio version of this song no matter where I looked, and the only version that actually had Morrison singing it was this drunken slurfest. Take it from me, however, this is one of the classic songs of the late 60s, and probably my favorite Morisson song.

EDIT: Hotfoot managed to find the actual studio version somehow! It has been spliced in.



Scott McKenzie - San Francisco
1967 Billboard Top 100 position: 48


Havoc's Grade: B
I trust I do not need to explain this song's presence?

No seriously, this is probably the single most iconic song of the 60s counterculture, emblematic of an entire movement. An excellent, atmospheric song, home-town sentiment notwithstanding.



Jackie Wilson - Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher
1967 Billboard Top 100 position: 53


Havoc's Grade: B
This actually isn't my favorite version of this song (that would be the 1977 Rita Coolige version), but it's got a wonderful soul-gospel energy to it, and despite the rather stupid-sounding backing vocals, Wilson absolutely slays on this song. I love it.



Other noted songs from 1967:
Frankie Vallie - Can't Take my Eyes off You
Sam & Dave - Soul Man
Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love
Tommy James & The Shondelles - I Think We're Alone Now
Neil Diamond - Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon
Marvin Gaye - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Johnny Rivers - Baby I Need Your Lovin'
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit

[frigidmagi]

I couldn't listen to a full minute of Ruby Tuesday... It was just sooooo bland. Why? Groovin was pretty much the same but I could finish that.

I like the Letter and Brown Eye Girl.

[Lys]

You didn't mention Eleanor Rigby for 1966. How could you not mention Eleanor Rigby? Neither it nor Yellow Submarine topped the charts, but they're easily the best two songs in Revolver, and frankly Eleanor Rigby is by far the more notable of the two because of how different it was not just from other stuff the Beatles had done, but from everything that everyone else was doing. Granted they didn't make a movie out of Eleanor Rigby, but it's in the movie, and it's still the better song.

Incidentally, my favourite Beatles' album is the Yellow Submarine soundtrack. In fact, that movie was my real introduction to the Beatles. I add the "real" qualifier because when I was little my father would sing Beatles' songs translated into Spanish to me and my sister as bedtime lullabies. Which is, in fact, why I impulsively chose to rent the movie on sight: Yellow Submarine was one of those songs.

I still say Eleanor Rigby is more worthy of mention.