1960’s Songs of Our Lives
Rock and Soul Literature class, week four
First, anyone deciding to parse 1960’s music into only fifteen hit songs to listen to and rank from best to not-so-best should have their head examined. So I examined mine and found that other than a few brainlocked obsessions, I’m pretty fine, though not in that Chiffons “He’s So Fine” way.
I like to see how my class of twenty-somethings, and one or two nineteen-somethings, respond to songs I grew up with, though in this case a couple of these songs were hits when I was only four or five, and so growing up is really hard to do when songs that should make a difference are instrumentally elusive, and searching means helping your mother find her car keys. I hope this will clear up for you soon.
Taking a break from our study of Questlove’s Music Is History, this week my class got to listen to the following fifteen songs, take notes on them, and then deliver their rankings. And then, when we discussed them, I asked them to reveal only their #15, #8, and #1 songs, so that we could all get a better idea of what worked, what really didn’t, and what fell in that range of Maybe Baby I’ll love you if nothing better comes along.
So, here are the songs in the order I played them, and yes, I know that I left out songs by The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and The Archies (got to see who’s awake). I was trying to represent the variety of songs that popped for pop lovers and also a few that probably never did, but did for me.
I also know that I didn’t select your favorite Beatles’ song either, and that Creedence Clearwater deserved a better fate.
And before I start, I almost included these: “Lay Lady Lay,” “Magic Carpet Ride,” “I Got You Babe,” “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Incense and Peppermints,” and “Ode to Billie Joe.” Not including that last one particularly hurts and so while I list the others, consider me locked into yet another obsession about my behavior and motivation and whether or not Bobbie Gentry will ever forgive me (You don’t own me).
Ready?
- “All I Really Want to Do,” The Byrds.
- “The Letter,” The Box Tops.
- “Eight Days a Week,” The Beatles (see…)
- “Wouldn’t It be Nice,” The Beach Boys.
- “Chain of Fools,” Aretha Franklin.
- “The Rain, the Park, and Other Things,” The Cowsills.
- “Walking in the Rain,” The Ronettes.
- “Everyday People,” Sly and the Family Stone.
- “In and Out of Love,” The Supremes.
- “Badge,” Cream.
- “Walk, Don’t Run,” The Ventures.
- “Keep Searchin’ (We’ll Follow the Sun),” Del Shannon.
- “For What It’s Worth,” Buffalo Springfield.
- “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding.
- “When a Man Loves a Woman,’ Percy Sledge.
I’ll wait for the whispers and screams to die down.
Put together your own list, trying to represent the genres in and related to Rock and Soul music. I promise that just as soon as you think you’ve got the perfect list, something like “Crimson and Clover” will pop into your mind and you’ll immediately despair of all things sacred and holy, musically speaking of course.
I was curious, anxious, and certainly eager to hear what my students thought. Halfway through the listening, we paused and they all listed their number one song so far — that list included “Chain of Fools,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “The Letter,” and “Everyday People.”
No Byrds or Beatles.
I didn’t tell them the names of the bands until the end, and the only band/artists they new for sure were The Beach Boys and Otis Redding.
Of course, they knew who The Beatles were, but the ones who guessed that “Eight Days a Week” was by The Beatles were only two, and one of these was quite hesitant to say so in case she was wrong. I wonder who else she thought it could be?
The #15 song with the most votes as ending dead last in our rankings was…
“Walk, Don’t Run.”
My students don’t care for instrumentals, even surf-rock instrumentals.
As for #8, the leading vote-getter was…
“Walking in the Rain.”
Even the one student who adores The Ronettes didn’t think this song captured their best. I might agree, but we had listened to “Be My Baby” just a couple of classes before, so I had to throw the bias out.
And for #1.
Seven of the songs above made someone’s #1. Out of the eleven students in class, the song more chose as #1 was…
“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.”
Four students believed this one outranked all the others, due to its personal narrative, Otis’s voice, and the perfect blend of music to vocal style. No one mentioned the whistling.
The second most popular #1 song was…
“For What It’s Worth.”
Two students chose this one, and I have to admit to being surprised, but definitely pleased since Buffalo Springfield is in my upper pantheon of Rock acts. They loved the guitar, Steven Stills’ voice, and found the strangely somber tone engaging.
The others receiving one first place vote were “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (the same student who had it at #1 on the first round still considered it superior on the second); “The Rain, the Park, and Other Things” (a poppy love song turned into mystery really got the one student); “The Letter” (this student just preferred it to the rest because it sounded the most like modern rock); and “When a Man Loves a Woman” (which apparently is THE perfect wedding song, and who am I to argue?); and “Everyday People” (oh that rhythm!).
Most students did not like “Badge” or “All I Really Want to Do.” I didn’t try to persuade them because that’s not my role. When you ask people to respond to music, you need to honor what they say and prefer. Or at least stay quiet and listen to them and understand how much they love what they love.
Truly, if twenty year-olds still can hear Otis Redding and believe in him, we’ve got nothing to complain about. For a good long while, our world will go on spinning at 33 and 1/3.
More next week, and thanks for reading. All responses welcome!
Gratitude, as always, to The Riff for publishing.