With every five new songs there's always one or two where I go
"Yeah, that's one where I'm a biggest fan. Uh, no...OK, it was only my #28. Well, yeah I couldn't have put it ahead of those other great songs..."

Really surprised "In My Room" finished that low. I consider it one of the best Beach Boys song. Lots of great songs in this top 100 though so I can understand.

Duke of Earl gives me the creeps and I'll tell you why. It's right there with "In Dreams" because of Blue Velvet in the fact that everytime I hear the song I think about one certain thing. I was probably about 8 or 9 and my dad took me to a science fair. There was an exhibit that showed a map of Minnesota and showed what would happen to each city if an atomic bomb dropped in Minneapolis. Not so bad, but it also showed in terms of meat, how well done a person would be depending how close they were to the bomb. And Duke of Earl was playing on the speakers in the auditorium. So, every time I hear Duke of Earl, I think of that science fair project. I think the creepiest thing is that some kid had the idea for that project.

I was hoping for pictures of Lou Reed and the beloved John Cale

Nice job, these songs are my 1, 2, and 5 in the list I submitted. My 3 and 4 were the likely consensus favorites "God Only Knows" and "Like a Rolling Stone."


As for the results so far, the only surprise was my number 100 ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight") not appearing. I thought it was strange enough that song made the field to begin with, but there's no way it's better than, say, "The Loco-Motion."

I think I'll play the lottery this week.

Heeeyy !! Good news, it's coming back ? Que tal Honorio ? I was absent for a long time (busy + vacation)

Hi Nicolas, it's great to have you back!

90. The Shadows - Apache



Points: 507
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#31), Henrik (#35), Charlie Driggs (#39)
Position in AM 3000: #141 of the 1960s and #477 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #7
Style: Instrumental Rock
Written by Jerry Lordan
Recorded by The Shadows on June 17, 1960 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by Norrie Paramor
Released on July 1960 on Columbia Records on UK (Columbia 45-DB 4484) and on ABC-Paramount label on USA (ABC 10138)
Highest chart position: #1 on UK Singles Chart (not charted on the US)



Comments: Dave Thompson for allmusic: "The Shadows' third single, and the performance upon which their entire reputation - and much of their repertoire - would be based, "Apache" was a pulse-pounding rip through a Jerry Lordan instrumental, all twanging guitars and tribal rhythms, which took the U.K. chart by storm in early 1960."

You Tube link


89. Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Shakin' All Over



Points: 510
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#19), nicolas (#20), Miguel (#46)
Position in AM 3000: #330 of the 1960s and #1390 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #4
Style: Garage Rock
Written by Frederick Heath (aka Johnny Kidd)
Recorded by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates on May 13, 1960 at EMI Studios, London
Released on June 10, 1960 on His Master's Voice on UK (HMV 45-POP 753)
Highest chart position: #1 on UK Singles Chart (not charted on the US)



Comments: Bruce Eder for allmusic: " "Shakin' All Over" became the A-side of a number one single that became the first original rock song in England to achieve the status of an international rock standard. Driven by Caddy's guitar and a mournful, ominous lead vocal by Heath, the song topped the charts and completely astonished everybody who heard it that such a track could have come from an English rock & roll band."

Video link


88. Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling in Love



Points: 513
Biggest fans: Henry (#33), Chris K (#36), Miguel (#37)
Position in AM 3000: #378 of the 1960s and #1696 of all time
Position in 1961 poll: #9
Style: Pop
Written by Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti and George David Weiss
Recorded by Elvis Presley on March 23, 1961 at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California produced by Joseph Lilley
Released on October 1961 on RCA Victor label as the fifth song on "Blue Hawaii" album (RCA LSP-2426) and later as a single on November 20, 1961 (RCA 47-7968 )
Highest chart position: #1 on UK Singles Chart and #2 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Songfacts: "This was Elvis' most popular and famous "love song," but it was not sung to his love interest in "Blue Hawaii" - It was sung to his grandmother on the occasion of her birthday. Elvis presented her with a music box, which she opened and it played the song, which Elvis then sang along with."

You Tube link
You Tube link (movie version)


87. Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind



Points: 520
Biggest fans: Otisredding (#19), Nassim (#27), Chris (#36)
Position in AM 3000: #115 of the 1960s and #341 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #10
Style: Soul Jazz
Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell
Recorded by Ray Charles with orchestra an choir conducted by Ralph Burns on March 25, 1960 at Capitol Studios, New York City produced by Sid Feller
Released on September 1960 on ABC Paramount label (ABC-Paramount 10135)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Wikipedia: "On March 7, 1979, in a mutual symbol of reconciliation after conflict over civil rights issues, he (Ray Charles) performed it before the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature). After this performance, the connection to the state was firmly made, and then the Assembly adopted it as the state song on April 24."

You Tube link
You Tube link (live version)


86. Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova



Points: 525
Biggest fans: Charlie Driggs and Henrik (#22), Mindrocker (#28 )
Position in AM 3000: not listed
Position in 1962 poll: #9
Style: Big Band Bossa Nova
Written by Quincy Jones
Recorded by Quincy Jones and his Orchestra on September 13, 1962 at A&R Studios, New York City produced by Quincy Jones
Released on 1962 on Mercury label as the first song of "Big Band Bossa Nova" album (Mercury SR 60751)
Highest chart position: not charted



Comments: Scott Yanow for allmusic (about the album): "A byproduct of the bossa nova fad that followed the success of "Desafinado" (and preceded the famous recording "Getz/Gilberto"), this set finds Quincy Jones utilizing and exploiting bossa nova rhythms in his arrangements for a big band."

You Tube link
You Tube link (Austin Powers 2 intro)


85. John Barry Orchestra - The James Bond Theme



Points: 535
Biggest fans: Henrik (#10), Mindrocker (#22), Charlie Driggs (#44)
Position in AM 3000: #363 of the 1960s and #1606 of all time
Position in 1962 poll: #4
Style: Film Soundtrack
Written by John Barry and Monty Norman
Recorded by The John Barry Seven and Orchestra on June 21, 1962 at CTS Studios, London, England
Released on October 1962 on UK Columbia label (45-DB 4898 )
Highest chart position: #13 on UK Singles Chart (not released as a single on the US)



Comments: Wikipedia: "The song uses a surf rock style. At the time of the first film's release, surf rock was a recent craze (...) The guitar riff heard in the original recording of the theme was played by Vic Flick on a ParagonDeluxe guitar (...) He was paid a one-off fee of £6 for recording the famous James Bond Theme riff."

You Tube link


84. Patsy Cline - Crazy



Points: 535
Biggest fans: Henrik (#18 ), Romain (#30), Rocky Raccoon (#34)
Position in AM 3000: #60 of the 1960s and #147 of all time
Position in 1961 poll: #7
Style: Countrypolitan
Written by Willie Nelson
Recorded by Patsy Cline on August 21, 1961 at Bradley Film & Recording Studios, Nashville, Tennessee produced by Owen Bradley
Released on October 16, 1961 on Decca US label (Decca 31317)
Highest chart position: #9 on US Billboard Hot 100 (#2 on US Billboard Hot Country Singles)



Comments: Stephen Thomas Erlewine for allmusic: "A lazy, late-night ballad, the song really defies easy description. Nelson's music borrows equally from jazz, classic pop and country -- with country not being nearly as prevalent as the jazz and pop. In many ways, it is constructed like a classic pop song. (...) Cline's classy original hit single remains the standard by which any version of "Crazy" is judged. (...) She understood the song as intimately as Nelson himself, knowing what lines to emphasize and how to navigate its tricky transitions with grace."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1962 live version)


83. The Beatles - Please Please Me



Points: 537
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#20), Miguel (#35), Rocky Raccoon (#36)
Position in AM 3000: #255 of the 1960s and #1057 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #9
Style: Merseybeat
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on November 26, 1962 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Released on January 11, 1963 on Parlophone label (45-R 4983)
Highest chart position: #2 on UK Singles Chart (it was #1 on NME chart) and #3 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "Right from its very first bars, the song burst with a dynamism that was not just unheard of in British rock & roll, but had rarely been heard in rock music of any sort. After an ultra-catchy descending instrumental hook from John Lennon's harmonica, the group explodes into an exuberant, closely harmonized verse, like a rocked-up Everly Brothers. (...) The call and response between lead singer Lennon and the rest of the group raises the urgency yet further, resolved by the prototypically giddy ensemble harmonies as the singers deliver the title phrase. You can almost see the group shaking their moptops in euphoria at that point - a euphoria which is contagious."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1964 live version)


82. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight



Points: 538
Biggest fans: Miguel (#4), Chris (#40), Mindrocker (#43)
Position in AM 3000: #539 of the 1960s and #2575 of all time
Position in 1961 poll: #8
Style: Doo World
Written by Solomon Linda (Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti and George David Weiss added new English lyrics)
Recorded by The Tokens on July 21, 1961 at RCA Studios, New York City produced by Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti and George David Weiss
Released on November 1961 on RCA Victor label (RCA 47-7954)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Songfacts: "The Tokens (...) auditioned for producers Hugo and Luigi (Peretti and Creatore) by singing "Wimoweh" to them. Hugh and Luigi were impressed by the performance but decided that the song needed new lyrics. With help from George Weiss, Hugo and Luigi rewrote the song, giving it the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The Tokens thought this had been nothing more than an elaborate audition - "Who is gonna buy a song about a lion sleeping" was their general sentiment. They were so embarrassed with the new title and lyrics that they fought the release of the recording."

You Tube link


81. Henry Mancini - Moon River



Points: 554
Biggest fans: Honorio (#5), Chris K (#28 ), Miguel (#30)
Position in AM 3000: #151 of the 1960s and #549 of all time
Position in 1961 poll: #4
Style: Easy Listening
Written by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini
Recorded by Henry Mancini on December 8, 1960 at RCA Studios, Hollywood, California with orchestra conducted by Henry Mancini. I haven’t found information about the recording session of Audrey Hepburn's original (with Laurindo Almeida on guitar)
Released on October 9, 1961 on RCA Victor label (47-7916), the Audrey Hepburn's version was featured on the movie "Brekfast at Tiffany's" premiered on October 5, 1961 but was never released on record until 1993 (after Hepburn's death) on the album "Music From the Films of Audrey Hepburn"
Highest chart position: #11 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments:
Honorio: "An unrepeatable conjunction. Truman Capote as the novel writer. Blake Edwards as the efficient director. Givenchy as the history-making costume designer. Henry Mancini as the composer of a score straight to eternity. And, of course, Audrey Hepburn creating a pop icon of her Holly Golightly. And singing sitting on her windowsill (while George Peppard is peeping) the most beautiful song ever, "Moon River"."

You Tube link
You Tube link (Audrey Hepburn movie version)

While I agreed a lot with the positions for the 91-100 batch, I wish 81-90 had ended much higher. This felt like a best of from almost every genre.

I never knew about Songfacts before this. It looks like a site made in 1998, but it has a lot of great info! I love that you can pick a random song.

There it goes our first personal number one (at #80).
And the first song from the second half of the decade at #74 (although it was expectable that this song was going to be the lower ranked song of the 1965-1969 period, it received three #100 votes).


80. Bernard Herrmann - Psycho: Prelude



Points: 557
Biggest fans: Henrik (#1), Charlie Driggs (#16), Romain (#39)
Position in AM 3000: not listed
Position in 1960 poll: #5
Style: Film Soundtrack
Written by Bernard Herrmann
Recorded by unknown orchestra and conductor in 1960 (being the music featured on the movie that was never released oficially), later re-recorded by the National Philharmonic Orchestra on October 2, 1975 at Barking Assembly Hall, London, England conducted by Bernard Herrmann
Released in 1975 on Unicorn-Kanchana label (RHS 336), the first release of the original score was in 1998 as a bootleg CD
Highest chart position: not ranked



Comments: Wikipedia: "Hitchcock insisted that Bernard Herrmann write the score for Psycho, in spite of the composer's refusal to accept a reduced fee for the film's lower budget. (...) Herrmann used the lowered music budget to his advantage by writing for a string orchestra rather than a full symphonic ensemble, disregarding Hitchcock's request for a jazz score. He thought of the single tone color of the all-string soundtrack as a way of reflecting the black and white cinematography of the film."

You Tube link (1960 original movie version of 1:50 of length)
You Tube link (1975 re-recording at a slightly slower tempo and a length of 2:11)


79. The Kingsmen - Louie Louie



Points: 569
Biggest fans: Romain (#20), Miguel (#23), Listyguy (#31)
Position in AM 3000: #7 of the 1960s and #11 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #6
Style: Garage Rock
Written by Richard Berry
Recorded by The Kingsmen on April 6, 1963 at Northwestern Recording, Portland, Oregon produced by Ken Chase
Released on June 1963 on Jerden label (Jerden 712)
Highest chart position: #2 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments:
Wikipedia: "The Kingsmen's studio version was recorded in one take. (...) A significant error on the Kingsmen's version occurs just after the lead guitar break; as the group were going by the Wailers' version, which has a brief restatement of the riff, two times over, before the lead vocalist comes back in, it would be expected that Ely would do the same. Ely, however, overshot his mark, coming in too soon, before the restatement of the riff; he realizes his mistake and stops the verse short, but the band doesn't realize that he's done so. As a quick fix, drummer Lynn Easton covers the pause with a drum fill, but before the verse has ended, the rest of the band goes into the chorus at the point where they expect it to be; they recover quickly. This error is now so embedded in the consciousness of some groups that they deliberately duplicate it when performing the song. "
Listyguy for Acclaimed Music Forum: "Pretty good."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1965 live version)


78. Roy Orbison - Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)



Points: 575
Biggest fans: nicolas (#20), Honorio (#29), Otisredding (#30)
Position in AM 3000: #56 of the 1960s and #133 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #1
Style: Rock Ballad
Written by Joe Melson and Roy Orbison
Recorded by Roy Orbison with Bob Moore's Orch. & Chorus on April 6, 1960 at RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee produced by Fred Foster
Released on May 9, 1960 on Monument label (45-421)
Highest chart position: #1 on UK Singles Chart and #2 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "When Orbison recorded "Only the Lonely" in 1960, he had only a couple of very moderate hits, and some moderate success as a songwriter, to show for about five years in the business. "Only the Lonely" changed all that, not just because it shot to number two, but also because it defined his image and musical identity. Prior to the song, Orbison had been typecast as an also-ran rockabilly singer at Sun Records. Although he wasn't a bad rockabilly act, "Only the Lonely" played to his true strengths: an operatic, pain-stricken pop/rock balladeer, a master of odes to heartbreak and maintaining dignity while fighting largely losing battles. "

You Tube link (TV appearance of an unseen Roy Orbison without sunglasses, with truncated beginning and ending)
You Tube link (complete original studio version)


77. The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow



Points: 577
Biggest fans: Chris K (#16), Rocky Raccoon (#25), Otisredding (#28 )
Position in AM 3000: #43 of the 1960s and #101 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #2
Style: Girl Group
Written by Gerry Goffin and Carol King
Recorded by The Shirelles on February 14, 1960 in New York City arranged by Carol King and produced by Luther Dixon
Released on November 7, 1960 on Scepter label (Scepter 1211)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Bill Janovitz for allmusic: "The song is a masterpiece of pop songcraft and is typical for the pair (Goffin & King) in its subtle lyrical and musical approach. The two deftly handle controversial subject matter: the long-term concerns of a young woman involved in a physical consummation of love. Goffin's lyrics address the issue in a direct manner, neither ham-fisted nor nudging with innuendo. (...) Doris Coley's lead vocal is a perfect girl-woman blend, expressing the tender post-adolescent mix of innocence and increasing adult awareness: "So tell me now and I won't ask again/Will you still love me tomorrow?" Her phrasing is cognizant of the underlying significance of the lines: Promise her lies, she seems to say. But at least say the words and she won't ask again - for she know that if she does, she may not hear the words she wants to hear; she also wants to succumb to the physical desire."

You Tube link


76. Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind



Points: 593
Biggest fans: Stephan (#11), Chris (#21), Nassim (#22)
Position in AM 3000: #99 of the 1960s and #279 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #3
Style: Protest Song
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by Bob Dylan on July 9, 1962 at Columbia Recording Studios, New York City produced by John Hammond
Released on May 27, 1963 on Columbia label, opening the album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (CS 8786) an later as a single on July 1963 (Columbia 4-42856)
Highest chart position: #22 on US Billboard 200 (the album, the single failed to chart despite getting to #2 with Peter, Paul & Mary version)



Comments: John Bush for allmusic: "Inarguably the peak of modern protest songwriting, "Blowin' in the Wind" transformed Bob Dylan from hipster folky to cultural sensation and provided the growing protest community with an anthem equally applicable to every kind of injustice ever visited upon the Earth. (...) As with most of his other classics, Dylan makes a complex song sound deceptively simple; in each of the three verses, he asks three rhetorical questions (i.e., "How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man?"), and answers each time with the chorus: "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind/The answer is blowin' in the wind." While the questions speak to the unending record of injustice in the long history of the world, the answers reflect the Taoist mantra that the solution is obvious to all who truly think about it, yet impossible to grasp with any type of standard (i.e., written or expressed) explanation."

Video link
Video link (1963 live version)


75. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'



Points: 595
Biggest fans: Harold Wexler (#13), Chris (#31), Henry (#35)
Position in AM 3000: #15 of the 1960s and #24 of all time
Position in 1964 poll: #8
Style: Blue Eyed Soul
Written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector and Cynthia Weill
Recorded by The Righteous Brothers on August-November 1964 at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California produced by Phil Spector
Released on December 6, 1964 on Philles Records (Philles 124)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Dave Thompson for allmusic: "All involved recalled that the recording lasted for an eternity – and, when they played the song back, it too went on forever, a four minute epic that traveled well beyond the 180 seconds-or-so that restricted most pop singles of the day. Spector, however, would not edit "You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling". What he was willing to do was reverse the last two digits of the song’s actual length, and give radio DJs the longest 3.05 of their lives. It was, apparently, some weeks before many program directors figured out why their tightly-programmed shows were suddenly over-running, but by then, "You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling" was already ground into the consciousness. It was not cut, it could not be cut, and on February 6, 1965, "You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling" officially became the longest record ever to top the Billboard chart."

You Tube link


74. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan



Points: 596
Biggest fans: sonofsamiam (#3), Jackson (#6), Charlie Driggs (#29)
Position in AM 3000: not listed
Position in 1969 poll: #9
Style: Spiritual Jazz
Written by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas
Recorded by Pharoah Sanders on February 14, 1969 at RCA Studios, New York City produced by Bob Thiele
Released on May 1969 on Impulse! label as the opening track of the album "Karma" (Impulse! AS 9181)
Highest chart position: not charted



Comments: Thom Jurek for allmusic: " "Creator" begins with a quote from "A Love Supreme," with a nod to Coltrane's continuing influence on Sanders. But something else emerges here as well: Sanders' own deep commitment to lyricism and his now inherent knowledge of Eastern breathing and modal techniques. (...) Keeping his range limited (for the first eight minutes anyway), Sanders explores all the colors around the key figures, gradually building the dynamics as the band comps the two-chord theme behind with varying degrees of timbral invention. When Thomas enters at nine minutes, the track begins to open. His yodel frees up the theme and the rhythm section to invent around him. At 18 minutes it explodes, rushing into a silence that is profound as it is noisy in its approach. Sanders is playing microphonics and blowing to the heavens and Thomas is screaming. They are leaving the material world entirely."
Listyguy: "How long is this song????????????????"

You Tube link (Part 1)
You Tube link (Part 2)
You Tube link (Part 3)


73. Roy Orbison - Crying



Points: 596
Biggest fans: sonofsamiam (#19), nicolas (#24), Listyguy (#26)
Position in AM 3000: #110 of the 1960s and #320 of all time
Position in 1961 poll: #5
Style: Rock Ballad
Written by Joe Melson and Roy Orbison
Recorded by Roy Orbison with Bob Moore's Orchestra & Chorus on June 26, 1961 at RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee produced by Fred Foster
Released on July 31, 1961 on Monument label (45-447)
Highest chart position: #2 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Bill Dahl for allmusic: "Under no circumstances should Roy Orbison's "Crying" ever be listened to by anyone who's even remotely depressed. The grief, regret, and eternal damnation to an existence drenched in tears that Orbison vividly invests with typically breathtaking vocal bravado could be overwhelming enough to drive anyone so inclined to end it all. For more stable types, "Crying" is simply a beautiful albeit heart-wrenching ballad that opens with an innocuous rhythm carried by tom-tom and acoustic guitar (the latter likely the work of Orbison himself) and steadily builds via sweeping strings and a heavy dose of melodramatic intensity to a climax of utterly shattering proportions."
Listyguy: "One of Orbison's last (and best) hits."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1964 live version)


72. Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right



Points: 599
Biggest fans: Brad (#19), Stephan (#26), Jackson and John (#31)
Position in AM 3000: #482 of the 1960s and #2249 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #7
Style: Folk
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by Bob Dylan on November 14, 1962 at Columbia Recording Studio A, New York City produced by John Hammond
Released on May 27, 1963 on Columbia label as the seventh song (opening the B-side) on the album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (CS 8786)
Highest chart position: #22 on US Billboard 200 (the album)



Comments:
Wikipedia: "The song, written around the time that Suze Rotolo indefinitely prolonged her stay in Italy, is based on a melody taught to Dylan by folksinger Paul Clayton. (...) The original album version of the song is played in a fast, fingerstyle manner by, some speculate, Bruce Langhorne. (...) The song is clearly about the end of a relationship, discussing some of the conflicting emotions one might experience in love. It has four verses, each ending with the refrain, “Don’t think twice, it’s alright.” While this line might have multiple emotional connotations, the way it is sung seems to be bittersweet; Dylan is sad about the end of the relationship, but knows it is better that the love affair has ended."
Songfacts: "Dylan said of this track: "A lot of people make it sort of a love song - slow and easygoing. But it isn't a love song. It's a statement that maybe you can say something to make yourself feel better. It's as if you were talking to yourself.""

Video link
Video link (1965 live version)


71. Sam Cooke - Bring It on Home to Me



Points: 600
Biggest fans: John (#3), sonofsamiam (#16), Mindrocker (#36)
Position in AM 3000: #271 of the 1960s and #1118 of all time
Position in 1962 poll: #3
Style: Soul
Written by Sam Cooke
Recorded by Sam Cooke with orchestra conducted by Rene Hall on April 26, 1962 at RCA Studio 1, Hollywood, California produced by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore
Released on May 8, 1962 on RCA Victor label (RCA 47-8036)
Highest chart position: #13 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #2 on Billboard R&B Singles Chart)



Comments: William Ruhlmann for allmusic: " "Bring It on Home to Me" is one of Sam Cooke's greatest songs. Over a rolling rhythm that sounds like it could go on forever, a man asks a woman to come back to him, apologizing, forgiving her for her transgressions, and promising her presents if she will just bring her "sweet loving" on home to him. But though the lyrics had a pleading tone, the melody never emphasized its desperation. You almost felt that the woman would be compelled to return just by that steady, compelling rhythm."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1963 live version)

Would have liked to have seen the Righteous Brothers a bit higher than #75 - a fall of 60 places,not as bad as the Kingsmen though...

Blowin in the Wind finished way too low! And behind Don't Think Twice It's Alright!

You are right.....well....almot....these three songs are in positions 9, 37 and 51.

I know that it's amazing that this song even made the list at all, but it's still way too low. This song is an absolute jazz masterpiece that provides an incredible experience with every listen. How many songs above it can you say that about?

I think the length turned people off (though there is a very nice 9-minute edit for the uninitiated on the Red Hot + Impulse comp). That, and perhaps the yodeling. :)

Either way, sad to see it at 100 on so many lists, that seems a little reactionary.

Also, generally sad (though predictable) to see the early '60s take such a beating so far.

Yes, it's a very interesting place that I discovered while looking for information for these polls. The only problem (the same as Wikipedia or RateYourMusic) is the reliability, they don't quote or link their sources. By the way, I think that at the end of the poll I'll post a bibliography, linking to the sites with interesting info.



Yes, Henrik and sonofsamiam, the early 60s suffered a predictable punishment. But when I suggested a similar approach to albums poll (5 songs each from 1960-1964 and 15 songs from 1965-1969), this option got much lesser votes that the actual option. And I'm glad, otherwise this could have been a monopoly of Beatles and Dylan. Or not? We could have included for the final tournament:
- 1969: Kick Out the Jams, We're Not Gonna Take It, Candy Says, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and Here Comes the Sun
- 1968: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Hey Jude, Revolution, Born to Be Wild and Jumpin' Jack Flash
- 1967: I'm Waiting for the Man, Penny Lane, Brown Eyed Girl, I Can See for Miles and Happy Together
- 1966: Wouldn't It Be Nice, Il buono il brutto il cattivo, All Tomorrow's Parties, Just Like a Woman and She Said, She Said
- 1965: Ballad of a Thin Man, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), It's Allright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), Byrds' Mr. Tambourine Man and Yesterday
Instead
- 1964: She's Not There, Don't Worry Baby, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', A Hard Day's Night and Amsterdam
- 1963: Louie Louie, Don't Think Twice It's Allright, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Please Please Me and In My Room
- 1962: Duke of Earl, The Loco-Motion, Return to Sender, Soul Bossa Nova and He's a Rebel
- 1961: Blue Moon, Crazy, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Can't Help Falling in Love and Death Don't Have No Mercy
- 1960: Cathy's Clown, Apache, At Last, Walk Don't Run and Georgia on My Mind
So, what do you think? 7 more songs from the Beatles and Dylan (11 minus 4) and a much less varied list. The main advantage could have been in my opinion the inlcusion of two more songs by The Who (unfairly underepresented in our final Top 100). My final verdict? Definitely the actual 10 songs per year approach it's a better option.



Yes, Midaso and Listyguy, some all time classics fall down a lot of places, as the ones you pointed. And it won't be the last ones...


Yes, Jackson and sonofsamiam, but you knew that it was going to happen. I'll definitely check out this edit piece. I'm not sure about what fragment they highlighted, my choice would have been from 2' to 11' (more or less), the most melodic and accesible part (and my favourite!).

With this group we say goodbye to the first year of the decade, 1960, with Cooke's "Wonderful World" as the best qualified for the year (it was #3 on the yearly poll after "Only the Lonely" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow").


70. Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall



Points: 601
Biggest fans: Harold Wexler (#7), Otisredding (#20), John (#24)
Position in AM 3000: #451 of the 1960s and #2086 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #8
Style: Protest Song
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by Bob Dylan on December 6, 1962 at Columbia Recording Studio A, New York City produced by John Hammond
Released on May 27, 1963 on Columbia label as the sixth song (closing the A-side) on the album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (CS 8786)
Highest chart position: #22 on US Billboard 200 (the album)



Comments: Dylan as quoted in Wikipedia: "About if he wrote "A Hard Rain" in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis: "Every line in it is actually the start of a whole new song. But when I wrote it, I thought I wouldn't have enough time alive to write all those songs so I put all I could into this one." (...) About if the refrain of the song refers to nuclear fallout: "No, it's not atomic rain, it's just a hard rain. It isn't the fallout rain. I mean some sort of end that's just gotta happen... In the last verse, when I say, 'the pellets of poison are flooding the waters', that means all the lies that people get told on their radios and in their newspapers." "

Video link
Video link (1964 live version)


69. Etta James - At Last



Points: 609
Biggest fans: Henrik (#19), Nassim and Rocky Raccoon (#24)
Position in AM 3000: #146 of the 1960s and #494 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #8
Style: Soul Blues
Written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren
Recorded by Etta James with Riley Hampton Orchestra on October 1960 probably at Chess Studios, Chicago, Illinois produced by Phil and Leonard Chess
Released on November 15, 1960 on Argo label as the seventh song of the album "At Last!" (Argo LP 4003) and later as a single on January 1961 (Argo 5380)
Highest chart position: #47 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #2 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Comments: Stephen Cook for allmusic: "James demonstrates her keen facility on the title track in particular, as she easily moves from powerful blues shouting to more subtle, airy phrasing; her Ruth Brown-inspired, bad-girl growl only adds to the intensity. James would go on to even greater success with later hits like "Tell Mama," but on "At Last" one hears the singer at her peak."

You Tube link


68. Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire



Points: 610
Biggest fans: Chris K (#13), Chris (#19), Brad (#31)
Position in AM 3000: #90 of the 1960s and #233 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #4
Style: Tex-Mex
Written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore
Recorded by Johnny Cash on March 25, 1963 at Columbia Recording Studio, Hollywood, California produced by Don Law
Released on April 19, 1963 on Columbia Records (Columbia 4-42788 )
Highest chart position: #17 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles)



Comments: Stephen Thomas Erlewine for allmusic: "(...) it cemented the image of Johnny Cash, "the Man in Black" - not necessarily an outlaw, but certainly an outsider. In light of that, the mariachi horns that grace the song seem a little incongruous, but even while those horns sound a little dated, the song still sounds tough, particularly because the chorus about "I fell down in a burning ring of fire" sounds so ominous. It's easy to forget that the "Ring of Fire" is just a metaphor for falling in love because a "Ring of Fire" sounds so intimidating and dangerous. Falling into a "Ring of Fire" is something an outlaw would do, or at least it sounded that way, so the song gave Cash a cool, outsider reputation."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1963 live version)


67. The Beatles - She Loves You



Points: 613
Biggest fans: Chris and Mindrocker (#18 ), Henrik (#26)
Position in AM 3000: #44 of the 1960s and #103 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #5
Style: Merseybeat
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on July 1, 1963 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Released on August 23, 1963 (UK) on Parlophone label (Parlophone R 5055) and on September 16, 1963 (USA) on Swan label (Swan S-4152)
Highest chart position: #1 both on US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart (it was the best selling single in UK for 14 years, being surpassed in 1977 by the Wings' "Mull of Kintyre")



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "From the opening drum roll, "She Loves You" takes no prisoners, immediately charging into its indelible "yeah, yeah, yeah" hook; it was George Martin's successful brainstorm to move the chorus to the very beginning of the song. (...) What really won over listeners' hearts, though, were the usual block harmonies, clever alternation of major and minor chords, and particularly the ends of the verses, in which the group simultaneously let out with explosive "woo"s. Lennon and McCartney were also especially proud of ending the choruses (and the song itself) on a sixth chord, which they initially believed had never been done before."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1963 historical live version)


66. Del Shannon - Runaway



Points: 618
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#34), sonofsamiam (#35), Honorio (#36)
Position in AM 3000: #34 of the 1960s and #77 of all time
Position in 1961 poll: #1
Style: Pop
Written by Max Crook and Del Shannon
Recorded by Del Shannon on January 21, 1961 at Bell Sound Studios, New York City produced by Harry Balk
Released on February 14, 1961 on BigTop label (BigTop 45-3067)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Stewart Mason for allmusic: "Whenever anyone complains that rock and roll was dead before the Beatles revitalized it with "I Want To Hold Your Hand," the quickest way to end the argument is to play this masterful 1961 single. One of the all-time classic rock and roll singles, "Runaway" is brilliant in every sense of the word, from the haunted paranoia of Del Shannon's lyrics and the desperation of his vocals, particularly in the falsetto break of the chorus (...) to the magnificently futuristic Clavioline solo in the break. One of those rare rock and roll classics that has never sounded dated in the least, "Runaway" is one of the most perfect chart debuts of all time."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1965 TV performance)


65. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions



Points: 633
Biggest fans: Charlie Driggs (#4), Romain (#23), Listyguy (#35)
Position in AM 3000: #37 of the 1960s and #85 of all time
Position in 1962 poll: #1
Style: Rhythm & Blues
Written by Steve Cropper, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones and Lewis Steinberg
Recorded by Booker T. & the MG's in 1962 at Stax Studios, Memphis, Tennessee produced by Booker T. & the MG's
Released originally on May 1962 as B-side of "Behave Yourself" on Volt label (Volt 102) and later on August 24, 1962 on Stax label as A-side (Stax S-127)
Highest chart position: #3 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "Instrumentals were very big in rock music when "Green Onions" came out, and many stuck to conventional, even boring, major-keyed R&B-based riffs. "Green Onions" was immediately distinctive and different for its ominous three-note riffs and minor-colored, constant key changes. It was a sweet-sour blend akin to the "Green Onions" of the title, but very tough and creepy as well, like a hypnotic prelude to a night of prowling for action in dark alleys."
Listyguy: "Best Instrumental. Ever. Ever."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1966 live version)


64. Sam Cooke - Wonderful World



Points: 636
Biggest fans: Romain (#12), Miguel (#17), Chris and Henry (#26)
Position in AM 3000: #221 of the 1960s and #864 of all time
Position in 1960 poll: #3
Style: Soul Pop
Written by Lou Adler, Herb Alpert and Sam Cooke
Recorded by Sam Cooke on March 2, 1959 at Sound Enterprises, Hollywood, California produced by Rene Hall
Released on April 14, 1960 on Keen label (Keen 82112)
Highest chart position: #12 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #2 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Comments: Bill Janovitz for allmusic: "As with other early pop crossover songs from Cooke (who became a star first in the gospel genre), "Wonderful World" is firmly in the tradition of Tin Pan Alley and Brill Building songwriting, with a clever lyric that sticks closely to a metaphorical theme. (...) Recorded in 1959 - one of his last for the Keen label - the production is typical, for Cooke's recordings of the era: The Latin beat, played with a jaunty tempo, is strummed out on an acoustic guitar, drummed with brushes, and supported by an upright bass."

You Tube link


63. Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man



Points: 640
Biggest fans: Listyguy (#6), Brad (#18 ), Jackson (#27)
Position in AM 3000: #232 of the 1960s and #920 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #10
Style: Folk
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by Bob Dylan on January 15, 1965 at Columbia Recording Studio A, New York City produced by Tom Wilson
Released on March 22, 1965 on Columbia label as the eigth song (opening the B-side) of "Bringing It All Back Home" album (CS 9128 )
Highest chart position: #6 on US Billboard 200 and #1 on UK Top 75 (the album)



Comments: William Ruhlmann for allmusic: "Such a song was and remains open to various interpretations. Was Dylan reflecting the desire he felt from his own audience, so that he, in effect, was the tambourine man? To what extent did such apparent predecessors as the Pied Piper of Hamlin and Jesus Christ figure into the song? In the wake of the proliferation of drugs in the 1960s, many people interpreted "Mr. Tambourine Man" as referring to drugs. Was the tambourine man a dealer and the narrator's request that he "take me on a trip" a desire to sample his wares?"
Listyguy: "The better of the two versions."

Video link
Video link (1964 Newport Festival live version, 6 months prior to the studio recording)


62. Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You



Points: 656
Biggest fans: Nassim (#7), nicolas (#11), Henry (#12)
Position in AM 3000: not listed
Position in 1969 poll: #4
Style: Hard Rock
Written by Anne Bredon in the late 50s, covered by Joan Baez on her 1962 album "Joan Baez in Concert Vol. 1" credited as traditional, covered also by Led Zeppelin from Joan Baez version and credited initially as "Trad. Arr. Page". According to Wikipedia "in the 1980s, Bredon was made aware of Led Zeppelin's version of the song. Since 1990 the Led Zeppelin version has been credited to Anne Bredon/Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, and Bredon received a substantial back-payment in royalties."
Recorded by Led Zeppelin on October 1968 at Olympic Studios, London, England produced by Jimmy Page
Released on January 12, 1969 on Atlantic label as the second song of "Led Zeppelin" album (Atlantic SD 8126)
Highest chart position: #10 on US Billboard 200 and #6 on UK Top 75 (the album)



Comments: Bill Janovitz for allmusic: "The song is based around a Jimmy Page minor-key acoustic figure over which vocalist Robert Plant croons a well-worn warning about being a rambling man. The rhythm section - one of the greatest and most influential in rock & roll history - of John Paul Jones on bass and John Bonham on drums, kicks in on an almost flamenco pre-chorus riff and, finally, a descending, syncopated, and hard-rocking chorus that incites Plant into his trademark upper-register howl."
Listyguy: "I can think of at least 5 60's Zep songs better than this one."
nicolas: "I've always had a special love for Led Zep's acoustic ballads. The guitar parts are always amazing. The kind of songs I tried to play on the guitar in my room when i was a teen."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1969 live version)


61. Dionne Warwick - Walk on By



Points: 670
Biggest fans: sonofsamiam (#11), Charlie Driggs (#13), Honorio (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #47 of the 1960s and #109 of all time
Position in 1964 poll: #4
Style: Brill Building
Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David
Recorded by Dionne Warwick on November 1963 at Bell Sound Studios, New York City produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David
Released on April 26, 1964 on Scepter label (Scepter 1274)
Highest chart position: #6 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Comments: Jason Ankeny for allmusic: "Perhaps the most balanced collaboration in their catalog, "Walk on By" (a beautifully wrought look at the public face of private heartbreak) captures all three at the top of their respective games: Warwick's vocal is tough yet tender, David's lyrics are direct yet devastating, and Bacharach's music - distinguished by its stop-and-go woodblock rhythm, mournfully lush bridge, and that unforgettable flügelhorn - is dynamic yet nuanced. (...) "Walk on By" still seems like a microcosm of Bacharach and David's genius, both with and without Warwick - its poignancy and elegance are unmatched, and for all its structural complexity and textural intricacy, it speaks most directly to the heart."
Honorio: "A lesson on style directly from the Brill Building. The perfect conjunction of songwriting (Bacharach/David) and performance (Warwick). Class."

You Tube link

That was rough. Green Onions and Mr. Tambourine Man (especially Mr. Tambourine Man) should have been in the top 50.

Oh, I agree 100%. The 10-per year approach is perfect, and is actually an argument against voting from a Top 150 to get 100. I like the even distribution over the years.

In Dreams was my favorite new discovery of the tournament. I'd rank it a lot higher now than in the list I submitted for the poll (which was several months now, I guess).

America is a bit of a surprise to me, I know people love their S&G around here but I wouldn't have expected that song to outpace stuff like "Voodoo Child."

I encourage all AM'ers to listen "In Dreams" and sing the song with Roy Orbison (but in reality it is impossible). This really is a drug. It is unlike any other musical experience. In a survey a few years ago I heard this wonderful song carefully and understood that it is the best song of all time.

After that, I read the story of Roy Orbison and is so incredibly sad ...

Roy, I love you




Translation by google, sorry

otis redding

Oh yes, I know, and I’m sorry for that. Probably (and knowing my very limited amount of spare time) I should’nt have volunteered for ruling theses polls, or else I could have did it in a simpler way. But what can I do? I’m afraid it’s the only way I can do things. At least I hope all of you are enjoying the show despite the long gaps between the posts.


Yes, I got the same feeling again and again. I still can’t believe I was not one of the biggest fans of “In Dreams”, “Time of the Season” or... “California Dreamin’”


Beautiful words, Otis, thanks a lot.

No respect for Aretha. She did not lose so many positions as The Kingsmen (if we compare our list with the critics) but she fall to #34 from the AM #4.


35. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row



Points: 805
Biggest fans: Stephan (#2), Otisredding (#6), John (#14), sonofsamiam (#15)
Position in AM 3000: #192 of the 1960s and #729 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #4
Style: Contemporary Folk
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by Bob Dylan on August 4, 1965 at Columbia Studios, New York City produced by Bob Johnston
Released on August 30, 1965 on Columbia label as the ninth song (and closing track) of the album "Highway 61 Revisited" (Columbia CL 2389)
Highest chart position: #3 on US Billboard Top 200 (the album)



Comments: All quotes taken from Wikipedia:
Polizzotti: "The song opens with a report that "they're selling postcards of the hanging", and notes "the circus is in town". Some critics have connected this song with the lynching of three black men in Duluth. The men were employed by a travelling circus and had been accused of raping a white woman. On the night of June 15, 1920, they were removed from custody and hanged on the corner of First Street and Second Avenue East. Photos of the lynching were sold as postcards."
Andy Gill: "An 11-minute epic of entropy, which takes the form of a Fellini-esque parade of grotesques and oddities featuring a huge cast of iconic characters, some historical (Einstein, Nero), some biblical (Noah, Cain and Abel), some fictional (Ophelia, Romeo, Cinderella), some literary (T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound), and some who fit into none of the above categories, notably Dr. Filth and his dubious nurse."
Bob Dylan in 1969 about the influence of Allen Ginsberg on his songs: "I think he did at a certain period. That period of... "Desolation Row", that kind of New York type period, when all the songs were just city songs. His poetry is city poetry. Sounds like the city."

Video link
Video link (first ever live performance on NYC before being released on record, the audience started laughing thinking that it was a funny song but the laughs got fewer and fewer as the song progressed)


34. Aretha Franklin - Respect



Points: 812
Biggest fans: Henry (#4), Romain (#7), Otisredding (#8 ), Rocky Raccoon (#14)
Position in AM 3000: #4 of the 1960s and #5 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #7
Style: Soul
Written by Otis Redding
Recorded by Aretha Franklin on February 14, 1967 at Atlantic Records Studios, New York City produced by Jerry Wexler
Released on March 10, 1967 on Atlantic label as the opening track of the album "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" (Atlantic SD 8139) and later as a single on April 16, 1967 (Atlantic 2403)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 (the single) and #2 on US Billboard Top 200 (the album)



Comments: Ed Hogan for allmusic: " "That girl stole that song from me," Otis Redding says during a clip in a VH-1 special on Aretha Franklin that aired in spring 2001. The "stolen" song is Redding's own "Respect." No doubt the "theft" was made up for by the hefty writer royalties the Memphis soul great earned from the million-plus sales of the single. Though Redding had a 1965 number five R&B hit with the song, it would be Franklin's version which earned the most "respect." Recorded in February 1967, the recording session boasted the same Muscle Shoals rhythm section that had played on her million-selling Atlantic Records debut single, "I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You." Franklin and her sister/frequent collaborator Carolyn Franklin are credited with coming up with the song's signature "sock it to me" break. Saxman King Curtis supplied the fat, cohesive key-changing solo which is akin to his work on Sam and Dave's "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby." With input from Arif Mardin and engineer Tom Dowd, the Jerry Wexler-produced "Respect" held the number one R&B spot for an astounding eight weeks and number one pop for two weeks in spring 1967."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1968 live performance)


33. The Beatles - In My Life



Points: 818
Biggest fans: Chris K and Harold Wexler (#6), Brad and Chris (#16)
Position in AM 3000: #67 of the 1960s and #171 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #9
Style: Pop Rock
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on October 18, 1965 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Released on December 5, 1965 on Parlophone label as the eleventh song on the album "Rubber Soul" (PCS 3075), released on the USA on December 6, 1965 on Capitol label (Capitol ST-2442)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Top 200 and on UK Albums Chart (the album)



Comments: Thomas Ward for allmusic: " "In My Life" is perhaps the finest song on Rubber Soul, and one of The Beatles' greatest compositions. Usually assumed to have been written in the most part by John Lennon (although McCartney has disputed this), "In My Life" is an ode to childhood, and the band's native Liverpool. The lyrics are heartbreaking – "There are places I remember, all my life though some have changed/Some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain" are just the opening lines, and the song progresses through a series of lovely images, before it turns into a love song by it's conclusion. The chord progression is unorthodox yet utterly transcendent, and the organ break, played by George Martin is quite audacious. "In My Life" is simply one of the best songs The Beatles ever wrote."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1974 live version by George Harrison)


32. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There



Points: 818
Biggest fans: Listyguy (#9), Otisredding (#10), sonofsamiam (#13), Harold Wexler (#14)
Position in AM 3000: #21 of the 1960s and #36 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #9
Style: Pop Soul
Written by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Edward Holland Jr.
Recorded by Four Tops on July 6, 1966 at Hitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier
Released on August 18, 1966 on Motown label (Motown 1098 )
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Jason Ankeny for allmusic: "A hallmark of the Motown sound is the dramatic introduction (think the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" or the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"), but no record builds with quite so much anticipation quite so quickly as the Four Tops' 1966 number one "Reach Out, I'll Be There." The eerie foreboding of the strings, the spectral intangibility of the flute, the clip-clopping rhythm -- it all gives way to the most forceful yet nakedly emotional vocal performance Levi Stubbs ever committed to vinyl. A massive record in its scope and sound, "Reach Out" is as primal an experience as any in the Motown catalog; with the other three Tops harmonizing like guardian angels behind him, Stubbs is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, vanquishing heartbreak and misery the likes of which you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. The high-water mark of the Holland-Dozier-Holland production team, it's possibly the closest Motown ever came to pure gospel, not only sonically but spiritually as well."
Listyguy: "This song puts so many emotions into a 3 mintue song, it's unbelievable."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1966 live version at the Ed Sullivan Show)
You Tube link (a capella version showcasing the incredible vocal abilities of the quartet)


31. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'



Points: 820
Biggest fans: Brad (#7), Henrik (#13), Harold Wexler (#15), Miguel and Mindrocker (#16)
Position in AM 3000: #40 of the 1960s and #96 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #6
Style: Sunshine Pop
Written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips
Recorded by The Mama's and the Papa's on 1965 at Western Studios, Los Angeles, California produced by Lou Adler
Released on November 1965 on Dunhill label (D-4020)
Highest chart position: #4 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Matthew Greenwald for allmusic: "Written on a freezing New York winter evening long before the Mamas & the Papas ever existed, "California Dreamin'" neatly encapsulated the feeling of longing as well as a desire to lead a freer, more spiritually fulfilling life. What a '60s dream! Well, it certainly came true, and not just for the members of the Mamas, but for a lot of people who first heard the song back in the winter of 1966. The song's easy grace and subtle message is positively irresistible, and brought home even more by the Mamas & Papas' awesome vocal pyrotechnics. One of the first records that the group ever cut, the song was actually first recorded by Barry McGuire - utilizing the same track (sans Bud Shank's elegant flute solo) - and was slated to be the follow-up to his hit "Eve of Destruction" until Denny Doherty gave the vocal a shot. The rest, of course, is history. In general construction, it's basically a minor-key ballad. However, the descending chord progression (suggested by session guitarist P.F. Sloan) is vaguely reminiscent of "Walk Don't Run" and gives the song a minor surf/rock feel. The song was not only one of the most often-played records of its day, but it has proven itself to be one that can truly be described as timeless."
Listyguy: " Let the sunshine in. This dream of California (from the New York City winters) seem more real than the real California."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1967 live version at Monterey Festival)

Uhh....I didn't say that, despite the fact that it sounds like it would come out of my mouth.

34. Aretha Franklin - Respect

Not much "respect" for this great vocal performance.

Number 5 in the AM 3000, doesn't even make it into the top ten in this poll.

Well that's precisely the fun of these polls, Henry. Because this is OUR top 100. Or else we better quit doing the decade polls and just copy/paste the AM60s 100 in this thread.

Honestly? In My Life beat Desolation Row? That is just a travesty.

Agreed - the difference between our polls and the AM3000 listing is "part" of the fun.

Making observations about those differences and discussing the same can also be fun.

Please understand that when I make such observations, my intent thereby is not to cajole conformity with any normative standard. Instead my intent is to generate discussion so that I can better understand why a particular song is viewed so differently by those polled.

Oops, yes, you're right, the comment was from Honorio, so it was My comment (and my mistake too).

Agree completely (though I didn't vote). It's shocking that Dylan's absolute masterpiece, his lyricism at its finest, was beaten by a perfectly pleasant tune.

Thirded. That song is really, as you said, a masterpiece. It's probably the best song on what is an all-time top 5 album for me.

But once more, when we talk about Dylan (or Springsteen as far as I'm concerned), you have to understand that some of us does not understand the lyrics of songs the first times we listen to them and have to look at them written to fully get them. So if the music is a bit boring or overlong, which I think Desolation Row is, I'd take a musically pleasant song instead.

I can see this argument is happening because the two songs in question finished up next to each other in the results, but I'm more disappointed on behalf on Visions of Johanna than Desolation Row.

Still, just because In My Life isn't as colourful-absurdist and is only two and a half as opposed to eleven and a half minutes doesn't automatically mean that's it's not as introspective. It turns out actually that what began as an early Lennon personal nostalgia piece did end up manufactured into the song we have today, a very deliberately universal reflection. But it achieved the effect that John and Paul were going for flawlessly. When I hear Desolation Row I think of Dylan's life; when I hear In My Life I think of my own - that says it all really.

I don' agree with Nassim (and Romain who shares Nassim"s thoughts about Dylan and the Boss) because :

1) I'm French too and

2) I love Springsteen and Dylan as much for their music as for their lyrics. I don't find "Desolation Row" musically boring, not at all. So it's not a question of not getting the words. If you feel the music is boring then the words, no matter how good they are, won't help much I guess. I mean IMO if you don't like a singer's music then you don't like him.

Sex.
And drugs.
And rock 'n' roll (of course).


30. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus



Points: 828
Biggest fans: Henrik (#3), Otisredding (#7), Romain (#9), Miguel (#14)
Position in AM 3000: #102 of the 1960s and #207 of all time
Position in 1969 poll: #10
Style: French Pop
Written by Serge Gainsbourg
Recorded by Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg on December 16-18, 1968 at Fontana Studios, London, England produced by Arthur Greeenslade
Released on February 1969 on Fontana label (Fontana 260.196)
Highest chart position: #1 on UK Top 75 and #69 on Billboard Hot 100 ("the New York Times called this a "poetic fluke", and Gainsbourg's reaction was "Superbe, superbe!" " according to Wikipedia)



Comments: Nicolas Lejeune for Echoes of France: "In the beautiful French movie from 2010 "Gainsbourg, Vie héroïque" (...), there is this beautiful scene in which Gainsbourg, who is in bed with Bardot, gets up from the bed and goes to the piano to play a new song he has just written for her. And it is "Je t'aime". This scene was related by BB herself in her memoirs. And it is true that the song was written for her. Maybe that's why Gainsbourg wrote "Je t'aime, moi non plus" which means "I love you, me neither", because he knew that BB, who was married, would eventually leave him one day or another. Bardot recorded the song but finally refused to publish it, by fear of scandal. So Gainsbourg gave it to Birkin, his next and true love that he met in 1968. Birkin tells that when she played the record to her mother, she didn't understand the lyrics and said it was a very beautiful tune!! Because of its sexual content ( "I go and I come/in between your loins, and Birkin's groans) the song was forbidden in Italy, and in France it couldn't be played on the radio before 11 PM... but became a huge hit everywhere. Scandal is good for money."
Honorio: "Time has tempered the shock but it still creates an uncomfortable situation if it sounds, let’s say, on the car radio while you’re driving with your mother."

You Tube link


29. The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears



Points: 836
Biggest fans: Miguel (#5), John (#6), sonofsamiam (#14), Listyguy (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #24 of the 1960s and #40 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #7
Style: Motown
Written by Warren 'Pete' Moore, William 'Smokey' Robinson and Marv Tarplin
Recorded by The Miracles on spring of 1965 at Hitsville USA Studio A, Detroit, Michigan produced by Smokey Robinson
Released on June 23, 1965 on Tamla label (Tamla T-54118 )
Highest chart position: #16 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #2 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Comments: Stephen Thomas Erlewine for allmusic: "Smokey Robinson wrote more than his fair share of classic songs, but "Tracks of My Tears" holds a special place among his hits. Although the song didn't crack the pop Top 15 upon its release as a single in the summer of 1965, as the years passed, it revealed itself as perhaps his definitive ballad, rivaling even "You've Really Got a Hold on Me." Why is that? It's a matter of grace or poetry. Bob Dylan once called Robinson America's greatest living poet, and while he may have said this with his tongue firmly in cheek, he wasn't far from wrong. This song is proof positive that Robinson found poetry not only in lyrics, but also in the music itself. Writing with Warren Moore, Robinson created a song that is so natural, it seems to have always been there. Look closer, and the song seems trickier - the words are shaded with telling detail and clever rhymes ("Although she may look cute/She's just a substitute") and the music positively aches with longing. Backed by the Miracles, Robinson delivered the definitive reading of the song with the original hit single."
Listyguy: "Pretty good, like the chorus a lot."

You Tube link


28. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Heroin



Points: 838
Biggest fans: Jackson (#2), Harold Wexler (#5), Romain (#10), Stephan (#15)
Position in AM 3000: #71 of the 1960s and #187 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #4
Style: Art Rock
Written by Lou Reed
Recorded by The Velvet Underground & Nico on May 1966 at TTG Studios, Hollywood, California produced by Andy Warhol and Tom Wilson
Released on March 12, 1967 on Verve label as the seventh song (opening the B-side) on the album "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (Verve V6-5008 )
Highest chart position: #182 on US Billboard Top 200 (the album)



Comments: Mark Deming for allmusic: "In 1966, when the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" and Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35" were generating no small controversy for daring to flirt with the subject of recreation drug use, the Velvet Underground crossed a then-unthinkable threshold and began performing a song called "Heroin." (...) While "Heroin" hardly endorses drug use, it doesn't clearly condemn it, either, which made it all the more troubling in the eyes of many listeners; at a time when marijuana was still legally classified as a narcotic, the notion of a rock & roll song discussing a dangerous drug without openly condemning it was practically the same thing as a ringing endorsement. Musically, "Heroin" was every bit as challenging as it was thematically; few rock songs of the period made better or more intelligent use of dynamics, and the slow build through the verses into the manic frenzy of the song's conclusion sounded like nothing else in rock music at the time. In addition, John Cale's screeching, atonal viola helped introduce the use of serious dissonance to pop music; along with Roger McGuinn's guitar breaks in "Eight Miles High," it was one of the first examples of the lessons of free jazz or the avant-garde finding a willing student in rock music."
Listyguy: "Screeching violas."

You Tube link
You Tube link ("Le Bataclan '72" live version)


27. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze



Points: 841
Biggest fans: Chris (#6), Otisredding (#13), Mindrocker (#14), Rocky Raccoon (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #22 of the 1960s and #38 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #9
Style: Acid Rock
Written by Jimi Hendrix
Recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on January 11, 1967 at De Lane Lea Studios, London, England and on February 3, 1967 at Olympic Studios, London, England produced by Chas Chandler
Released on March 17, 1967 on the UK on Track label (Track 604001) and on June 19, 1967 on the USA on Reprise label (Reprise 0597)
Highest chart position: #3 on UK Top 75 and #65 on Billboard Hot 100



Comments: William Ruhlmann for allmusic: " "Purple Haze" was an early signature song for Jimi Hendrix and remains his best-known composition. After years as a journeyman musician, the 23-year-old Hendrix was taken to England in September 1966 by his new manager, Chas Chandler, who helped him put together Jimi Hendrix Experience, a power trio. (...) According to Chandler, he heard Hendrix playing the riff that became the basis of the music for "Purple Haze" that month and encouraged him to finish writing it for the Experience's second single. (...) Originally, the lyrics were a long poem headed "Purple Haze - Jesus Saves", from which Hendrix extracted the three verses used in the song. Some accounts have said that he was on LSD when he wrote the lyrics, but Chandler disputed that. Nevertheless, the words, while nominally referring to a mental disorder caused by a spell put on the narrator by a girl, are easily interpretable as being about a drug experience. Whatever the cause, the narrator is disoriented and upset. But the lyrics are less important than the relentlessly driving, if relatively slow-paced underlying music, which provides a good platform for some of Hendrix's inventive guitar playing."
Listyguy: "My second favorite from the album."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1967 live at the Marquee Club)


26. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End



Points: 851
Biggest fans: nicolas (#2), Nassim (#4), Henry (#9), Harold Wexler (#11)
Position in AM 3000: bubbling under
Position in 1969 poll: #7
Style: Pop Rock
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on July 2, 23 and 30 and August 5, 7, 8, 15 and 18, 1969 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Released on September 26, 1969 on Apple label as a medley (the songs 14th to 16th followed by a hidden track) that closed the album "Abbey Road” (Apple PCS 7088 )
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Top 200 and on UK albums chart (the album)



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "The End" is an aptly titled song, coming at the end of the medley that (almost) finishes Abbey Road, and the end of the last album the Beatles recorded, though that neat ending was spoiled when Let It Be (begun and recorded for the most part before Abbey Road) became the last Beatles album actually released. (...) Then comes a real surprise: the first and only Starr drum solo on a Beatles record, though a pretty brief one by the standards of the psychedelic era. In fact, much of "The End" could be viewed as the group's take on the improvised jamming common to heavy rock of the late '60s, though as usual the Beatles did it with far more economic precision than anyone else. (...) McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison all take turns on lead guitar, spitting out a variety of riffs that are both terse and powerful, not to mention with an imaginative variety of slightly distorted textures. The jam, if it could even be called that, doesn't last too long, as a stuttering guitar riff suddenly stops on a dime to be replaced by a staccato repeating piano note. That leaves the way clear for McCartney to come in with one sweet final lyric, and one of the most famous and most quoted of all the Beatles wrote: that in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. It wasn't always a sentiment practiced by the Beatles as they bickered through much of 1969 and broke up in 1970, granted, but it's a nice ideal with which few could argue."
nicolas: "The Beatles' swan song. Although it was written by McCartney, the collective solo in the end is very moving in its way."

You Tube link

As I predicted, "Sunday Mornings" won the VU battle, and "All Along the Watchtower" won the Jimi battle (thankfully).

Seriously though, "Purple Haze" isn't anywhere near Jimi Hendrix's best song (I wouldn't put it top 15), and "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" isn't only not a song, it's not even the best song you could form out of the Abbey Road medley.

"Heroin," meanwhile, is an emotional and lyrical masterpiece.

Good to see "Tracks of My Tears" up this high at least. And while the performance "Je t'aime" isn't that much of a surprise for this forum, our high regard of it is definitely unique (in a good way).

Why is Nico credited? She's not on it

Mmm, I know you’re right Midaso but... the band original name was (obviously) The Velvet Underground but after the inclusion on the line-up of Nico in January of 1966 (at the instance of Andy Warhol) every release of the band was credited to The Velvet Underground & Nico (I mean the singles "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Sunday Morning" and the first album). There was not involvement of Nico on the three Velvet songs selected for the Top 100 but anyway there were released as credited to The Velvet Undergroung & Nico so...

The Top 25


After these next 5 we're over with Motown. It's funny that each one of the four Motown songs on our Top 100 came from by the main 4 composer-producer teams of that legendary label: Smokey Robinson ("The Tracks of My Tears", 1965), Holland-Dozier-Holland ("Reach Out I'll Be There", 1966), Whitfield-Strong ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine", 1968) and The Corporation ("I Want You Back", 1969).


25. The Band - The Weight



Points: 853
Biggest fans: Stephan (#9), Henry (#10), Harold Wexler (#12), Rocky Raccoon (#13), Chris K (#14)
Position in AM 3000: #74 of the 1960s and #190 of all time
Position in 1968 poll: #5
Style: Roots Rock
Written by Robbie Robertson
Recorded by The Band on January 12, 1968 at A&R Recorders Studio A, New York City produced by John Simon
Released on June 24, 1968 on Capitol label as the fifth song (closing the A-side) of the album "Music From Big Pink" (Capitol SKAO-2955) and later in August 1968 as a single credited to "Jaime Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm" (Capitol 2269)
Highest chart position: #63 on US Billboard Hot 100 and #21 on UK Top 75 (the single), #30 on US Billboard Top 200 (the album)



Comments: Jason Ankeny for allmusic: "The Band's best-known and most enduring recording, "The Weight," is perhaps their most successful attempt at the creation of a new American mythology, a winding, impressionistic story song cut from the rural traditions of roots music - folk, country, and gospel - but re-imagined from a distinctly postmodern vantage point. "The Weight"'s writer, Robbie Robertson, once claimed the song was inspired by the work of surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel, who did pictures like Viridiana and Nazarin, which explored the "impossibility of sainthood"; however, while the song's first line - "I pulled into Nazareth" - immediately casts a spiritual light, the Nazareth in question is not the birthplace of Christ but rather the Pennsylvania town home to the Martin guitar factory. The landscape shifts similarly throughout, variously suggesting a Deep South setting and a Wild West milieu as well, but wrought throughout with anachronistic quirks which, like the films of Buñuel, together evoke a time and place removed from conventional reality. That said, Robertson's Nazareth does exist on a spiritual plane - one of the song's characters, ol' Luke, is "waitin' on the Judgment Day," while another, Carmen, walks with the Devil (...) Ultimately, "The Weight" of the title appears to concern the mounting burdens and demands of society which no one individual can reasonably shoulder, but even that seems oversimplified; the song operates on far too many levels (musical, narrative, and symbolic) to fit any single interpretation."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1969 live at Woodstock)


24. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby



Points: 863
Biggest fans: Nassim and nicolas (#6), Romain (#11), Listyguy (#13), Mindrocker (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #116 of the 1960s and #347 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #4
Style: Baroque Pop
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on April 28-29 and June 6, 1966 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Released on August 5, 1966 on the UK on Parlophonel label simultaneously as a double-side A single with "Yellow Submarine" (Parlophone R 5493) and as the second song on the album "Revolver" (Parlophone PCS 7009), it was released on the USA three days later, on August 8, 1966 on Capitol label (single Capitol 5175, album Capitol ST-2576)
Highest chart position: #1 on UK Top 75 and #11 on US Billboard Hot 100 (the single), #1 on US Billboard Top 200 and on UK Albums Chart (the album)



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "Writing-wise, it was principally the work of Paul McCartney, who gave the piece one of his most outstanding sad melodies. In the main the lyrics were the sketch of lonely spinster Eleanor Rigby, although another lonely elderly figure, Father McKenzie, also has a prominent role. In a broader sense, the Beatles could be commenting here on the alienation of people in the modern world as a whole, with a pessimism that is rare in a Beatles track (and rarer still in a McCartney-dominated one). What are these characters doing their small tasks for, and what is the point: those are the questions asked by the song, albeit in an understated tone. Pessimism about the worth of organized religion is implied in the desolate portrait of Father McKenzie and the finality of the phrase "no one was saved." Far more controversial a critique of organized religion, when you think about it, than John Lennon's famous statement of the period that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus (which landed him in a great deal of trouble). It was most unusual, then and now, in such a youth-oriented medium as rock for a group to be singing about the neglected concerns and fates of the elderly, and was thus just one example of why the Beatles' appeal reached so far beyond the traditional rock audience. The desolation of Rigby and McKenzie's lives was brilliantly amplified by the arrangement, for which producer George Martin must take much credit. Its strident strings produce emphatic, dramatic beats in the manner of a Bernard Herrmann soundtrack (Martin has admitted to being influenced by Herrmann's score for the Francois Truffaut film Fahrenheit 451 when devising "Eleanor Rigby"'s score), while the tempo variations subtly complement the lyric. Listen to how the strings increase in speed at the point where Father McKenzie is seen working, for instance."
Listyguy: "Great stringwork."
nicolas: "One of my very favorite Beatles songs. George Martin's string arrangements are fabulous, and the lyrics' social commentary is quite unusual for the Beatles at that time."

You Tube link


23. The Who - My Generation



Points: 875
Biggest fans: Rocky Raccoon (#3), Listyguy (#5), Stephan (#6), Mindrocker (#10), Nassim (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #8 of the 1960s and #12 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #5
Style: Mod
Written by Pete Townshend
Recorded by The Who on October 13, 1965 at IBC Studios, London, England produced by Shel Talmy
Released on October 29, 1965 on the UK on Brunswick label (Brunswick 05944) and on November 20, 1965 on the USA on Decca label (Decca 31877)
Highest chart position: #2 on UK Top 75 and #74 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "My Generation" is the most famous Who song, and a good nominee for rock's most explosive expression of adolescent rebellion. Guitar feedback, crashing drums, power chords - all had already been heard on Who records, particularly on the 1965 single preceding "My Generation," "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere." "My Generation" delivered all of this and more with a fury and trenchant defiance that could not be matched, let alone exceeded, by any competitors. (...) The verses are call responses between Roger Daltrey, with his memorable stutter and sputter on numerous key words, answered by harmonized "talkin' bout my generation" chants from the band. That stuttering was enough on its own to ensure people took notice of this song. Some thought it was an emulation of blocked-up mod pill-heads, as had been the case with "I Can't Explain." In a more universal sense, it mirrors the barely articulated frustration of youth, especially when Daltrey stutters on a word that begins with f, though this turns out not to be the actual f-word. And there was that unforgettable assertion of hoping to die before getting old, although the Who, of course, would still be playing the number more than 30 years later, even after the guy who drummed on the track had been in the grave for more than 20 years."
Listyguy: "WHAT?!?! Only one Who song? At least it's my favorite by them."

You Tube link (great!)
You Tube link (mythical 1967 TV performance, according to Wikipedia "the performance of "My Generation" on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was another defining moment in the television comedy series. As they often did during that period, The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance. However, a stage hand, at the request of Keith Moon, had overloaded Moon's kick drum with explosives. When they were detonated, the explosion was so intense that Moon was injured by cymbal shrapnel and bandmate Pete Townshend's hearing was permanently damaged").


22. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back



Points: 888
Biggest fans: John (#2), Listyguy (#7), Nassim (#11), Chris K and Otisredding (#15)
Position in AM 3000: #17 of the 1960s and #32 of all time
Position in 1969 poll: #6
Style: Bubblegum
Written by The Corporation (Berry Gordy Jr., Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren and Deke Richards)
Recorded by The Jackson 5 on July, 1969 at The Sound Factory, Hollywood, California produced by The Corporation
Released on October 7, 1969 on Motown label (Motown M 1157)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Ed Hogan for allmusic: "The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" is a textbook example of how to start a pop music career. Their first nationally released single took the brothers to the top of both the R&B and pop charts. Originally written as "I Wanna Be Free," "I Want You Back" was written by Freddie Perren, Fonce Mizell, and Deke Richards, who along with Berry Gordy became known as the Motown songwriting/arranging/producing collective the Corporation. Perren, Mizell, and Richards thought the song would be great for Motown acts Gladys Knight and the Pips or Diana Ross. After approaching label president Gordy, it was rewritten for a five-member teenaged brothers singing group from Gary, IN, he'd just signed. Gordy wanted the group to be an updated version of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers ("Why Do Fools Fall in Love") and this song seemed to be the perfect career-launching vehicle. The recording session for the extremely energetic "I Want You Back" lists Perren and Mizell on piano, Crusaders bassist Wilton Felder, guitarists David T. Walker, Louis Shelton, and Don Peake doubling the bass line, and drummer Gene Pello. With an introduction by Diana Ross, the Jackson 5 performed the song on ABC-TV's The Hollywood Palace in the fall of 1969."
Listyguy: "Insanely catchy and upbeat."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1969 on Hollywood Palace TV show)


21. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine



Points: 894
Biggest fans: Romain (#5), Rocky Raccoon (#12), nicolas (#15), Henrik and Henry (#16)
Position in AM 3000: #6 of the 1960s and #8 of all time
Position in 1968 poll: #4
Style: Psychedelic Soul
Written by Barret Strong and Norman Whitfield
Recorded by Marvin Gaye on April 10, 1967 at Hitsville USA, Detroit, Michigan produced by Norman Whitfield
Released on October 30, 1968 on Tamla label (Tamla T 54176)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 and on UK Top 75



Comments: Jason Ankeny for allmusic: "Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is Motown's greatest record - really, what's better? Even obscured by years of oldies radio overkill and Big Chill nostalgia it retains a hypnotic power unmatched by any of the label's other classics, articulating the turmoil and anguish of a soul torn apart at the seams with a clarity unmatched in the annals of popular music. On its surface a desperate plea to salvage a relationship gone terribly wrong, "Grapevine" progressively probes much deeper to convey complete emotional free-fall: haunted by lies, taunted by gossip and shattered by loss, Gaye's torment is palpable, and his performance - the signature sophistication and elegance of his voice ravaged by fear and doubt - is devastating. The repetitive electric piano figure and voodoo rhythms which open the song ominously foreshadow the troubles on the horizon; sinister and serpentine, Norman Whitfield's production twists the knife even further into Gaye's back, orchestrating a rumor-mill chorus of whispers and echoes which reiterate the singer's shame and humiliation over and over again."
Listyguy: "This song always make me wonder: Who's the original version by?"
nicolas: "Berry Gordy didn’t like this number written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Of the three Motown artists who recorded it (Smokey, Marvin and Gladys) it’s Gaye’s version, herald of psychedelic soul, who had the biggest success. Gordy, who hadn’t wished to release the song as a single, had to think better of it when DJs and listeners from all around the country called for it. As a result: a sales record for Motown. Whitfield had Marvin sing the song in an unusually high tone. Marvin had found his vocal signature, and shines with all his elegance on this seminal song."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1968 live version)

The top 20 are(?)

Animals, House of the Rising Sun, 1964
Beach Boys, God Only Knows, 1966
Beach Boys, Good Vibrations, 1966
Beatles, A Day in the Life, 1967
Beatles, Tomorrow Never Knows, 1966
Beatles, Strawberry Field Forever, 1967
David Bowie, Space Oddity, 1969
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fortunate Son, 1969
Bob Dylan, Like A Rolling Stone, 1965
Bob Dylan, Blowin' in the Wind, 1963
Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower, 1968
Kinks, Waterloo Sunset, 1967
Love, Alone Again Or, 1967
Otis Redding, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, 1968
Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter, 1969
Rolling Stones, Paint It Black, 1966
Rolling Stones, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, 1965
Rolling Stones, Sympathy For the Devil, 1968
Ronettes, Be My Baby, 1963
Velvet Underground, Sunday Morning, 1966

If I'm not mistaken the list is correct except "Blowin' in the Wind" should be replaced by Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".

Exactly, Henrik. “Blowin’ in the Wind” ended at #76 (a surprisingly low position) and “A Change Is Gonna Come” was originally conceived by Cooke as an answer to the questions that Dylan let blowing in the wind.

Another question: I found quite funny how nicolas comment on the #21 song (“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”) answered Listyguy's one. But going deeper:
- The Miracles were the first ones to record it (on August 6, 1966) but this version was deemed unreleasable due to Gordy’s veto during Friday meetings at Hitsville USA’s Quality Control Department. The first release of this original version would be delayed until 1998 as part of the compilation "Motown Sings Motown Treasures" (although a second version recorded in 1968 was released on the Miracles album "Special Occasion" on September 1968). You can listen on You Tube the first Miracles version (unreleased at the time) and the second version.
- Marvin Gaye's version was the second to be recorded (on April 17, 1967) after an argument between Gaye and Norman Whitfield (as nicolas mentioned, Whitfield conviced Marvin to sing in a hig rasp). Gordy didn't like that version too and refused to release it initially. After the success of Gladys Knight version he agreed to release both Smokey and Marvin's versions. Marvin Gaye's version was the last of the three to be released, on October 30, 1968 (almost a year and a half after the recording). However Gaye's version was, as Nicolas mentioned too, the biggest hit (#1 both in Pop and R&B charts) proving that Gordy (sometimes) was wrong.
- Gladys Knight & the Pips were the third Motown act recording the track (on June 17, 1967) but the first one seeing the song finally released (on September 28, 1967). This version was funkier that the previous two (influenced by Aretha Franklin style) and went straight to the #1 on the R&B charts. Here's the You Tube link.
- So, Listyguy, the story is so complicated that I'm not sure about the answer to your question. But after listening to the three versions the one thing I'm sure is that Gaye's was the best one.

Honorio (about Marvin Gaye) : I think Berry Gordy missed the psychedelic turn, and later the will of artists like Marvin or Stevie to have extended control on their records but that's another decade...

Two of my favorites, gone.

A stab at the order:

20. David Bowie, Space Oddity, 1969
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fortunate Son, 1969
18. Animals, House of the Rising Sun, 1964
17. Rolling Stones, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, 1965
16. Rolling Stones, Paint It Black, 1966
15. Love, Alone Again Or, 1967
14. Ronettes, Be My Baby, 1963
13. Velvet Underground, Sunday Morning, 1966
12. Beatles, Tomorrow Never Knows, 1966
11. Sam Cooke, A Change is Gonna Come, 1965
10. Rolling Stones, Sympathy For the Devil, 1968
09. Otis Redding, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, 1968
08. Beatles, Strawberry Field Forever, 1967
07. Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower, 1968
06. Kinks, Waterloo Sunset, 1967
05. Beach Boys, Good Vibrations, 1966
04. Beatles, A Day in the Life, 1967
03. Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter, 1969
02. Beach Boys, God Only Knows, 1966
01. Bob Dylan, Like A Rolling Stone, 1965

Feels strange putting "A Day in the Life" so low, but the three I placed above it seem like songs that nobody really dislikes.

My choice :
20. Bob Dylan, Like A Rolling Stone, 1965
19. Love, Alone Again Or, 1967
18. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fortunate Son, 1969
17. Beatles, Tomorrow Never Knows, 1966
16. Beach Boys, Good Vibrations, 1966
15. Ronettes, Be My Baby, 1963
14. Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter, 1969
13. Rolling Stones, Sympathy For the Devil, 1968
12. Beatles, A Day in the Life, 1967
11. Velvet Underground, Sunday Morning, 1966
10. Beach Boys, God Only Knows, 1966
09. Sam Cooke, A Change is Gonna Come, 1965
08. Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower, 1968
07. Rolling Stones, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, 1965
06. Otis Redding, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, 1968
05. Kinks, Waterloo Sunset, 1967
04. Beatles, Strawberry Field Forever, 1967
03. David Bowie, Space Oddity, 1969
02. Rolling Stones, Paint It Black, 1966
01. Animals, House of the Rising Sun, 1964

Seriously, between the fist and the fourteenth place, all the songs are fabulous and deserve to be in the first place. What a fabulous decade.

Yes, this definitely is the golden age (especially for songs)

Romain, I suppose these are your preferences and not your try at the final Top 20 ... (but I agree, the 60s were fabulous).
And yes, nicolas, Berry Gordy had a very good nose about commercial success (in fact one of the best "noses" ever) but he didn't handle that well the artistic ambitions of his protegés. Specially with Marvin Gaye. It was not only the affair with "Grapevine" but mainly with "What's Going On". Marvin had to struggle hard to defend an album that it's now on every all-time Top 10.

Anybody who dubs their team of songwriters/executives/producers/everything else, "The Corporation" probably is going to be a person who's going to stifle creativity from the artists...

20. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son



Points: 905
Biggest fans: Miguel (#3), Rocky Raccoon (#8 ), Chris (#9), Listyguy (#10), Henry (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #49 of the 1960s and #112 of all time
Position in 1969 poll: #3
Style: Roots Rock
Written by John Fogerty
Recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival on August 1969 at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California produced by John Fogerty
Released on September 19, 1969 on Fantasy label as the B-side of the single "Down on the Corner" (Fantasy 634)
Highest chart position: #14 on US Billboard Hot 100 (the A-side went to #3)



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "Musically, though powerful, it was perhaps a shade less memorable than Creedence's other huge hits of the era, like "Down on the Corner," for instance. Lyrically, though, it was one of songwriter John Fogerty's strongest and most uncompromising statements. Too much, perhaps, has been made by some critics of a pro-working class and anti-privilege ethos in the song, with some seeing it as a blast against those wealthy families who were able to keep their sons out of Vietnam while less affluent people had less options. It's more of a screed against the privileged in general, using and subscribing to patriotism while sending others to do the dirty work of fighting. At any rate, Fogerty - who, incidentally, did serve in the army reserve and knew something about having to pay the consequences of militarism - makes his stance on the matter clear, if blunt. That's especially so in the chorus, where Fogerty hammers home the point again and again: it ain't him, he's not a fortunate son. (...) The verses are mostly a rushed three-chord background for Fogerty to spit-howl his venom against, though there's a lot of sincere soul as well, particularly when he hits the highest notes."
Listyguy: "It ain't me."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1969 live version at the Ed Sullivan Show)


19. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning



Points: 908
Biggest fans: Brad (#2), Jackson (#7), John (#8 ), Chris K (#9), Honorio (#10)
Position in AM 3000: #249 of the 1960s and #1028 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #5
Style: Dream Pop
Written by John Cale and Lou Reed
Recorded by The Velvet Underground & Nico on November 1966 at Mayfair Studios, New York City produced by Tom Wilson
Released on December 1966 on Verve label (Verve VK-10466)
Highest chart position: not charted



Comments: Wikipedia: "In late 1966, "Sunday Morning" was the final song to be recorded for "The Velvet Underground & Nico". It was requested by Tom Wilson, who thought the album needed another song with lead vocals by Nico with the potential to be a successful single. (...) Wilson brought the band into a New York City recording studio in November. The song was written with Nico's voice in mind by Lou Reed and John Cale on a Sunday morning. The band previously performed it live with Nico singing lead, but when it came time to record it, Lou Reed sang the lead vocal. Nico would instead sing backing vocals on the song. Aiming to create a hit for the album, "Sunday Morning" features noticeably more lush and professional production than the rest of the songs on the album. The song's prominent use of celesta was the idea of John Cale, who noticed the instrument in the studio and decided to use it for the song."
Honorio: "For a long time I used to think that Nico was the singer of this dreamy song and I was puzzled when I realized that this voice didn't come from the icy German beauty but from Lou-Lou. Women sounding like men, men sounding like women, drummer girls looking like boys (Mo Tucker), groupie boys looking like girls (Candy Darling). The Velvet Underground not only were pioneers singing about drugs but even predated the actual confusion of sexes."

You Tube link


18. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come



Points: 917
Biggest fans: sonofsamiam (#1), Nassim (#9), Henrik (#11), Charlie Driggs (#14), Jackson (#17)
Position in AM 3000: #39 of the 1960s and #95 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #3
Style: Soul
Written by Sam Cooke
Recorded by Sam Cooke on December 21, 1963 at RCA Studios, Los Angeles, California produced by Luigi Creatore and Hugo Peretti
Released on March 1, 1964 on RCA Victor label as the seventh song (opening the B-side) of the album "Ain't That Good News" (RCA LPM 2899), not being released as a single until January 1965 (after the singer's death) as the B-side of "Shake" (RCA 47-8486)
Highest chart position: #31 on US Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides (the single, while the A-side went to #7 Pop and #4 R&B) and #34 on US Billboard Top 200 (the album)



Comments: William Ruhlmann for allmusic: "Like everybody else in the early '60s, pop/gospel singer/songwriter Sam Cooke was affected by Bob Dylan's philosophical song about civil rights, "Blowin' in the Wind," which became a major hit in 1963. Cooke, according to his biographer, Daniel Wolff, marveled that a song on that subject could be written by a white man and that it could become a pop hit. He performed "Blowin' in the Wind" and he wrote his own "answer" song, the remarkable "A Change Is Gonna Come." The song melded gospel, blues, and protest elements into an emotional statement by a black man about where he had come from and where he and his people were going. Though openly skeptical of religion (one of the many amazing aspects of the lyrics), it makes an affirmation that answers Dylan's questions, while fully acknowledging the struggles Dylan pondered. For a man who had walked away from a gospel career and long veered between the early stirrings of soul music and harmless pop, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was a revelation."
Honorio: "A line like "I’m afraid to die, I don’t know what's up there beyond the sky" coming from a former gospel singer showed the internal turmoil of a man more eloquently than the whole career of some (supposedly) tortured artists."

You Tube link


17. Love - Alone Again Or



Points: 921
Biggest fans: Chris (#5), Brad (#9), Harold Wexler (#10), Honorio and Miguel (#11)
Position in AM 3000: #83 of the 1960s and #221 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #10
Style: Psychedelic Pop
Written by Bryan MacLean
Recorded by Love on August to September 18, 1967 at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California produced by Bruce Botnick and Arthur Lee
Released on November 1967 on Elektra label opening the album "Forever Changes" (EKS 74013) and later as a single on January 1968 (EK 45629)
Highest chart position: #99 on US Billboard Hot 100 (the single) and #154 on US Billboard Top 200 (the album)



Comments: Stewart Mason for allmusic: "Producer Bruce Botnick points out that in the crowded pop marketplace of mid-'60s AM radio, Love's competition wasn't just the Beatles or the Mamas and the Papas, but mainstream easy listening acts like Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass; as a result, the flamenco-based "Alone Again Or" features not only a fully-realized string section (by David Angel), but also a Mexican-flavored horn section featuring a climactic trumpet solo that sounds like it could have been played by Mr. A&M Records himself. Written by second guitarist Bryan MacLean in the early '60s in musical tribute to his mother, a flamenco dancer, "Alone Again Or" is lushly beautiful, but also achingly sad, thanks both to MacLean's distressed lost-love lyrics and Lee's high-register vocals, which give the song an off-kilter quality due to the fact (...) that Lee's vocals were originally meant to be simply a high harmony to MacLean's gruffer lead, but Lee pushed his own vocals front and center, mixing MacLean out almost entirely, during the album's final mix. In both respects, then, it fits perfectly as the start of Forever Changes, a jaundiced "no thank you" to the supposed sunshine and good vibes of the Summer of Love as well as Arthur Lee's own Pet Sounds, the album he intended as his personal artistic summation."
Listyguy: "Beautiful latin fusion."
Honorio: "A delicious anomaly in 60s California psychedelic scene, and even an anomaly within its own band and album. While "Forever Changes" was the work of art of Arthur Lee, "Alone Again Or" was written and sung by Bryan MacLean and featured a flamenco-style chord pattern and a Tijuana Brass-style trumpet solo. But it had a bittersweet tone common with Lee material: "And I will be alone again tonight my dear"."

You Tube link
You Tube link (Bryan MacLean solo demo)


16. David Bowie - Space Oddity



Points: 946
Biggest fans: Nassim (#2), Romain (#4), Henrik (#6), Listyguy (#15), nicolas (#18 )
Position in AM 3000: #45 of the 1960s and #104 of all time
Position in 1969 poll: #2
Style: Space Rock
Written by David Bowie
Recorded by David Bowie on June 20, 1969 at Trident Studios, London, England produced by Gus Dungeon
Released on July 11, 1969 on Phillips label on the UK (Phillips BF 1801) and on Mercury label on the USA (Mercury 72949)
Highest chart position: #5 on UK Top 75 (it was #1 when re-released in 1975) and #124 on US Billboard Hot 100



Comments: Stewart Mason for allmusic: "David Bowie's first hit single, from fall 1969, has long been associated with the first ever Apollo moon landing, with which its release coincided. In fact, it is hard to think of a song less appropriate to such a venture, as Major Tom switches off all communications with earth and prepares to spend eternity floating around in his tin can. Nevertheless, the BBC employed the song as the theme music to its coverage of the event, and Bowie swiftly found himself with a Top Five U.K. smash. (...) "Space Oddity" was originally written and recorded for a 30-minute promotional film highlighting Bowie as a songwriter, performer, and all-round artiste in 1968 - discussing its origins, Bowie has credited both Stanley Kubrick's 2001 and "a silly flirtation with smack," and both influences have been discerned by watchful students. This original recording of the song remained unreleased until 1984 brought the Love You Till Tuesday soundtrack release. Bowie returned to the song in 1969, recording it with producer Gus Dudgeon after his first choice, Tony Visconti, turned it down (...) Reissues in the U.S. in 1972 and Britain in 1975 brought further chart honors. Indeed, the latter re-release gave Bowie his first ever homeland chart-topper. "Space Oddity" remains one of the most popular songs in Bowie's entire canon. All but ever-present in his live show throughout the 1970s and 1980s, (...) he re-recorded the song for a B-side in 1980 (...) before issuing a sequel, "Ashes to Ashes," later in the year. Fittingly, it became his second U.K. number one."
Listyguy: "Bowie's blooming moment."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1969 original version for the promo film "Love You Till Tuesday")

Excellent predictions Jackson.

Here is my present prediction for the remaining placements:

15. Animals, House of the Rising Sun, 1964
14. Rolling Stones, Paint It Black, 1966
13. Ronettes, Be My Baby, 1963
12. Otis Redding, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, 1968
11. Beatles, Tomorrow Never Knows, 1966
10. Beatles, Strawberry Field Forever, 1967
09. Rolling Stones, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, 1965
08. Beach Boys, Good Vibrations, 1966
07. Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower, 1968
06. Kinks, Waterloo Sunset, 1967
05. Rolling Stones, Sympathy For the Devil, 1968
04. Beatles, A Day in the Life, 1967
03. Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter, 1969
02. Beach Boys, God Only Knows, 1966
01. Bob Dylan, Like A Rolling Stone, 1965

Do you remember a band called The Rolling Stones? Yes, they make now their first appearance on our list. Four songs only but all of them packed on the Top 15.
About the song at #11 I still remember that it ended at #10 of all time (great!) in our first Songs Poll that sonofsamiam hosted in 2005. Sadly now it's "only" #11 of the 60s.


15. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun



Points: 966
Biggest fans: Romain (#1), nicolas and Stephan (#10), Chris K and Jackson (#12)
Position in AM 3000: #45 of the 1960s and #104 of all time
Position in 1964 poll: #1
Style: Folk Rock
Written by Traditional, arranged by Alan Price
Recorded by The Animals on May 18, 1964 at De Lane Lea Studios, London, England produced by Mickey Most
Musicians: Eric Burdon (vocals), Hilton Valentine (guitar), Alan Price (organ), Chas Chandler (bass), John Steel (drums)
Released on June 19, 1964 on Columbia label on the UK as a 4'29" full version (Columbia DB 7301) and on July 164 on MGM label on the USA as a 2'28" edited version (MGM 13264)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 and on UK Top 75



Comments: Wikipedia: "Like many classic folk ballads, the authorship of "The House of the Rising Sun" is unknown. Some musicologists believe it is based on the tradition of broadside ballads such as the "Unfortunate Rake" of the 18th century which were taken to America by early settlers. (...) Alan Price of The Animals has claimed that the song was originally a sixteenth-century English folk song about a Soho brothel, and that English emigrants took the song to America where it was adapted to its later New Orleans setting. (...) Recorded in just one take on 18 May 1964, it started with a famous electric guitar A minor chord arpeggio by Hilton Valentine. The performance took off with Eric Burdon's lead vocal, which has been variously described as "howling", "soulful", and "deep and gravelly as the north-east English coal town of Newcastle that spawned him." Finally, Alan Price's pulsating organ part (played on a Vox Continental) completed the sound. Burdon later said, "We were looking for a song that would grab people's attention," and they succeeded: "House of the Rising Sun" was a true trans-Atlantic hit, topping both the UK pop singles chart (in July 1964) and the US pop singles chart (two months later in September 1964, when it became the first British Invasion number one unconnected with The Beatles)."
Listyguy: "An epic take on a folk classic."
nicolas: "In the beginning i twas a traditional folk song, played by Leadbelly and Josh White then by Dylan. The Animals changed the melody and dust this old song and put the incomparable timbre of Eric Burdon’s voice and Alan Price’s organ, the guy who invented Ray Manzarek."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1964 live version)


14. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows



Points: 968
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#4), Jackson (#5), sonofsamiam (#8 ), Miguel (#9), Listyguy (#11)
Position in AM 3000: #88 of the 1960s and #230 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #6
Style: Psychedelic Rock
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on April 6, 7 and 22, 1966 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Musicians: John Lennon (double-tracked vocals, organ, tape loops), Paul McCartney (bass, tape loops), George Harrison (sitar, tambura, backwards guitar solo, tape loops), Ringo Starr (drums, tambourine, tape loops), George Martin (honky tonk piano)
Released on August 5, 1966 on Parlophone label as the fourteenth (and last) song on the "Revolver" album (Parlophone PCS 7009)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard 200 (the album)



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "Tomorrow Never Knows" was the most experimental and psychedelic track on Revolver, in both its structure and production. This was not a song that could be easily sung by a rock group live, as the special effects and tape manipulation that were integral to the tune could not be re-created on-stage. In addition, there was a conspicuous absence of the riffs and verse-bridge-chorus-dominated construction that had colored virtually every original Beatles composition before 1966. The underpinnings of "Tomorrow Never Knows" were a single-tone drone, influenced by the group's growing interest in Indian music, and unforgettable stop-start, stuttering drum patterns by Ringo Starr. Eerie high-pitched seagull-like chanting was in the background throughout; principal composer John Lennon had actually envisioned the sound of monks chanting, and if this effect was not precisely what he had in mind, it was equally memorable. The lyrics were psychedelic, which is not just a critic's assumption: some of the words were adapted from Timothy Leary's book The Psychedelic Experience and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Regardless of the source, the lyrics were philosophical, existential, sometimes inscrutable reflections on the state of being: a heavy subject for popular music, whether in 1966 or any other year."
Listyguy: "This song sounds like LSD."

You Tube link


13. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black



Points: 969
Biggest fans: Romain (#3), Chris K and Mindrocker (#5), Chris (#7), Rocky Raccoon (#9)
Position in AM 3000: #76 of the 1960s and #196 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #3
Style: Psychedelic Rock
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Recorded by The Rolling Stones on March 6-9, 1966 at RCA Studios, Hollywood, California produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
Musicians: Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Brian Jones (sitar), Bill Wyman (bass, organ bass pedals), Charlie Watts (drums), Jack Nitzsche (piano)
Released on May 6, 1966 on London label in the USA (London 45-901) and on May 13, 1966 on Decca label in the UK (Decca F.12395)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard 100 and on UK Top 75



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "The principal riff of "Paint It Black" (almost all classic Rolling Stones songs are highlighted by a killer riff) was played on a sitar by Brian Jones and qualifies as perhaps the most effective use of the Indian instrument in a rock song. The exotic twang was a perfect match for the dark, mysterious Eastern-Indian melody, which sounded a little like a soundtrack to an Indian movie hijacked into hyperdrive. It was later reported, in fact, that "Paint It Black" had begun life in a much slower, conventional funky soul vein. When Bill Wyman began fooling around on the organ during the session doing a parody of their middle-aged original co-manager Eric Easton (who had been an organist), Charlie Watts joined in the fun and laid down an urgent double-time drum pattern, echoing the rhythm heard in some Middle Eastern dances. That rhythm survives into the final track, serving as an effective counterpoint to Jagger's moodily intoned lyric about, apparently, a dead girlfriend. The drums return to a standard hard rock rhythm in the explosive chorus, which has subtle melodic shifts of minor keys that serve as evidence of Jagger and Richards' underestimated skill at creating compelling pop hooks, in the mid-'60s at any rate."
Listyguy: "Beautifully dark song."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1966 TV performance with live vocals)


12. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction



Points: 993
Biggest fans: Henry and Rocky Raccoon (#1), Henrik and Listyguy (#4), Stephan (#8 )
Position in AM 3000: #2 of the 1960s and #2 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #2
Style: Hard Rock
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Recorded by The Rolling Stones on May 18, 1965 at RCA Studios, Hollywood, California produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
Musicians: Mick Jagger (lead vocals, backing vocals), Keith Richards (electric guitars, backing vocals), Brian Jones (acoustic guitars), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), Jack Nitzsche (piano, tambourine)
Released on June 6, 1965 on London label in the USA (London 45-9766) and on August 20, 1965 on Decca label in the UK (Decca F.12220)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard 100 and on UK Top 75



Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is the Ur-Rolling Stones song: a pounding rocker with sneering vocals and lyrics, with a blues and soul base that nonetheless is used for a guitar-based song that is definitely rock, not blues or R&B. It was also one of the defining records of the its era, reaching number one around the globe and establishing the Rolling Stones as the second-biggest band in the world, behind only the Beatles. As with many Rolling Stones songs, the key hook is the guitar riff: a fuzz-toned, insistent series of ascending and descending notes that rates among the most captivating and memorable riffs in rock history. Set against a beat suitable for foot-stomping and hand-clapping, Mick Jagger delivers the verses in a hushed, ambiguous tone that hovers between commentary and sarcastic nastiness. The group approaches the verse with a series of increasingly urgent, tense harmonizations on the words "and I try" before exploding into the chorus: a cathartic release of all the frustration that has been building throughout the song, the opening fuzz riff reappearing in full force as Jagger half-screams the title (or most of it, at any rate) in a manner that compels the listener to sing-shout along. The chorus then turns into a stream-of-consciousness catalog of complaints about the irritations of modern life, touring, the media, and (of course) getting laid. It returns again to the basic shout-hook before all instruments drop out, save a crunching drumbeat: a most effective use of the maxim "less is more" within a pop song."
Listyguy: "Classic riff."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1966 live version at the Ed Sullivan show)


11. The Ronettes - Be My Baby



Points: 1054
Biggest fans: Otisredding (#2), Honorio (#4), sonofsamiam (#7), Henrik and Mindrocker (#9)
Position in AM 3000: #9 of the 1960s and #13 of all time
Position in 1963 poll: #1
Style: Girl Group
Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector
Recorded by The Ronettes on July, 1963 at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California produced by Phil Spector
Musicians: Veronica Bennett (lead vocals, backing vocals), Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer (drums), Sonny Bono and Jack Nitzsche (percussion), Carol Kaye and Ray Pohlman (bass), Leon Russell, Al Delory and Larry Knetchell (keyboards), Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, Barney Kessel and Glen Campbell (acoustic guitars) plus two trombones, two trumpets, three saxophones, a full orchestra string section and a group of guests that provided additional backing vocals (including Darlene Love, Fanita James, Bobby Sheen, Nino Tempo, Sonny Bono and "Sonny's girlfriend, who was a gawky teenager named Cher" but not the other Ronettes Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley). I found this complete information on the great page Sound on Sound).
Released on August 1963 on Philles label (Philles 116)
Highest chart position: #2 on US Billboard 100 (and #4 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Comments: Jason Ankeny for allmusic: " "Be My Baby" announces its arrival with arguably the most dramatic introduction in all of rock & roll - Hal Blaine's drums are the Morse code of the gods - and somehow just keeps getting better from there; the quintessential Phil Spector production, it begins as the Wall of Sound but ends up a full-blown Taj Mahal, a gleaming sonic temple erected in eternal tribute to Ronettes frontwoman (and the future Mrs. Spector) Veronica Bennett. Hot on the heels of the classic "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby" unveils the complete scope of Spector's vision: a slow-burn pop symphony, it builds momentum with each passing verse, propelled by horse-gallop castanets and muted piano figures until it achieves maximum density in a majestic convergence of vocals, strings, horns, and thunderclap percussion. That Spector's most grandiose production to date would serve the least polished vocalist in his stable might seem like perverse irony, but in truth "Be My Baby" works because of Bennett, not in spite of her. While never a singer on par with, say, Darlene Love, her voice radiates pure baby-doll sexuality - she somehow transforms the sweetly sappy sentiments of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich's song into a veritable siren's call (her "whoa-oh-oh-oh" exclamations, reprised on the brilliant follow-up "Baby, I Love You," say it all), and the plaintive longing of the lyrics aside, there's never a moment of doubt that it's she who is the real object of desire here."
Listyguy: "What is the "wall of sound"???"
Honorio: "I think I'll play the game of "comments answering comments" too. Listyguy, to know what the wall of sound is just look at the list above of the musicians involved. Four guitars, three keyboards, two basses, two drummers plus percussion (these delicious castanets!), horns, strings, all playing simultaneously those teeneage symphonies turning it in "pure gold coming out from the speakers" in Spector own words. Pop was not going to be a minor style anymore."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1966 live version at the Big TNT Show)

So, the wall of sound" is just the ridiculous number of instruments used for the song?

That last five was pretty great, even with two Stones songs that I don't particularly love thrown in there (don't get me wrong; I love the Stones, but I don't understand why people who know them well could rate "Satisfaction" so highly).

"Be My Baby" performed better in this poll than it did in the all-time poll. I've loved it for a while, but my appreciation only increases with repeat listens. And "Tomorrow Never Knows" is by far my favorite Beatles song, so it's good to see it perform so well.

Compare it to what was around it - Be My Baby is on the surface a simple pop song, but if you listen intricately, it's so rich and dense.


And I also loved that last 5.

Thanx Zorg and Jackson, the last five were great. But the next five wil be better (at least in theory).
Well, Listyguy, basically the Wall of Sound is what you said but it's a lot more too. The article about that in Wikipedia is so illustrating that I really got nothing to add, I'll simply summarize some concepts and quote some parts:
- A DENSE sound achieved with instruments playing the same parts in unison, "some instruments not generally used for ensemble playing (such as electric and acoustic guitars) playing orchestrated parts, often doubling and tripling many instruments playing in unison for a fuller sound".
- He did "musical arrangements for LARGE groups of musicians up to the size of orchestras". Spector himself called his technique "a Wagnerian approach to rock & roll: little symphonies for the kids".
- And, of course, the ECHO: "Spector usually worked at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles because of its exceptional echo chambers, essential to the Wall of Sound technique. Microphones in the recording studio captured the sound, which was then transmitted to an echo chamber - a basement room outfitted with speakers and microphones. The signal from the studio was played through the speakers and would reverberate throughout the room before being picked up by the microphones. The echo laden sound was then channeled back to the control room, where it was transferred to tape. The natural reverberation and echo from the hard walls of the echo chamber gave Spector's productions their distinctive quality, and resulted in a rich, complex sound that, when played on AM radio, resulted in an impressive depth rarely heard in mono recordings".
- Back to MONO: "Despite the trend towards multi-channel recording, Spector was vehemently opposed to stereo releases, claiming that it took control of the record's sound away from the producer in favor of the listener".
- He didn't rely the sound in individual virtuosity but in the COLLECTIVE sound, although the author of the Wikipedia article don't think so: "Closer reflection indeed reveals that the Wall of Sound was quite compatible with, even supportive of, vocal protagonism. Such virtuosity was ultimately serving of Spector's own agenda - the Righteous Brothers' vocal prowess provided him a "secure and prosperous headrest".

And that’s all for today. Now... FORÇA BARÇA!!

And, now that the FC Barcelona has won the UEFA Champions League let's continue with the countdown (in my opinion the actual Barça is the best soccer team ever, and not only for the impressive amount of Cups they had won during the last years but mainly for the superb way of playing and the humble attitude of Xavi, Messi or the mister Pep Guardiola).

Well, we have 2 Beach Boys, 2 Beatles, 1 Dylan, 1 Hendrix , 1 Kinks, 1 Redding and 2 Stones. So, are your ready for...

The Top 10

If I'm allowed to continue with the soccer references the results of the next three are: Arsenal 2 - Liverpool 1


10. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil



Points: 1056
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#3), Otisredding (#4), Stephan (#5), Henry #7), Charlie Driggs and Harold Wexler (#9)
Position in AM 3000: #18 of the 1960s and #33 of all time
Position in 1968 poll: #2
Style: Rock
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Recorded by The Rolling Stones on June 4, 8, 9 an 10, 1968 at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England produced by Jimmy Miller, the sessions were recorded on film by Jean-Luc Godard for his movie "One Plus One"
Musicians: Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (electric guitar, bass), Brian Jones (acoustic guitar not audible in the final mix), Charlie Watts (drums, percussion), Bill Wyman (maracas), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Rocky Dijon (congas) plus the 'wooh 'wooh backing vocals recorded by the five Stones plus Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg and Jimmy Miller.
Released on December 6, 1968 on Decca label (UK) and on London label (USA) as the opening track on the album "Beggars Banquet" (Decca SKL 4955 and London PS 539)
Highest chart position: #5 on US Billboard 200 and #3 on UK Albums Chart (the album)



Lyrics quote: "So if you meet me / Have some courtesy / Have some sympathy and some taste / Use all your well-learned politesse / Or I'll lay your soul to waste."
Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "Sympathy for the Devil" is perhaps the most notorious and controversial Rolling Stones song, as well as one of the greatest. As the most famous tune on their 1968 album, Beggars Banquet (rivaled only, perhaps, by that LP's "Street Fighting Man"), it came out at a time when the Stones were increasingly flirting with a satanic public image. Well, "Sympathy for the Devil" took that flirt to a full-on consummation. Here was the narrator - Mick Jagger, naturally - taking on the role of the devil himself, a portrait made more distressing by his gentlemanly self-introductions. As seen in the Jean-Luc Godard film One Plus One (retitled Sympathy for the Devil for some releases), the backing track went through some radical transformations, from elementary sluggish blues-rock on acoustic guitars, before arriving at its recorded arrangement. That final arrangement was integral to the success of the song. A compelling African-like rhythm pounded out on conga drums introduces the track, the air of uneasy menace established by echoed yelps and grunts. Along with rumbling piano, those drums continue to underscore the tune, and after the first verse, Jagger is joined by soulful, wordless, high backup vocals that are both catchy and creepy. The chorus - sung with progressive vehemence as the song proceeds - is the embodiment of Jagger's persona in his song: an evil figure who charms and refuses to disclose the true nature of his identity and intentions. The guitar solo is one of Keith Richards' most economic and incisive, like flames licking at the devil's feet."
Listyguy: "An epic masterpiece."
nicolas: "1968. The Stones record Beggar’s Banquet. For Brian Jones, it’s already the beginning of the end. For the band, it’s the first album of a superb tetralogy (until Exile On Main Street), where they revisited American roots music with brio and accuracy. Who needs to be introduced to the "Whoo Whoo" song with its tribal percussions and satanic lyrics? Less funny: the day when the band played it at Altamont the violence burst out (see the movie Gimme shelter)."

You Tube link
You Tube link (Godard's "One Plus One" trailer)
Video link (1968 "Rock & Roll Circus" live version)


9. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset



Points: 1098
Biggest fans: Brad, Jackson and Miguel (#1), Listyguy (#8 ), Chris (#10), John (#11)
Position in AM 3000: #27 of the 1960s and #57 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #3
Style: Pop Rock
Written by Ray Davies
Recorded by The Kinks on April, 1967 at Pye Studios, London, England produced by Ray Davies
Musicians: Ray Davies (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Dave Davies (electric guitar, backing vocals), Pete Quaife (bass, backing vocals), Mick Avory (drums, percussion), Nicky Hopkins (piano)
Released on May 7, 1967 on Pye label in the UK (Pye 7N.17321) and on July 26, 1967 on Reprise label in the USA (Reprise 0612)
Highest chart position: #2 on UK Top 75 (not ranked on US Hot 100)



Lyrics quote: "But I don't need no friends / As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset / I am in paradise."
Comments: Tom Magginis for allmusic: " "Waterloo Sunset" is one of those pop songs so perfect, so immediately familiar, that it feels as if it were plucked from the air and taken form in a rare moment of musical grace. (...) The song was released as a single and rose to #2 on the charts in the U.K. but was virtually ignored in America. Perhaps this is not so surprising in that "Waterloo Sunset" is an uncharacteristically straight -faced love letter to Davies’ native London. (...) As the track opens to a seemingly endless descending progression, giving way to heartily strummed acoustics and aching guitar figure in anticipation of the bittersweet vocal melody, the sensation is like falling into a giant soft pillow. (...) Much of Waterloo Sunset was derived from childhood memories of being a bit of a homebody, preferring to stay in while his siblings ventured out into the big city, content to gaze at the sunset from his boyhood home on a hill that overlooked the Waterloo underground station. This provides an almost cinematic setting when considering the lines, "Every day I look at the world from my window / But chilly chilly is evening time / Waterloo sunset’s fine". We can picture the young Ray watching his sister meet a friend on their way to the city, "Terry meets Julie, Waterloo Station / Every Friday night / But I am so lazy, don’t want to wander / I stay at home at night / But I don’t feel afraid / As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset / I am in paradise", preferring the comfort of home over the frequently damp London evenings."
Honorio: "A boy called Ray Davies peeping to the world through his window wrapped in a warm blanket of sweet vocal harmonies, as long as he gazes to Waterloo sunset he's in paradise."
Listyguy: "Waterloo Sunset's fine."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1967 TV performance)


8. The Beatles- Strawberry Fields Forever



Points: 1126
Biggest fans: Honorio, Listyguy and Rocky Raccoon (#2), Otisredding (#5), Brad, Miguel and Romain (#8 )
Position in AM 3000: #10 of the 1960s and #17 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #4
Style: Psychedelic Pop
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on November 24, 29 and 29 and December 8, 9, 15 and 21, 1966 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Musicians: John Lennon (doubled-tracked lead vocals, electric guitar, piano. maracas), Paul McCartney (mellotron, bass, timpani), George Harrison (electric slide guitar, swordmandel, bongos), Ringo Starr (drums, percussion, backward cymbals), additional percussion (Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, Terry Doran), four trumpets (Tony Fisher, Greg Bowen, Derek Watkins, Stanley Roderick) and three cellos (John Hall, Derek Simpson, Norman Jones)
Released on February 17, 1967 on Parlophone label in the UK as a double A-sided single with "Penny Lane" (Parlophone R 5770) and on Februray 13, 1967 on Capitol label in the USA (Capitol 5810)
Highest chart position: #2 on UK Top 75 and #7 on US Billboard Hot 100 (while "Penny Lane" reached to #1)



Lyrics quote: "Living is easy with eyes closed / Misunderstanding all you see."
Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: "The song's effect was greatly enhanced by its production, with an arrangement that would undergo numerous changes during the course of the recording process. Two finished versions were completed, one closer to the song's folky origins, one more orchestrated. John Lennon wanted to use portions from each, and asked George Martin to combine them, despite the fact that they had been recorded in different keys and tempos. In his most famous production feat of all, Martin slowed one portion down and sped up the other, finding that - miraculously - both the tempos and the keys then matched. That accounts in large part for the magnificently varied moods and textures of the final track, with its unearthly opening mellotron introduction (mistaken by some for flutes) leading into the gently delivered initial chorus and verse. The atmosphere becomes tenser and effectively underscores the ambiguity of the song's lyrics, as funereal marching brass is introduced, making the promise of Strawberry Fields' dream world seem more ominous, even menacing (especially when a noise like that of a spade digging a grave is hard). The song comes to a glorious close with several repetitions of the title chorus and a fadeout with lovely guitar, cello, and swordmandel (played by George Harrison). But wait - that isn't quite the end. After a few seconds of dead air, a totally unrelated and quite dissonant piece of musique concrète fades in, with crunchy Ringo Starr drum rolls, nightmarish flute mellotrons, and a noise that sounds like muted ambulance horns. This coda again could signify that the placid dreamscape of Strawberry Fields isn't all it seems, and that a hellish whirlwind could be lurking just underneath."
Listyguy: "Tough to put this second, but Jimi's just too good."
Honorio: "Nostalgic vignettes of a misty Liverpool dreamed from the deserts of Almeria. Lennon turned his childhood memories into a psychedelic trip where "nothing is real" and "living is easy with eyes closed". Now we know that his infancy was not exactly happy, being abandoned by his parents and evolving hardly from the classroom strangest boy to the working class hero he would become."

You Tube link
You Tube link (left channel) and You Tube link (right channel)

Damn, I was hoping Strawberry Fields Forever could beat A Day in the Life. I've never seen why A Day in the Life is so loved.

Interesting how the same man (Nicky Hopkins) played piano on Waterloo Sunset and Sympathy for the devil.

"Waterloo Sunset" placed one spot lower than it did in the all-time poll despite 3 (!) number one votes. Looks like "All Along the Watchtower" (17) and "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" (22) passed it, but I can't complain too much because those are both great songs.

Sorry I didn't help it out - Waterloo Sunset would have been my #1 as well if I'd voted...

Yes, I was surprised too after doing the Excel file, I expected a Top 5 placement when I was receiving the lists. It was also Top 25 for 13 out of 20 voters.


Yes, Listyguy, Nicky Hopkins was a fantastic session musician that not only worked with the Stones (although it will be always remebered for that, particularly for the piano parts on "Sympathy for the Devil" or "She's a Rainbow") but with many others. You can hear his outstanding work in albums like "Sticky Fingers", "Who's Next" or "Imagine" (all three on the same year, 1971!!). By the way, he will appear later on this same list.
About his part on "Waterloo Sunset" I'm not that sure, I haven't found the credits on that particular song so I used the credits for the "Something Else" album (where Nicky has a quite prominent role), but listening again to the song I realized that there is a piano on the last seconds of the song (that I suppose it was played by Hopkins too).

Hopkins is a pianist virtually without peers, if you want to hear more Hopkins check out Jamming With Edward, Edward being Nicky, a jam album with 3 Stones, Ry Cooder and of course Hopkins. Not a terribly good album, but the piano playing is amazing. Also check out Nicky's own album The Tin Man Was A Dreamer, an excellent album mostly because of his playing, but even his writing and singing are quite good.

Never listened to those albums, but I'll definitely check it if they're available at Spotify. Many thanks, Stephan.

I've recently been digging into session musicians venturing out on their own, which has been rather rewarding. Other session men extraordinaire include:
Eddie Hinton, famous for playing lead guitar with Muscle Shoals and even impressing Dylan with his musical knowledge, whose album Very Extremely Dangerous is very extremely rewarding and perfectly explains why he's called the white Otis
Dan Penn, one of the great white soul singers who penned many a hit but preferred to stay anonymous and thus only released one (amazing) album in his heyday: Nobody's Fool.

Both of these albums will be featuring in my underrated albums list.

Without a doubt the greatest football team ever. There are few teams where David Villa would be overshadowed by three guys behind him (I am of course talking about Xavi, Iniesta and naturally Messi). Can I also say that I predicted the 3-1 result (though unfortunately I didn't bet on it).

Sad Sympathy For the Devil didn't do better. Arsenal should've been top of the league! (or second to Minnesota Vikings).

While we wait for the final 7, here are some random thoughts/questions about the list so far. Feel free to comment if you like, but if no one has the time or inclination to respond, that's fine too...

The Marcels – Blue Moon. This song puts me in a good mood every time I listen to it. I love it, but there’s no logical explanation for why I love it. I usually like a song or album because of a gut feeling, and then afterwards I think of reasons for why I like it. Do you also respond to music intuitively or do you approach a song or album with clear-cut notions of what good music or bad music should be all about?

Return to Sender by Elvis Presley is (to quote) "about a guy who sends a letter to a girl, but she refuses to read it, instead writing 'Return to Sender' on it and having it sent back to him. Our hero has a hard time believing she doesn't want to read the letter, so he sends it special delivery to make sure it arrives. When that letter gets sent back, he decides to hand-deliver it."

I think the premise of this song is hilarious. Do you like a song more if it’s funny?

Henry Mancini – Moon River. I really like this song, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s more than just a little sentimental. Why is it so popular among AM’ers despite its sentimental core?

Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues. Does anyone else think this song was the origin of hip-hop?

The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows. Does anyone else think this song was the origin of electronic music?

The Beatles – I Want to Hold Your Hand. Why did this song not make the final round? What’s wrong with it? It’s quintessential early Beatles IMO. It contains the most catchy melody you could hope for and the chorus is a euphoric knock-out. A top 100 songs of the 60’s without it seems outrageous.

Pharoah Sanders – The Creator Has a Masterplan. I’m not religious yet this is one of my favourite discoveries of the 60’s. In fact, it makes me glad that we live in a world where this kind of far-out but awe-inspiring music is celebrated in some circles. Are there any other songs that make you feel the same way?

Roy Orbison – In Dreams. The range of Roy Orbison’s voice is amazing (apparently he had a range of 4 octaves). Does someone's voice affect your appreciation of a song?

The Miracles – The Tracks of My Tears. Does anyone else wish that male singers would have the balls to show their sensitive side a bit more often?

The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset. I’ve experienced a beautiful Waterloo sunset in London myself, so I can relate to the song. If you know the location mentioned in a song, does it make you like the song more? (I guess this kind of links in with the World Tour game that just started.)

No.

And, as much as I'd like to say yes, no. Both originate several decades earlier. For Subterranean an argument could be made as the first use in 'pop music', but it'd be a rather weak argument. Tomorrow was preceded even in 'pop music' by more than a decade, Hermann's score for The Day the Earth Stood Still, for example.

comes in handily as THEEE rhetoric question considering the same old ancient struggle between teenage girl vs boy markets during all those aeons, so the answer might be as deuce as 42.

But were they a pleasant experience?

Many thanks for your comments, Dan M (and Zorg and nj and Stephan). Especially because you ask us (or yourself really) about the reasons of music enjoyment. Of course, if a song puts you in a good mood (“Blue Moon”), in a spiritual mood (“Creator”), in a funny mood (“Sender”) or in a sentimental mood (“Moon River”, by the way, what's wrong about getting sentimental?) this enhances your enjoyment. If you experienced a sunset in Waterloo Station too, and you can share the feelings that this produced in Ray Davies as a child, that's not only part of charm but maybe his main appeal. If a song gets to you in a personal level, if it becomes part of your own life, that's the way a songwriter really succeeds. Hate to quote myself but this was the comment about Radiohead's “No Surprises” I did for the 2005 poll: “Morrissey said in his song “Panic” that we should hang the DJ “because the music that he constantly play it says nothing to me about my life”. Songs are pieces of other people’s lives that only gets its true sense when are integrated in yours”.


7. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter



Points: 1142
Biggest fans: Harold Wexler (#3), Chris (#4), Nassim (#5), Henrik (#8 ), Chris K and Jackson (#11)
Position in AM 3000: #55 of the 1960s and #130 of all time
Position in 1969 poll: #1
Style: Blues Rock
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Recorded by The Rolling Stones on February 23, 24 and 25, 1969 at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England and November 2, 1969 at Elektra Studios, Los Angeles, California produced by Jimmy Miller
Musicians: Mick Jagger (lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (electric guitars, backing vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), Merry Clayton (lead vocals, backing vocals), Nicky Hopkins (electric piano), Jimmy Miller (percussion)
Released on December 5, 1969 on Decca label (UK) and on November 29, 1969 on London label (USA) as the opening track on the album "Let It Bleed" (Decca SKL 5025 and London NPS 4)
Highest chart position: #3 on US Billboard 200 and #1 on UK Albums Chart (the album)



Lyrics quote: "Rape, murder / Is just a shot away."
Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "Gimme Shelter" is the Rolling Stones song most apt to be called apocalyptic (...) The most striking feature of the cut makes itself known right away: the shaky, shimmering guitar leads, whose catchiness nonetheless is imbued with a feeling of impending doom. The eerie, high, wordless vocals and dramatic piano that preface the verse add to the feeling that something dreadful is approaching just over the horizon. The verses are rather ordinary and workmanlike in comparison to the chorus, another great catchy Stones chorus that can be half-shouted and half-sung along with. The words, as in many Jagger/Richards songs, are ambivalent and ambiguous, not to mention sometimes difficult to understand even literally. The group might be seeking shelter from an oncoming disaster, or they might be seeking shelter in the escape offered by someone's love, or they might be seeking both. Sex and death: they can be strong bedfellows, and that's the coupling conveyed by "Gimme Shelter," even if that coupling is more implied by the mood than definitely spelled out by the words. To further establish the sense of uneasy tension that pervades the song, the Stones took the unusual step of having some of the backup vocals, and even some of the lead vocals, sung by African-American session singer Merry Clayton, who was able to reach full, high notes that Mick Jagger could not have. "Gimme Shelter" is sometimes assumed to have been written by the band about their disastrous free concert at Altamont in December 1969, but that wasn't the case. Let It Bleed was released that very month, as it happens, but of course "Gimme Shelter" had been written and recorded sometime before that. Some pundits have mused that "Gimme Shelter" presciently foresaw the demise of the 1960s and all that decade stood for, but if it foresaw any catastrophe, one could say that was Altamont itself."
Listyguy: "Spine chilling females vocals, which add beautiful emphasis to that famous line: "Rape Murder"."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1969 live at Altamont)


6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower



Points: 1147
Biggest fans: Listyguy (#1), Henry (#2), Nassim (#3), Rocky Raccoon (#4), Brad and Charlie Driggs (#6)
Position in AM 3000: #36 of the 1960s and #84 of all time
Position in 1968 poll: #1
Style: Psychedelic Rock
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on January 21, 1968 at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England and June-August, 1968 at Record Plant Studios, New York City produced by Jimi Hendrix. Wikipedia about the sessions at Record Plant: "engineer Tony Bongiovi has described Hendrix becoming increasingly dissatisfied as the song progressed, overdubbing more and more guitar parts, moving the master tape from a four-track to a twelve-track to a sixteen-track machine". You can find details about the sessions on Sound on Sound
Musicians: Jimi Hendrix (lead vocals, electric guitars, acoustic guitar, bass), Mitch Mitchell (drums, percussion), Dave Mason (acoustic guitar)
Released on September 21, 1968 on Reprise label in the USA (Reprise 0767) and on October 29, 1969 on Track label in the UK (Track 604025)
Highest chart position: #5 on UK Top 75 and #20 on US Billboard Hot 100



Lyrics quote: "Businessmen, they drink my wine / Plowmen dig my earth."
Comments: John Bush for allmusic: "Returning to the (somewhat) more straightforward narrative feel of his earlier songwriting, "All Along the Watchtower" was one of the highlights of Bob Dylan's long-awaited return to the music world, 1968's John Wesley Harding. (...) Dylan recounts a short conversation between two men, one a joker despairing that the world is filled with robbers while the other, ironically a thief, reassures him with the words: "There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke." This inversion of common roles and the obvious constraint felt by both ("There must be some way out of here" are the first words of the song) can be seen in the context of Dylan's own place in music. His year of seclusion - following a mid-1966 motorcycle accident - was seen by many as a way to slow down the rush of both industry and the media anointing him the voice of the decade. The Biblical imagery and apocalyptic words ("the hour is getting late") also point to an end-of-the-world tale, though Dylan is a notoriously difficult songwriter to pin down with the usual conventions. (...) While at a party just a few weeks after John Wesley Harding was released, Jimi Hendrix remarked to Traffic's Dave Mason that he wanted to record "All Along the Watchtower." Within a few days, the pair were in London's Olympic Studios recording with drummer Mitch Mitchell. Raging and climactic where Dylan's had been soft-paced and relaxed, Hendrix's version became a rock standard. Perhaps the most glowing tribute to Hendrix came from Dylan himself, who began performing his own song in a version closer to Hendrix's than the original."
Honorio: "A legendary four-part guitar solo: 1º bluesy with string bending 2º with slide and echo 3º with his landmark wah wah 4º with crazy funky rhythm."
nicolas: "The best Dylan cover ever. And probably one of the best guitar solos ever as well."
Listyguy: "One of the most warped covers on the planet."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1970 live at Atlanta)

First question : the human voice is my favorite instrument (I sing myself) so it matters very much to me. Even in real life I pay a lot of attention to people's voices (I love my wife's voice for instance, even if she can't sing !!). So if you look at my favorite singers (Springsteen, Neil Young, Brassens, Dylan, Waits, Wonder, orbison, Cash...), they all have great, distinctive voices.

Second question : I love "big boys don't cry" songs especially when they come from sexist or macho genres like soul or hard rock. I wish you could find such lyrics in rap...

It appears to me that we will have two Beach Boys songs in the top 5. If this estimation is correct, it is quite a surprise to me. I think the Beach Boys provide harmonies that are outstanding. When I saw the Beach Boys in concert in 1974, they delivered a fantastic performance as the crowd sang along with them on every song.

Yeah,maybe it's slightly surprising - thought maybe Gimme Shelter would be in the top 5 instead of Good Vibrations or Dock Of The Bay...

Surprising? Both of those songs typically finish top 5 all-time for us!

"Gimme Shelter" down at 7 is surprising. It's hard to envision anyone ranking that song low.

Yeah, shouldn't be too surprising to see The Beach Boys in the top 5. We actually love melodious songs as much as the next guy, we just happen to love the VU as well.

Perhaps the combination of:
1) TWO Beach Boys songs in the top 5, and
2) ZERO Stones songs in the top 5 could be viewed as surprising to some others (as it is to me). This is not at all an unpleasant surprise, merely unexpected.

Based on earlier remarks, I can now expect that if this type of surprise deeply perturbs others normative (controlling?) perspectives regarding surprises they will inform me promptly

Gimme Shelter won bracketology, I though it was a shoe-in for the top 5.
Most overrated song in the top 5: A Day in the Life
Not even close to being the best Beatle's song, I don't get it's acclaim at all.
Most unnderrated: Sitin' on the Dock of the Bay
I'm loving this! It's in the top 5! I wasn't sure it would make the top 10!
Also, All Along the Watchtower finished in a great spot. Glad to see it beat out some heavy hitters.
Final five prediction:
1. Like A Rolling Stone (It can't be beat)
2. Sitin' on the Dock of the Bay (A boy can dream!)
3. God Only Knows
4. Good Vibrations
5. A Day in the Life

I would be interested in understanding your view of the other top Beatles songs in this poll.

As I recall, they were Strawberry Fields Forever and Tomorrow Never Knows. I prefer A Day in the Life to either of these. But, in my view none of these three are the best Beatles song.

As I've said a few times before, to me A Day In The Life is just another strong song in the Beatles' collection. I don't get it's such extreme high placement.

It's hard for me to pick a favorite Beatles song, but in addition to Strawberry Fields and Tomorrow Never Knows, I would consider While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Norwegian Wood, Eleanor Rigby, She Said She Said, and a few others.

There is an interesting book that discusses VU at length at http://books.google.com/books?id=JNctDAFKuioC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=ellen+willis+velvet+underground&source=bl&ots=8vwwKZNOMw&sig=JfE6NP0jcMEGeHsqkonRwpxFNb4&hl=en&ei=-ATnTY7uNIL0swOkwc2TDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=ellen%20willis%20velvet%20underground&f=false

Please check out pages 71-81. In my view the article provides a very positive and deeply insightful review of VU with some interesting comparisons to The Who.

Maybe you could find interesting a 2009 thread about this. I posted there my Ten Reasons why I love so much "A Day in the Life" (despite having also "Strawberry Fields Forever" higher on my list). Maybe I can reproduce it in this thread too. But later because now it's time for the...

5. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay



Points: 1177
Biggest fans: nicolas (#1), Listyguy (#3), Henry (#5), Rocky Raccoon (#6), Honorio (#7), Jackson (#10)
Position in AM 3000: #5 of the 1960s and #7 of all time
Position in 1968 poll: #3
Style: Southern Soul
Written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding
Recorded by Otis Redding on November 22 and December 8, 1967 at Stax Studios, Memphis, Tennessee produced by Steve Cropper (Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, only two days after the session)
Musicians: Otis Redding (vocals and whisltling), Steve Cropper (guitars), Booker T Jones (keyboards), Donald 'Duck' Dunn (bass), Alan Jackson Jr. (drums), Ben Cauley and Wayne Jackson (trumpets), Andrew Love and Tommy Lee Williams (saxes)
Released on January 8, 1968 on Volt label (Volt 45-157)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 on Billboard Hot R&B Sides)



Lyrics quote: "Sittin' here resting my bones / And this loneliness won't leave me alone."
Comments: Matthew Greenwald for allmusic: "Otis Redding's only record that went to the top of both the pop and R&B charts was, sadly, only realized after his untimely passing. The song itself gave birth after Redding's breakout at the Monterey International Pop Festival. After the performance, Redding took a well-deserved break and laid low in a houseboat that he rented on the Monterey Peninsula. The song's easy groove and calm feel no doubt reflected Redding's state of mind at the time. It's an odd combination of folk, soul, and country, but it works like a charm. Lyrically, the pain of artistry and the rigors of the entertainment industry were wearing on him, and it's to his credit that he was able to convey this so poetically. Steve Cropper lovingly embellished the track after Redding's death, and it ends up being a tribute to his artistry. Brilliant."
Honorio: "Like Spanish hero Cid, Otis Redding won battles after his death. Steve Cropper mixed this track that Otis recorded just before dying in a plane crash. A calm song that was composed in a rented houseboat at San Francisco Bay after the Monterey Festival, pointing that "nothing’s gonna change / everything still remains the same". He had already conquered the throne of soul in Monterey, but this great song gives us an idea of the heights he could have reached."
Listyguy: "Brilliant vocals by Otis, and an epic whistle solo."
nicolas: "Or how to make the perfect song: melody, lyrics, magical performance by Otis (special mention to Steve Cropper's guitar). The song in which black and white music blend together. The bridge "look out, nothing’s gonna change" is probably one of the best 15 seconds of music in the sixties. Rest in peace, man."

You Tube link


4. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations



Points: 1207
Biggest fans: Mindrocker (#1), Henry, Stephan and Otisredding (#3), Honorio (#8 ), Charlie Driggs and Rocky Raccoon (#10)
Position in AM 3000: #3 of the 1960s and #3 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #2
Style: Sunshine Pop
Written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson
Recorded by The Beach Boys on February 17,18 and 25, May 24, June 2, 16 and 18, August 24 and September 1, 1966 at Gold Star Studios, United Western Studios and Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, California produced by Brian Wilson
Musicians: Brian Wilson (lead vocals on falsetto, chorus and bridge), Carl Wilson (lead vocals on verses, bass guitar and percussion), Mike Love (lead vocals on chorus and bridge), Dennis Wilson (vocals, Hammond organ), Al Jardine (vocals), Bruce Johnston (vocals), Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon (drums, percussion), Glen Campbell (guitar), Paul Tanner (electro-theremin), Don Randi (harpsichord), Larry Knechtel (Hammond organ), Al de Lory (tack piano), Carol Kaye and Ray Pohlman (bass guitar), Jimmy Bond and Lyle Ritz (upright bass), Tommy Morgan (harmonica) and Jesse Ehrlich (cello)
Released on October 10, 1966 on Capitol label (Capitol 5676)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 and on UK Top 75



Lyrics quote: "I'm pickin' up ggod vibrations / She's givin' me the excitations."
Comments: John Bush for allmusic: " "Good Vibrations," the Beach Boys' 1966 entry into the best-single-of-all-time sweepstakes, announced the coming era of pop experimentation with a rush of riff changes, echo-chamber effects, and intricate harmonies, plus the very first theremin ever heard on a pop record. The natural grace of the song belied the months of recording and mountain of tape reels it required, however. Though Brian Wilson's self-described "pocket symphony" was his masterpiece, its creation effectively put the coda on his production career and he was never the same again. (...) The single is so catchy it's no wonder radio stations played it to death, but "Good Vibrations" is an amazingly free-form song. It's just barely connected to the verse-chorus-verse standard for pop songs, continually switching from section to section -- all of them just partially related -- in a fragmented style that allies it with the cut-and-paste efforts of '60s experimentalists like William Burroughs. It utilized every one of the session-master instrumentalists Wilson had collected during the previous few years, plus a few unlikely instruments including cellos and a theremin. The latter, an electric instrument whose invention dated to 1919, produced an eerie, high-pitched tone that modulated its pitch and volume based on the player's hand movements above and next to the instrument."
Honorio: "Brian Wilson made a titanic effort to obtain what many people consider the best song ever. Seven months of recordings in three different recording studios, creating small musical fragments later placed in a meticulous sound collage, complex but accessible, innovative but addictive, luminous, magical, exciting. But now we know that this creative effort left the unstable Brian exhausted and disturbed."

You Tube link
You Tube link (1967 TV performance)

So it's these three rascals again!

For my money I think Like A Rolling Stone will take it (though my heart wishes God Only Knows), though I heartily endorse any way that these last three go, since I love them all so much.

So, here we are, with the same three pictures that we can see in the beginning of the thread. Now Lennon is looking at Dylan wondering if the #1 could go to "Like a Rolling Stone" and Macca looks to Brian Wilson asking himself if "God Only Knows" would be the chosen one. And Dylan and Wilson are looking at the Fab Two wondering if "A Day in the Life" would deserve the top spot.



I suppose that (almost) everyone expected to find these three songs on the Top 3 of our poll. The same three topped our All-Time Songs Poll of the years 2008 and 2010, and two of them topped the 2005 Poll too. These were the historical results for these songs in our polls (by the way, Stephan, there is no link for the Part 2 of the results of the 2010 Songs Poll in the "History of AM Forum Polls" thread):
- A Day in the Life: #1 in the 2005 poll, #1 in 2008 and #3 in 2010.
- God Only Knows: #5 in 2005, #3 in 2008 and #2 in 2010.
- Like a Rolling Stone: #2 in 2005, #2 in 2008 and #1 in 2010.
So, what do you think? Will the Beatles reconquer their 2005 and 2008 throne? Will the Beach Boys continue their upward trend and win this time? Will Dylan reassure his 2010 position?
Final results in 24 hours...

I see we had some foreshadowing. Very clever.

Forgive me for lowering the tone, but I couldn't resist. I'm feeling a bit cheeky this evening, so get your cringe on...

It's too bad the Supremes couldn't find a place in the top 100. I believe they're certainly deserving of a spot.
I suppose you could say the same for many others.

Oops, sorry, Stephan, this is the correct link

So, here we are, with the same three pictures that we can see in the beginning of the thread. Now Lennon is looking at Dylan wondering if the #1 could go to "Like a Rolling Stone" and Macca looks to Brian Wilson asking himself if "God Only Knows" would be the chosen one. And Dylan and Wilson are looking at the Fab Two wondering if "A Day in the Life" would deserve the top spot.


Honorio, you are like Machiavel ! ;-)

And now the final countdown, no more machiavelic delays. Ladies and gentlemen...


3. The Beatles - A Day in the Life



Points: 1237
Biggest fans: Charlie Driggs and Chris K (#1), Harold Wexler and Miguel (#2), Brad (#5), Henrik and Rocky Raccon (#7), Chris (#8 )
Position in AM 3000: #12 of the 1960s and #20 of all time
Position in 1967 poll: #1
Style: Psychedelic Pop
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles on January 19 and 20, February 3 and 10, 1967 at EMI Studios, London, England produced by George Martin
Musicians: John Lennon (lead vocals on verses, acoustic guitar, maracas, piano on final chord), Paul McCartney (lead vocals on middle-eight, piano, bass), George Harrison (maracas), Ringo Starr (drums, congas, piano on final chord), George Martin (harmonium on final chord), Mal Evans (alarm clock, counting, piano on final chord), John Marston (harp), Lionel Bentley, D. Bradley, Henry Datyner, Hans Geiger, Erich Gruenberg, Jurgen Hess, Granville Jones, Bill Monro, David McCallum, Sidney Sax, Ernest Scott and Donald Weekes (violin), Bernard Davis, Gwynne Edwards, John Meek and John Underwood (viola), Alan Delziel, Francisco Gabarro, Alex Nifosi and Dennis Vigay (cello), Cyril Mac Arther and Gordon Pearce (double bass), Roger Lord (oboe), Jack Brymer and Basil Tschaikov (clarinet), N. Fawcett and Alfred Waters (bassoon), David Sandeman and Clifford Seville (flute), Alan Civil and Neil Sanders (french horn), Harold Jackson, David Mason and Monty Montgomery (trmpet), Raymond Brown, T. Moore and Raymond Premru (trombone), Michael Barnes (tuba) and Tristan Fry (timpani)
Released on June 1, 1967 on Parlophone label in the UK and on Capitol label in the USA as the thirteenth (and last) song on the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Parlophone PCS 7027 and Capitol SMAS 2653)
Highest chart position: #1 on US Billboard 200 and on UK Albums Chart (the album)



Lyrics quote: "I read the news today, oh boy / About a lucky man who made the grade."
Comments: Richie Unterberger for allmusic: " "A Day in the Life" was one of the most complex and ambitious Lennon-McCartney songs performed by the Beatles, providing an incendiary climax for their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. It was also the most outstanding instance in which two discrete song fragments - one primarily by John Lennon, the other by Paul McCartney - were combined into one to build a whole greater than the sum of the parts. "A Day in the Life" is an unexpectedly mordant coda to an album noted for epitomizing the Summer of Love. (...) As is heard in several of Lennon's songs in 1966 and 1967, he seems largely uninterested in the outside world, and more intrigued by withdrawing into himself and the mind, whether with the aid of psychedelic chemicals or otherwise. The orchestral section suddenly ends just as it seems it can't wind itself into any higher a key, immediately followed by a basic, jaunty McCartney tune about waking up and going to work. By itself, this McCartney tune certainly wouldn't have been much. What made it effective was its juxtaposition next to Lennon's dreamier sections. The implication seemed to be that Lennon's was the dream world, and McCartney's a literal rude awakening to reality, ending when the narrator of McCartney's bit slides back into a dream. Lennon then takes over again, with haunting wordless vocals of Olympian import, ending with a brief brass fanfare before the last verse."
Honorio: "Lennon wrote a song from fragments of newspapers (it was usual for him then), played acoustic guitar and sang with a haunting beautiful voice. McCartney wrote and sang a middle section, played piano and bass and was responsible for the drug references ("I had a smoke / and I went into a dream" or "I’d love to turn you on"). And Starr played the best drums you can actually hear on a Beatles song."

You Tube link
You Tube link (take 1 recorded on 01/19/1967)
You Tube link (deconstructing "A Day in the Life")


2. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows



Points: 1269
Biggest fans: Charlie Driggs, Chris, Chris K, Honorio and Jackson (#3), Harold Wexler and sonofsamiam (#4), Stephan (#7)
Position in AM 3000: #25 of the 1960s and #51 of all time
Position in 1966 poll: #1
Style: Baroque Pop
Written by Tony Asher and Brian Wilson
Recorded by The Beach Boys on March 10, 1966 (instrumental) at United Western Studios, Hollywood, California and on April 11, 1966 (vocals) at Columbia Studios, Hollywood, California produced by Brian Wilson
Musicians: Carl Wilson (lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar), Brian Wilson (backing vocals), Bruce Johnston (backing vocals), Hal Blaine (drums), Jim Gordon (percussion), Don Randi (piano), Larry Knechtel (Hammond organ), Lyle Ritz (upright bass), Carol Kaye and Ray Pohlman (electric bass), Carl Fortina and Frank Morocco (accordion), Leonard Hartman (clarinet), Bill Green and Jim Horn (flute), Alan Robinson (French horn), Jay Migliori (baritone saxophone), Leonard Malarsky and Sid Sharp (violin), Darrell Terwilliger (viola) and Jesse Ehrlich (cello)
Released on July 11, 1966 on Capitol label as the B-side of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (Capitol 5706)
Highest chart position: #39 on US Billboard Hot 100 (the A-side went to #8 ) and #2 on UK Top 75 (where it was considered the A-side)



Lyrics quote: "The world could show nothing to me / So what good would living do me."
Comments: Donald A Guarisco for allmusic: "The Beach Boys recorded many a gorgeous pop tune over the years but few were ever quite as transcendentally lovely as "God Only Knows." The song's clever lyrics form a first-person narrative where the narrator assures his beloved of his good intentions, climaxing with the phrase "God only knows what I'd be without you." The simple but direct and heartfelt sentiments make the lyric intoxicatingly romantic (and its mention of God raised a few eyebrows at the time). However, it's the music that really makes "God Only Knows" something special. It avoids the typical verse-chorus pop song structure to create something more personalized: It starts with two verses that weave a lovely melody higher with each stanza but maintain tension by bringing it down before it peaks, then gives way to a soaring and wordless vocal bridge, then goes through a final verse before climaxing with a gorgeous circular chorus that ends the song on a sunny note. The Beach Boys recording of "God Only Knows" brings the song's warmth out thanks to a clever Brian Wilson vocal arrangement that contrasts Carl Wilson's mellow solo vocal on the verses with multi-textured group harmonies on the bridge and chorus. Wilson adds additional ear candy with an orchestral pop backing track that layers warm horn arrangements and creamy strings over insistent percussion designed to give the song a dramatic pulse. The end result is a song that has the orchestral loveliness of a ballad but all the power and forward drive of a good pop tune."
Listyguy: "A twisted love song."
nicolas: "Celestial harmonizing, especially in the end."
Honorio: "If someone would ask me about my favourite minute of music (although why the hell somebody could ask me that) I would choose for sure the last minute of "God Only Knows", where the vocal harmonies of the boys from the beach goes intertwining and intertwining forming a spiral that elevates (you) to heaven."

You Tube link
You Tube link (excerpts from 03/10/1966 recording session)
You Tube link (a cappella version, fantastic first two minutes, it brings tears to my eyes)

The Number 1


1. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone



Points: 1411
Biggest fans: Harold Wexler, Honorio and Stephan (#1), Chris and Mindrocker (#2), Chris K and Jackson (#4), Charlie Driggs, Rocky Raccoon and sonofsamiam (#5)
Position in AM 3000: #1 of the 1960s and #1 of all time
Position in 1965 poll: #1
Style: Folk Rock
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded by Bob Dylan on June 16, 1965 at Columbia Studio A, New York City produced by Tom Wilson
Musicians: Bob Dylan (lead vocals, electric guitar, harmonica), Mike Bloomfield (electric guitar), Al Kooper (Hammond organ), Paul Griffin (piano), Joe Macho Jr. (bass), Bobby Gregg (drums) and Bruce Langhorne (tambourine)
Released on July 20, 1965 on Columbia label (Columbia 4-43346)
Highest chart position: #2 on US Billboard Hot 100 (still the biggest Dylan hit to date)



Lyrics quote: "When you got nothing / You got nothing to lose."
Comments: James Gerard for allmusic: "One of the most self-righteous and eloquent indictments ever committed to wax, Like a Rolling Stone filters Bob Dylan's indignation for pseudo-bohemian sixties' scenesters through his legendary wit. If Dylan's first incarnation was as a protest singer, Like a Rolling Stone signals the era of Dylan as court jester/verbal assassin. Ironically, the former darling protest singer finds himself fighting a war of his own, defending his move to electric instrumentation from the attacks of a verbally violent horde of pacifists. And so it is with a single rifle-crack of the snare that Like a Rolling Stone kicks off Dylan's first completely electric album, 1965's Highway 61 Revisited. Michael Bloomfield's raw scale-climbing guitar is accented at every turn by (guitarist turned pianist turned organist) Al Kooper's triumphant and meta-influential Hammond organ riff. Together they create a circus-like jubilance, a sound that is later perfected in Dylan's classic double album Blonde on Blonde. Bloomfield and friends, though decidedly electric', are able to retain Dylan's trademark hypnotic groove; a subtle element that propels his best and wordiest acoustic songs. The end result is a 6-minute-plus single that flourishes on notoriously time-conscious commercial radio. Dylan says Like a Rolling Stone is distilled from a 24-page short story he wrote about a society girl turned lonely street urchin. Yet as in one theory of dream analysis, where every character is an aspect of oneself, it could just as easily be argued that there is some self-referential songwriting going on here, too. Ultimately, this band rollicks through the song with such focus and fury, and Dylan wails with such conviction, that the end result transcends logic and theory - and inspires a half-century's worth of musicians, writers and artists."
Listyguy: " "Vomitific" lyrics."
nicolas: "1965. Dylan drops acoustic folk and decides to plug his guitar one night in Newport, to the great displeasure of folk purists like Pete seeger who wanted to cut his jack with an axe. Folk-rock was born. Two masterpieces will come out of it: the garage rockin’ Highway 61 and the hybrid Bringing It All Back Home. Why do I tell you this instead of talking about the song? Just because you don’t talk about the most acclaimed song in the world. You play it and you open your ears."
Honorio: "Bruce Springsteen once described the drum hit at the beginning of "Like a Rolling Stone" like the "snare shot that sounded like somebody’d kicked open the door to your mind". And it’s not an exaggeration from a crazy fan, this snare shot opened a lot of doors: it introduced folk into rock (and rock into folk), it introduced literature and poetry into pop lyrics and it introduced adulthood complexities into a mostly teenager style."

Video link
Video link (quite interesting homemade video)
You Tube link (1966 legendary live version at 'Royal Albert Hall' - it was really at Manchester -, someone in the audience shouts: "Judas!", Dylan answers: "I don't believe you, you're a liar", then turns his back to the audience and says to the band: "Play fuckin' loud!")





The last video (with the closing titles of the wonderful Scorsese movie "No Direction Home") is a suitable closer for our poll.
That was all, my dear friends (plus some stats tomorrow).


It all began long time ago, I was so much older then. On March 17, 2009 I told Henrik while we were drinking some beers at the Café La Infanta on the Plaça del Tossal in Valencia (see above) that I would like to host the 1960s poll, a decade that I'm in love with. After some ballots the AMers decided to include also a 1950s poll and later even a 1900-1949 songs poll (that it's now the part that I'm more proud of). On December of 2009 I began to listen to music from the early 1950s and now a long year and a half later we finally got across the finishing line.
I would like to apologize for the ridiculous delay on posting the results. I began studying a Master degree from September to June 2011 that, along with my exhausting daily work and my family obligations, reduced my spare time to Sundays (and not all of them).
Anyway I enjoyed a lot hosting this poll, surfing through the Internet looking for photographs, for You Tube videos, for data about recording studios or dates of single releases, but mainly surfing through your wonderful lists (specially during the 1940-1949 poll). It has been a long journey but I did it with the best company possible, all of you. I would like to thank each and everyone that participated in the poll, that sent lists and made comments on the different threads, including (of course) my beloved Magnificent Seven. This was a journey so exciting because of you.
I learned a lot from you during this trip. I'm not only now (musically talking) wiser that when it all began but even, paraphrasing the winner of the Songs poll, "I was so much older then / I'm younger than that now".

Noooooooo ! The worst song of the universe in the first place. The life is unfair !!!!!!!!
How it's possible to support this voice, the sound of a dental drill mixed to a Scottish pipe.



Whatever, Honorio like usual, your job is perfect.

That is the most amazing metaphor for Bob Dylan's voice ever ^_^

I really don't know what to say about the result - those three songs are so drilled into my consciousness that how on earth can I say that the Beatles' masterpiece is better than Bob's? Or Brian Wilson's? In my mind it's only fair to say that they're all number 1's, towering over everything else like few other songs. And lastly, this is surely the gold standard in poll presenting, with videos, comments, and analysis at every song (I verged on tears to the Beach Boys video as well). Bravo Honorio. Gold ribbon for you!

cool story, bro.

does anyone know how to write that in unsarcasmish?
coz i was so much more real life, i'm internet by now.

Come on, that's a little harsh. Justin Beiber might have some objections.

he or Chesney Hawkes..

Honorio, it grew like a beast for you but you saw so much beauty that you were unstoppable!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
(I don't find words to how much I really appreciate your work.)

Hi, my friends, Henrik, nj, Listyguy, Romain, Zorg, many thanks for all the warm compliments!!


Time for the individual Top 20s, the individual Bottom 3 (as I promised) and some correlation coefficients (for the complete lists and the complete correlations you can download the Excel file).
Note:
- Overall correlation means the correlation coefficient between a particular voter and the rest of the voters, I will call #1 the one with lower correlation (the "different" one) and #20 the one with the higher (the "normal" one).
- Best friends means the ones with higher particular correlation coefficient, I will name three in ranked order (the first one the one with higher correlation). I will call also the one with lower correlation your "worst foe".
- John is the one with the lowest correlation with the rest of the voters and the one with higher amount of foes. Since he did not vote for the whole Top 100 I'm not sure (please help, Henrik) if this fact could have affected the correlations.


Brad:



1. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
2. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
3. The Zombies - Hung Up on a Dream
4. Simon & Garfunkel - America
5. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
7. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
8. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
9. Love - Alone Again Or
10. The Zombies - Time of the Season
11. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
12. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
13. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
14. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
15. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
16. The Beatles - In My Life
17. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Venus in Furs
18. Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
19. Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
20. Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
...
98. Elvis Presley - Return to Sender
99. The Crystals - He's a Rebel
100. Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova


Overall correlation: 0.34 (#10)
Best friends: Mindrocker, Honorio, Chris/Harold Wexler
Worst foe: nicolas



Charlie Driggs:



1. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
2. The Zombies - Hung Up on a Dream
3. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
4. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions
5. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
7. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale
8. The Zombies - Time of the Season
9. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
10. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
11. The Doors - Light My Fire
12. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
13. Dionne Warwick - Walk on By
14. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
15. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
16. Bernard Herrmann - Psycho: Prelude
17. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
18. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
19. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
20. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
...
98. Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind
99. Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind
100. Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling in Love


Overall correlation: 0.48 (#19)
Best friends: Jackson, Rocky Raccoon, Honorio
Worst foe: John



Chris:



1. The Beatles - For No One
2. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
3. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
4. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
5. Love - Alone Again Or
6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
7. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
8. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
9. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
10. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
11. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
12. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
13. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
14. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
15. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
16. The Beatles - In My Life
17. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
18. The Beatles - She Loves You
19. Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
20. David Bowie - Space Oddity
...
98. The Zombies - Hung Up on a Dream
99. Rev. Gary Davis - Death Don't Have No Mercy
100. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan

Overall correlation: 0.73 (#20)
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Listyguy, Henry
Worst foe: John



Chris K:



1. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
2. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Venus in Furs
3. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
4. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
5. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
6. The Beatles - In My Life
7. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna
8. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe
9. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
10. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
11. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
12. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
13. Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
14. The Band - The Weight
15. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
16. The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow
17. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
18. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
19. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
20. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
...
98. Sam Cooke - Bring It on Home to Me
99. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions
100. John Barry Orchestra - The James Bond Theme


Overall correlation: 0.38 (#11)
Best friends: sonofsamiam, Jackson, Chris/John
Worst foe: Henry



Harold Wexler:



1. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
2. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
3. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
4. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Heroin
6. The Beatles - In My Life
7. Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
8. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
9. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
10. Love - Alone Again Or
11. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
12. The Band - The Weight
13. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
14. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There
15. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
16. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
17. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
18. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
20. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row
...
98. Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova
99. Henry Mancini - Moon River
100. John Barry Orchestra - The James Bond Theme


Overall correlation: 0.40 (#14)
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Chris, Listyguy
Worst foe: Henrik/John



Henrik:



1. Bernard Herrmann - Psycho: Prelude
2. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - Miserlou
3. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
4. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
5. Nick Drake - River Man
6. David Bowie - Space Oddity
7. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
8. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
9. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
10. John Barry Orchestra - The James Bond Theme
11. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
12. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
13. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
14. Stan Getz/João Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
15. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
16. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
17. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
18. Patsy Cline - Crazy
19. Etta James - At Last
20. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
...
98. The Beatles - For No One
99. The Crystals - He's a Rebel
100. Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl


Overall correlation: 0.34 (#9)
Best friends: Mindrocker, Honorio, Charlie Driggs
Worst foe: John



Henry:



1. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
3. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
4. Aretha Franklin - Respect
5. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
6. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
7. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
8. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
9. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
10. The Band - The Weight
11. Simon & Garfunkel - America
12. Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
13. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
14. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
15. The Beatles - For No One
16. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
17. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
18. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
19. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
20. David Bowie - Space Oddity
...
98. Rev. Gary Davis - Death Don't Have No Mercy
99. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
100. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning


Overall correlation: 0.34 (#8 )
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Chris, Listyguy
Worst foe: Jackson



Honorio:



1. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
2. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
3. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
4. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
5. Henry Mancini - Moon River
6. Simon & Garfunkel - America
7. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
8. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
9. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
11. Love - Alone Again Or
12. Stan Getz/João Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
13. The Zombies - Time of the Season
14. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
15. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
16. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
17. Dionne Warwick - Walk on By
18. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
19. Nick Drake - River Man
20. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
...
98. Elvis Presley - Return to Sender
99. Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl
100. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight


Overall correlation: 0.39 (#13)
Best friends: sonofsamiam, Chris K/Henrik/John
Worst foe: Listyguy (sorry, guy, you know I love you)



Jackson:



1. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
2. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Heroin
3. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
4. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
5. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
6. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
8. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
9. The Zombies - Hung Up on a Dream
10. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
11. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
12. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
13. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Venus in Furs
14. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
15. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
16. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
17. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
18. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
19. The Doors - Light My Fire
20. The Band - The Weight
...
98. The Marcels - Blue Moon
99. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
100. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight


Overall correlation: 0.28 (#6)
Best friends: Chris K, sonofsamiam, Charlie Driggs
Worst foe: Henry



John:



1. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
2. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
3. Sam Cooke - Bring It on Home to Me
4. Roy Orbison - In Dreams
5. The Zombies - She's Not There
6. The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears
7. Simon & Garfunkel - America
8. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
9. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
10. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
11. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
12. The Zombies - Time of the Season
13. Stan Getz/João Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
14. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row
15. The Everly Brothers - Cathy's Clown
16. The Beach Boys - In My Room
17. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
18. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
19. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
20. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe
...
92. Little Eva - The Loco-Motion
93. Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova
94. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman


Overall correlation: 0.01 (#1)
Best friends: Chris K, Honorio, sonofsamiam
Worst foe: Romain