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.)

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.

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.

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...

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

Listyguy:



1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
2. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
3. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
4. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
5. The Who - My Generation
6. Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
7. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
8. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
9. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There
10. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
11. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
12. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
13. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
15. David Bowie - Space Oddity
16. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
17. The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears
18. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna
19. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
20. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
...
98. Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova
99. Bernard Herrmann - Psycho: Prelude
100. The Marcels - Blue Moon


Overall correlation: 0.43 (#162)
Best friends: Chris, Rocky Raccoon, Henry
Worst foe: John



Miguel:



1. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
2. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
4. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
5. The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears
6. Simon & Garfunkel - America
7. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
8. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
9. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
10. The Beach Boys - I Get Around
11. Love - Alone Again Or
12. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
13. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
14. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
15. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
16. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
17. Sam Cooke - Wonderful World
18. The Beach Boys - In My Room
19. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
20. Elvis Presley - Return to Sender
...
98. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
99. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
100. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan


Overall correlation: 0.40 (#15)
Best friends: Honorio, Henry, Chris/Harold Wexler
Worst foe: Stephan



Mindrocker:



1. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
2. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
3. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
4. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
5. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
6. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - Miserlou
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Venus in Furs
8. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
9. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
10. The Who - My Generation
11. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
12. The Zombies - Time of the Season
13. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
15. The Band - The Weight
16. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
17. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
18. The Beatles - She Loves You
19. Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Shakin' All Over
20. The Beatles - Please Please Me
...
98. Roy Orbison - In Dreams
99. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
100. Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind


Overall correlation: 0.48 (#18 )
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Chris, Brad
Worst foe: sonofsamiam



Nassim:



1. Nick Drake - River Man
2. David Bowie - Space Oddity
3. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
4. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
5. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
6. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
7. Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
8. Jacques Brel - Amsterdam
9. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
10. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
11. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
12. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
13. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
14. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
15. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
16. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
17. The Who - My Generation
18. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Heroin
19. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
20. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There
...
98. The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
99. John Barry Orchestra - The James Bond Theme
100. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan


Overall correlation: 0.38 (#12)
Best friends: Mindrocker, Jackson, Charlie Driggs
Worst foe: Otisredding


nicolas:



1. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
2. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
3. Jacques Brel - Amsterdam
4. The Doors - Light My Fire
5. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
6. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
7. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
8. Roy Orbison - In Dreams
9. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
10. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
11. Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
12. Rev. Gary Davis - Death Don't Have No Mercy
13. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
15. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
16. The Beatles - For No One
17. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
18. David Bowie - Space Oddity
19. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe
20. Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Shakin' All Over
...
98. Elvis Presley - Return to Sender
99. The Crystals - He's a Rebel
100. Bernard Herrmann - Psycho: Prelude


Overall correlation: 0.32 (#7)
Best friends: Romain, Chris, Listyguy/Stephan
Worst foe: Brad


Otisredding:



1. Roy Orbison - In Dreams
2. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
3. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
4. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
5. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
6. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row
7. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
8. Aretha Franklin - Respect
9. Stan Getz/João Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
10. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There
11. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna
12. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
13. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
14. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
15. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
16. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
17. Love - Alone Again Or
18. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
19. Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind
20. Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
...
98. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones – Miserlou
99. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
100. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black


Overall correlation: 0.19 (#3)
Best friends: sonofsamiam, Listyguy, Chris
Worst foe: John



Rocky Raccoon:



1. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
2. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
3. The Who - My Generation
4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
5. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
6. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
7. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
8. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
9. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
10. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
11. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
12. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
13. The Band - The Weight
14. Aretha Franklin - Respect
15. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
16. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
17. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze
18. The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears
19. The Doors - Light My Fire
20. The Beatles - In My Life
...
98. Jacques Brel – Amsterdam
99. Nick Drake - River Man
100. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman


Overall correlation: 0.47 (#17)
Best friends: Chris, Henry, Listyguy
Worst foe: sonofsamiam



Romain:



1. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
3. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
4. David Bowie - Space Oddity
5. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
6. Ben E. King - Stand By Me
7. Aretha Franklin - Respect
8. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
9. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Heroin
11. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
12. Sam Cooke - Wonderful World
13. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe
14. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
15. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
16. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There
17. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
18. The Doors - Light My Fire
19. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
20. The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
...
98. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
99. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
100. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan


Overall correlation: 0.20 (#4)
Best friends: Listyguy/nicolas, Henrik
Worst foe: John



sonofsamiam:



1. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
2. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
3. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan
4. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
5. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
6. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
7. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
8. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
9. The Zombies - Hung Up on a Dream
10. Nick Drake - River Man
11. Dionne Warwick - Walk on By
12. Stan Getz/João Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
13. Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There
14. The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears
15. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row
16. Sam Cooke - Bring It on Home to Me
17. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
18. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
19. Roy Orbison - Crying
20. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
...
98. Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl
99. The Doors - Light My Fire
100. The Beatles - Love Me Do


Overall correlation: 0.19 (#2)
Best friends: Chris K/Honorio, Jackson
Worst foe: Rocky Raccoon



Stephan:



1. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
2. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row
3. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
4. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
5. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
6. The Who - My Generation
7. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
8. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
9. The Band - The Weight
10. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
11. Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind
12. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
13. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna
14. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
15. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Heroin
16. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
17. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
18. The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
19. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
20. The Beach Boys - I Get Around
...
98. The Beatles - Love Me Do
99. Little Eva - The Loco-Motion
100. The Beatles - Please Please Me


Overall correlation: 0.25 (#5)
Best friends: Jackson, Rocky Raccoon, nicolas
Worst foe: John



Lower individual correlation: John/Romain (-0.33)
Higher individual correlation: Chris/Rocky Raccoon (0.63)

I don't think that affects John's correlations much, but what I did find was that the correlations are based on row 2-51, instead of 2-101 as it should be. The album sheet also has this error. Tip: If you update the table, just mark the correlation section and "replace all" 51 to 101.

And guess what, when I recalculated the correlations, you became my best friend!

I can't believe I'm Mindrocker's worst foe ... something about that just seems wrong. (Though I'm sure statistically it's right.)

Honorio, let me leap in -- INCREDIBLE work on this, the '50s, and the pre-'50s polls and roll-outs.

So me and Henry are officially polar opposites. I guess that makes sense because of "The VU Factor."

I think it's amazing how universal the love for "God Only Knows," "Like a Rolling Stones," and some of the other top songs was. It seems like no matter how dissimilar some of the voters' tastes were, they still placed these highly.

Also, amazing job with the correlations, Honorio. I wish I knew how to do stuff like that when I presented lists.

So does this mean that all the correlations were wrong and calculated from the Top 50 and not the Top 100?
Probably this happened because I used the 50s poll sheet that only got 50 albums.
Well, I’m going to recalculate it, post the new correlations and update the Excel file.

Brad:
Overall correlation: 0.61 (#15)
Best friends: Harold Wexler, Listyguy, Honorio
Worst foe: Miguel

Charlie Driggs:
Overall correlation: 0.51 (#9)
Best friends: Jackson, Mindrocker, Honorio
Worst foe: Miguel

Chris:
Overall correlation: 0.55 (#12)
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Listyguy, Henry
Worst foe: John

Chris K:
Overall correlation: 0.53 (#11)
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Brad, Honorio
Worst foe: nicolas

Harold Wexler:
Overall correlation: 0.72 (#20)
Best friends: Listyguy, Rocky Raccoon, Brad
Worst foe: Romain

Henrik:
Overall correlation: 0.44 (#5)
Best friends: Honorio, Mindrocker/Romain
Worst foe: Henry

Henry:
Overall correlation: 0.50 (#8 )
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Chris, Harold Wexler
Worst foe: Henrik/John

Honorio:
Overall correlation: 0.62 (#16)
Best friends: Brad, Henrik/John
Worst foe: Henry

Jackson:
Overall correlation: 0.71 (#19)
Best friends: Stephan, sonofsamiam, Harold Wexler
Worst foe: Miguel

John:
Overall correlation: 0.36 (#2)
Best friends: Honorio, Jackson, Brad/Chris K/sonofsamiam
Worst foe: Mindrocker

Listyguy:
Overall correlation: 0.64 (#18 )
Best friends: Rocky Raccoon, Harold Wexler, Chris
Worst foe: Henrik

Miguel:
Overall correlation: 0.26 (the new #1)
Best friends: Chris, Honorio, Henry
Worst foe: sonofsamiam

Mindrocker:
Overall correlation: 0.49 (#7)
Best friends: Charlie Driggs, Henrik, Chris
Worst foe: John

Nassim:
Overall correlation: 0.58 (#14)
Best friends: Jackson, Honorio, nicolas
Worst foe: Miguel

nicolas:
Overall correlation: 0.51 (#9)
Best friends: Stephan, Jackson, Harold Wexler
Worst foe: Miguel

Otisredding:
Overall correlation: 0.38 (#3)
Best friends: Harold Wexler, Rocky Raccoon, Listyguy
Worst foe: John

Rocky Raccoon:
Overall correlation: 0.63 (#17)
Best friends: Chris/Listyguy, Harol Wexler
Worst foe: sonofsamiam

Romain:
Overall correlation: 0.39 (#4)
Best friends: Henrik, Rocky Raccoon, Chris
Worst foe: John

sonofsamiam:
Overall correlation: 0.46 (#6)
Best friends: Jackson, Honorio, Harold Wexler
Worst foe: Miguel

Stephan:
Overall correlation: 0.57 (#13)
Best friends: Jackson, Harold Wexler, Listyguy
Worst foe: Miguel



Lower individual correlation: John/Romain (-0.11)
Higher individual correlation: Chris/Rocky Raccoon and Listyguy/Rocky Raccoon (0.62)


The updated Excel file

For the correlations, does being closer to 1 mean you conform more with the forum's opinions?

Yes, that's it.

I checked which songs that have the lowest and highest standard deviations. Lowest is Del Shannon's "Runaway", which everyone had between place 34 and 79. Highest is, very surprisingly to me, Nick Drake's "River Man". The placements are 1-5-10-19-23-23-25-29-57-70-77-79-81-84-88-91-92-93-95-99. How could so many of you put such a wonderful song near the end of your list?

Yes, Henrik, it's surprising. Never thought that this song could be so polarizing, only three of us put it in positions between 26-75. And 10 of 20 put it in positions 76-100!!! Not me, of course, it was my #19

Probably because they couldn't hear it!
I had it at 95, which I admit is a little too low (but this is 6 months later...) But, I'm not really a big fan of Drake.

It's funny that I have the same number 1 as my apparent worst enemy, Miguel. Then I see his bottom three and understand why. Those are three spectacular songs, top 100 all-time for me. Miguel also may have been responsible for the surprisingly low (for me) placement of "Gimme Shelter."

While I was looking for information about the recording of the 60s songs I became fascinated with the recording studios where all this wonderful music was recorded (and even created), maybe because I'm now building a small recording studio at my own home. The place of the recording made an everlasting mark on the sound of most of the recordings on the list, with distinctive sounds as London mod, rhythm & blues and beat (you know, the Mersey beat was almost entirely recorded in London), Los Angeles sunshine pop and psychedelic rock, New York folk-rock and art rock, Nashville country or Memphis-Detroit soul. So I've been compiling the cities (or states or countries), expecting initially a NYC victory only to find a tie between London and California. Those were the results:



1a. London, England, with 29 songs: the 60s swinging London had a major impact in our list and obviously the songs recorded by the Fab Four at EMI Studios (later named oficially Abbey Road Studios) were the main responsible for this (see above). But they were not the ones recording in Abbey Road, the songs by the Shadows and the Zombies in our list were also recorded there. And there were a lot of other studios: Olympic Sound (Hendrix, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Procol Harum), De Lane Lea (the favourite of Chas Chandler that recorded there with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Animals) and many others like Pye Studios (The Kinks), Trident Studios (David Bowie), IBC Studios (The Who, The Kinks), Fontana Studios (Serge Gainsbourg), Sound Techniques (Nick Drake), Decca Studios (The Zombies) or CTS Studios (John Barry Seven).




1b. Hollywood and Los Angeles, California, with another 29 songs: the second half of the decade displaced the soptlight from the swinging London to the countercultural California. The studios more frequently represented in our list are the Western Recorders where Brian Wilson recorded most of works of the Beach Boys (see above). Other mythical studios that appear in our list are Gold Star Studios (home of the Phil Spector “wall of sound”, also used by the Beach Boys), RCA Studios (The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Henry Mancini) or Sunset Sound Studios (Love, the Doors). The other studios are Elektra Studios (RollingStones), Fantasy Studios (CCR), The Sound Factory (Jackson 5), TTG Studios (The Velvet Underground), Columbia Studios (Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash), Capitol Studios (Glen Campbell), Sound Enterprises (Sam Cooke) and Radio Recorders (Elvis Presley). Many of the artists were not from California (VU, Stones, S&G) but came there because of the technical advances.




3. New York City, with 25 songs: the lively cultural life of the Big Apple rendered an impressive number of great recordings. The New York studio more represented in our list is Columbia Studio A at 799 Seventh Avenue (see above) where Bob Dylan recorded all his records from the first one until he moved to Nashville in the middle of the sessions of "Blonde on Blonde". Other mythical studios we can find are Atlantic Studios (Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, Ben E. King) or the Record Plant Studios (where Hendrix recorded most of his Electric Ladyland). Other ones are Mayfair Studios (Velvet Underground), A&R Studios (The Band, Getz/Gilberto, Quincy Jones), Hit Factory (The Stooges), Bell Sound Studios (Dionne Warwick, Del Shannon), RCA Studios (Pharoah Sanders, the Tokens, The Marcels) or Capitol Studios (Ray Charles).




4. Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, with 8 songs: black and white, blues and country, Memphis and Nashville, rock and roll. Two cities in the State of Tenneessee that played a crucial part on 1950s music but still continued in the 1960s. Some legendary studios from this state appear in our list: the Stax Studios in Memphis (see picture 1) where Otis Redding or Booker T. & the MGs created the Stax sound, the RCA Studio B (see picture 2) where Roy Orbison or the Everly Brothers (and Elvis Presley) traveled from rock & roll to pop and Bradley Film & Recording Studios were Patsy Cline became countrypolitan. Other studios in our list were Columbia Studios (where Bob Dylan came looking for a place where "they got no clocks", in Bob Johnston words) and Monument Records Studios (where Orbison recorded "In Dreams").




5. Detroit, Michigan, with 3 songs: talking about mythical studios it was time to came to Hitsville USA Studio in Detroit, Michigan, home of Motown records where a group of excellent producers, musicians (the Funk Brothers) and singers (in our list Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Four Tops, with the Suprenes unfairly absent) created the immortal Motown sound.




6. Chicago, Illinois, with 2 songs: although the golden era for the Chess Records Studios were the 1950s where they recorded crucial songs, they continued to record solid gems during the 60s like Etta James' "At Last". Gene Chandler also recorded in Chicago his "Duke of Earl" but I don't know where exactly.




7. Other cities, with 1 song each:
- Paris, France: Jacques Brel never recorded his great "Amsterdam" in a studio, the only version was recorded live at the Théâtre de l'Olympia.
- Portland, Oregon: The Kingsmen recorded his garage gem "Louie Louie" at a tiny recording studio (Northwestern Recording) in one-hour Saturday morning session in a single take that only costed $36.
- Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Blind Gary Davis recorded his album "Harlem Street Singer" at Van Gelder Studio, the studio where avant-garde jazz was created ("A Love Supreme", "Out of Lunch!").
- Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Blind Gary Davis recorded his album "Harlem Street Singer" at Van Gelder Studio (see above), the studio where avant-garde jazz was created ("A Love Supreme", "Out to Lunch!").
- Seattle, Washington: The Ventures recorded "Walk - Don't Run" at Joe Boles' Studios in Seattle.

Great information Honorio!!

Please note that my understanding is that Fantasy Studios, which you included in the 1b. Hollywood and Los Angeles, California grouping is actually in Berkeley, California.

From Wikipedia I found the following:

Fantasy Studios, now owned by Wareham Development, is still operating in the Zaentz Media Center in Berkeley and continues its legacy in recording and mixing. Through the reshuffling, many top acts and engineers alike work out of the original building, which has now incorporated a multitude of mixed media projects. Fantasy Studios is a Bay Area landmark, as well as an award-winning studio whose repertoire includes Creedence Clearwater Revival, Green Day and Carlos Santana to NPR's "Hearing Voices" series. Top sound engineers Adam Muñoz, Jesse Nichols and Alberto Hernandez work at Fantasy Studios.

Yes, Henry, I know, look at the Creedence entry. I grouped the studios in states (in fact I grouped too Nashville and Memphis).
Glad you liked it.