Today I’ve decided to present my own personal list of the Top 100 60 Songs. It certainly wasn’t an easy task putting together this extensive list. It was very time consuming to say the very least. However, it was all worth it!

Keep in mind that the songs are not listed in any particular order. They are simply what I think are the Top 100 60s Songs. Enjoy!

1. Respect – ARETHA FRANKLIN
2. Like A Rolling Stone – BOB DYLAN
3. Anyone Who Had A Heart – CILLA BLACK
4. Sunshine Of Your Love – CREAM
5. Who’ll Stop The Rain – CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
6. Glad All Over – DAVE CLARK FIVE
7. Runaway – DEL SHANNON
8. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself – DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
9. Suspicious Minds – ELVIS PRESLEY
10. Ferry Across The Mersey – GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS
11. Walk Like A Man – THE FOUR SEASONS
12. My Girl – THE TEMPTATIONS
13. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – FRANKIE VALLI
14. Give Peace A Chance – PLASTIC ONO BAND
15. Pretty Woman – ROY ORBISON
16. I Heard It Through The Grapevine – MARVIN GAYE
17. I’m A Believer – THE MONKEES
18. Daydream Believer – THE MONKEES
19. Love Is Blue – PAUL MAURIAT
20. Theme From A Summer Place – PERCY FAITH

21. A Whiter Shade Of Pale – PROCOL HARUM
22. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling – RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
23. Unchained Melody – RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
24. San Francisco – SCOTT MACKENZIE
25. House Of The Rising Sun – THE ANIMALS
26. Sugar, Sugar – THE ARCHIES
27. Good Vibrations – THE BEACH BOYS
28. Strawberry Fields Forever – THE BEATLES
29. Light My Fire – THE DOORS
30. Build Me Up Buttercup – THE FOUNDATIONS
31. Baby I Need Your Loving – THE FOUR TOPS
32. Reach Out (I’ll Be There) – THE FOUR TOPS
33. You Really Got Me – THE KINKS
34. California Dreamin’ – THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS
35. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – THE ROLLING STONES
36. Baby Love – THE SUPREMES
37. Where Did Our Love Go – THE SUPREMES
38. Wipeout – THE SURFARIS
39. So Happy Together – THE TURTLES
40. Time Of The Season – THE ZOMBIES

41. The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine No More – WALKER BROTHERS
42. Hey Jude – THE BEATLES
43. My Generation – THE WHO
44. Mr. Tambourine Man – THE BYRDS
45. Sitin’ On The Dock Of Bay – OTIS REDDING
46. I Want You Back – JACKSON 5
47. In The Midnight Hour – WILSON PICKETT
48. I Feel Good – JAMES BROWN
49. White Rabbit – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
50. Mrs. Robinson – SIMON & GARFUNKEL
51. The Sounds Of Silence – SIMON & GARFUNKEL
52. The Twist – CHUBBY CHECKER
53. Mony Mony – TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS
54. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL
55. Wild Thing – THE TROGGS
56. Born To Be Wild – STEPPENWOLF
57. White Room – CREAM
58. At Last – ETTA JAMES
59. Penny Lane – THE BEATLES
60. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You – MARVIN GAYE

61. Barbara Ann – THE BEACH BOYS
62. Up-Tight (Everything’s Alright) – STEVIE WONDER
63. Natural Woman – ARETHA FRANKLIN
64. Dancing In The Street – MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
65. God Only Knows – THE BEACH BOYS
66. Be My Baby – THE RONETTES
67. I Can’t Help Myself – THE FOUR TOPS
68. What A Wonderful World – LOUIS ARMSTRONG
69. Son Of A Preacher Man – DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
70. A Change Is Gonna Come – SAM COOKE
71. Under The Boardwalk – THE DRIFTERS
72. Don’t Worry Baby – THE BEACH BOYS
73. All Along The Watchtower – JIMI HENDRIX
74. Higher & Higher – JACKIE WILSON
75. Yesterday – THE BEATLES
76. Whole Lotta Love – LED ZEPPELIN
77. Stand By Me – BEN E. KING
78. Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – THE TEMPTATIONS
79. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In – THE 5TH DIMENSION
80. Doo Wah Diddly – MANFRED MANN

81. The Mighty Quinn – MANFRED MANN
82. Do You Love Me? – THE CONTOURS
83. Good Lovin’ – YOUNG RASCALS
84. Paint It, Black – THE ROLLING STONES
85. Purple Haze – JIMI HENDRIX
86. Soul Man – SAM & DAVE
87. Come Together – THE BEATLES
88. Proud Mary – CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
89. Voodoo Child – JIMI HENDRIX
90. Cryin’ – ROY ORBISON
91. Walk On By – DIONNE WARWICK
92. The Locomotion – LITTLE EVA
93. Georgia On My Mind – RAY CHARLES
94. Hit The Road Jack – RAY CHARLES
95. Duke Of Earl – GENE CHANDLER
96. Ticket To Ride – THE BEATLES
97. I Wanna Hold Your Hand – THE BEATLES
98. A Day In The Life – THE BEATLES
99. To Sir, With Love – LULU
100. In The Year 2525 – ZAGER & EVANS

If you enjoyed this list of the best 60s songs, then you may be interested in lists of the best songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. You can download these lists along with other ebooks for free from the free stuff section of the website.

I hope you found this list of the Top 100 60s Songs both enjoyable and useful. Feel free to comment and make suggestions below.

Wow. I’m lost for words to explain this absolutely awesome song from The Miracles. Everything about The Tears Of A Clown seems perfect and beautiful. The extremely catchy circus-sounding motif is the “jelly” of this song and is lovely and sweet beyond words. Lead singer Smokey Robinson’s voice is genuine and emotive in delivering some of the most honest and touching lyrics I’ve ever seen. I really cannot stop thinking about this song. It has had a deep and profound impact on me and I could listen to it all day.

The most amazing fact about this song is that it was only released as a single 3 years after it had been recorded. Originally, the song had just been part of The Miracles 1967 album Make It Happen, and the only reason why it was released was because Motown executives in the UK were looking for a new hit single from the group. However, the group was on the verge of breaking up, and so they released The Tears Of A Clown from their previous album. Surprisingly, it became a number 1 hit in the UK. As a result, the song was also released in the US where it also became a number 1 hit.

This song could have been lost forever if it hadn’t been released. I’m sure we are all grateful that was released and achieved the success that it did.

The music for the song was written by Hank Cosby and a teenage Stevie Wonder in 1966. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come up with lyrics to fit the music. Subsequently, they showed Smokey Robinson what they had come up with, and he used the circus-sounding motif to write the lyrics.

As I said earlier, the lyrics in The Tears Of A Clown are some of the most touching lyrics I’ve ever seen. I think it’s because I can largely relate to them. The lyrics deal with the idea that people tend to cover their sadness by putting on a happy face with an empty smile. In the song, the singer is letting his former lover know that she shouldn’t let his smile fool her about he is really feeling about the breakup. He goes on to say that there is nothing sadder than the tears of a clown.

I have to admit that I have put on a happy face on many occasions despite feeling sad and down about something. While it has worked in the short term, it has typically led to me crying quietly when there’s no one around. In fact, just listening to this song can start to get me teary-eyed.

Overall, The Tears Of A Clown is an absolutely memorable and meaningful song that will forever remain a classic from the Motown era.

The main reason why I’ve chosen to write about the song San Francisco today is because I can’t get out of my head. While I knew that it was a popular 60s song, I wasn’t aware of its iconic status until today. By understanding the cultural and historical context of the song, I have been able to understand its powerful significance.

If you’re young like me, then you may not have heard about the Summer of Love, which took place in the summer of 1967. Basically, huge numbers of young people gathered in the major cities of the United States and this created huge public awareness of a counterculture that had developed throughout the 60s. For the first time, the hippie movement gained attention in the mainstream media. The center of the hippie revolution was by far San Francisco and an estimated 100,000 young people made their way to the Haight-Ashbury district of the city where they could find and share free food, free drugs and free love.

At about the same time, the Monterey Pop Festival was being held in June 1967 and in order to promote this, the Scott McKenzie song San Francisco was initially used. The song became a big hit reaching number 4 in the US and number 1 in the UK and other European countries. In reality, the song which initially promoted the festival became a springboard with which to promote counterculture and the hippie movement.

The lyrics of the song allude to an unprecedented nationwide movement taking place in the United States, clearly reflective of counterculture and hippies. The middle part of the song is by far my favorite part because it epitomizes the strength of the movement taking place.

“All across the nation such a strange vibration
People in motion
There’s a whole generation with a new explanation
People in motion people in motion”

That part of the song never ceases to make the hairs on my back stand up, while at the same time, it makes me want to go back in time and experience this incredible period in human history.

Overall, the song is very catchy making it extremely memorable with a passionate vocal performance. Sadly for Scott McKenzie, it was his only hit song in a low-profile musical career. Nevertheless, San Francisco remains a souvenir with which current and future generations of young people can remember the incredible period that was the 1960s.

This Guy’s In Love With You has recently become one of my most favorite songs and I feel very compelled to write about it today. I only discovered this Herb Alpert song about 1 month ago and to be honest, the first time I heard it, I thought it was bad. In fact, I thought it was crap and a bit cheesy. But the fact that it was number 1 on the US charts for 4 consecutive weeks in 1968 made me give it another go. It was after listening to it a third time that I fell in love with the song. Now I am thinking that I should have put it in my top 60s songs list.

The first thing you’ll realize when listening to this song is the poor and somewhat stale vocal performance from Herb Alpert. The reason for that is that Herb Alpert was primarily a trumpet player (and still is) and this is a rare occasion where he actually sings. The songwriters, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, wrote the song that wouldn’t require a big vocal performance specifically for Herb Alpert. The song was never expected to be released, however, after being used in a television special in 1968 and thousands of people calling CBS (the TV channel) asking about it, it was released as a single. To Herb’s surprise, it reached the top of the US charts and remained there for 4 weeks.

In my opinion, Herb’s voice is important in making this the beautiful record that it is. This is because the song is about a guy (the singer) who is in love with a woman but has not been able to tell her out of fear. Herb’s limited vocal ability actually fulfils the role of this shy person who is too scared to admit his love to this person.

In fact, “the guy” singing the song is a lot like me. In the past, I’ve been secretly in love with certain women but have not been able to tell them out of fear of getting rejected. And I arguably still have that fear today. And I’m sure a lot of men out there are or have been in the same situation.

The lyrics of This Guy’s In Love With You are absolutely beautiful. In fact, to me they are the exact words I want to say to a woman I really admire more than just a friend. “You see this guy, this guy’s in love with you, yes I’m in love, who looks at you the way I do.” And that’s just the start of the song.

I think the next time I do meet that special someone and hope to share my feelings for them, I will simply make them listen to this song as if it is speaking for me. I will let everyone know how it goes when it happens.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this Herb Alpert classic: This Guy’s In Love With You.

Just like any other list, compiling this list of the Top 10 60s Songs was an extremely difficult task. The task was made more difficult by the fact that the 60s are my favorite music period because so many good damn songs came from this period. A large chunk of my favorite songs, singers and bands originated during this pivotal period of human history. The way music (and society in general) evolved from 1960 to 1970 was absolutely astounding. Arguably, no other decade has since been filled with so many changes.

Ideally, I would simply write about my 10 most favorite Beatles songs since they are my most favorite band hands down! However, for the sake of this blog post and other great artists from this period, I have chosen to restrict each singer/band to just one song.

I hope you enjoy this Top 10 60s Songs list.

Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles

While there are so many great and influential songs from the Beatles, this is the song that does it for me. To me, this is where the Beatles were at their creative best and changed music forever. The psychedelic movement was only just beginning when this song was released in February 1967, and the Beatles demonstrated their great versatility in being able to adapt to new musical styles with such easiness. This short analysis of Strawberry Fields Forever does not do any justice to this incredible song.

Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

This was the creative and innovative pinnacle from America’s answer to the Beatles, the Beach Boys. Brian Wilson singlehandedly took the group from being known for poppy, beachy tunes to being regarded as one of the most progressive pop groups of the 60s. At the release of the song in 1966, this was the most expensive song ever produced, thanks to the Brian’s insistence and perfection. In hindsight, it was probably worth it!

Where Did Our Love Go – The Supremes

My favorite Supremes song shines from beginning to end. Where Did Our Love Go became the first of 5 consecutive number 1 songs to chart in the United States and cemented the Supremes as one of the leading Motown acts of the 1960s. By the end of the 60s, they would have 12 number 1 hits, which only The Beatles could outdo.

Reach Out (I’ll Be There) – The Four Tops

One of the biggest Motown hits from the prolific production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. This is considered the Four Tops’ signature song and has been covered various times by many artists since. This is a song that could not be left from this Top 10 60s Songs list.

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones

What else can be said about this song? A true classic is all senses of the word. Not to mention influential. The lyrics may not sound too impactful today, but back then in 1965, it was highly controversial. Nonetheless, it captured the feelings of the youth in the 1960s perfectly and secured the Rolling Stones as the leading British Invasion band apart from The Beatles.

You Really Got Me – The Kinks

Many have said that this is the first heavy metal song. On second thought, I think they are right. Nothing quite like this had been heard before 1964. A very catchy tune and memorable lyrics contributed to this song’s status as one of the Top 10 60s Songs and its inclusion in this list.

Daydream Believer – The Monkees

You may be surprised that I’ve chosen to include this song instead of The Monkees’ other hit “I’m A Believer.” The reason why I prefer this song is because it’s more fun and about daydreaming. I tend to daydream at some point every day, and it’s always a positive, happy experience. This song really emphasizes this and makes you want to daydream more.

Theme From A Summer Place – Percy Faith

Not a typical pop song as such, Theme From A Summer Place is a musical piece from a movie called A Summer Place. Incredibly, this song remained at number 1 in the United States in 1960 and rightly so. It’s an absolutely beautiful tune that one can just imagine what the movie must be like (even though I am yet to watch it). This is beautiful music at its best.

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling – The Righteous Brothers

In my opinion, this is slightly better than their more famous hit “Unchained Melody.” No other song shows the wonderful combination of Bill Medley’s deep bass-baritone voice and Bobby Hatfield’s tenor voice than this. In addition to Phil Spector’s innovative wall of sound technique, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling is a classic that will endure forever.

Happy Together – The Turtles

Another great happy song from the 1960s. A very catchy rhythm in combination with a positive and fun message makes this song very memorable. As a result, it has been featured in countless movies and television series. Truly deserves its place in this Top 10 60s Songs list.

There’s little doubt that the songs I’ve chosen to feature in this list will change over time. Tastes and preferences change all the time and I may or may not decide to re-write this article in accordance with that in the future.

For the time being, I really hope you enjoyed this Top 10 60s Songs list and feel free to share your thoughts below.

by Martin Sejas

At first, it may seem strange to find me writing about the enduring legacy of LSD in contemporary music. This is probably because this is the first time I’ve mentioned the topic of LSD or drugs for that matter on this blog. You may also be wondering what kind of point I’m trying to raise by writing such an article. Well, let’s say I was ‘inspired’ to write this article. What I mean is that after spending countless hours reading up on music history, which is evidently one of my passions, I’ve come to realize the large number of bands and songs that have been written under the influence of LSD. And the fact is that some of these songs are some of the greatest songs ever composed and have ended up defining a decade and a genre and have influenced countless of musicians today.

Disclaimer

One thing I would like to make clear before beginning this post, is that I do not support nor tolerate the use of drugs whatsoever. Unless you have a valid medical reason, you should not be using drugs. The reason why I’m saying this is because you may find me in some way “praising” LSD, and drugs in particular, which is not true and not my intention. What I will be praising is how LSD led to great songs being written that took music light years forward, which otherwise probably would not have been possible.

What Is LSD?

I think it’s appropriate to begin this post by exploring the history of the drug itself. LSD stands for “Lysergic acid diethylamide”. Try pronouncing that! It was developed by Swiss scientist Albert Hoffman in 1938 but its psychedelic properties were only discovered in 1943 when Hoffman tested the drug on himself. He experienced “remarkable restlessness combined with a slight dizziness.” However, it was not unpleasant as he experienced an extremely stimulated imagination, a sort of dream-like state where he could see uninterrupted streams of “fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors.”

Is it then any wonder that musicians that sought to bring out their creative juices used LSD? If you are interested in learning more about the history, testing and research of LSD, Wikipedia has an extensive article on it.

When Music Met LSD

For almost 2 decades after its development, the use of LSD remained limited to the medical profession and in particular, the treatment of psychiatric disorders. However, by the mid-1960s, LSD had become a popular recreational drug among the youth of the day. One of the realms it left an indelible mark on was music. Popular music from the mid-1960s onwards was vastly different from the music in the early 1960s.

Musicians’ experiences with LSD led them to make more complex compositions with greater sound effects. It inspired musical innovation that took music forward at least a decade. You only have to compare a hit song from the early 60s with a hit from mid 60s to see this astounding difference in complexity.

Have a listen to these 2 US number 1 hits. The first one is “Johnny Angel” by Shelley Fabares and was at the top of the charts in April 1962.

This second one is “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys which was number 1 in December 1966.

You can easily tell the difference in complexity and sound. And that change occurred in just 4 years!

The Beach Boys were just one of the major pop groups that had to drastically change its sound due to the rise of LSD-influenced music, otherwise known as psychedelic rock in the mid-1960s. You can even compare the group’s earlier hits such as “Surfin’” with a later hit such as “Good Vibrations” to see this huge change. The group’s lead singer Brian Wilson was at the core of this sound change, which was not popular with the rest of the group, but which meant that the Beach Boys produced one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time, Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson was at his creative best when making this album, however, this was mainly due to his experimentation with drugs, especially LSD.

Another major pop group to use LSD was the Beatles. At their height of their fame, the group also embraced LSD as a recreational drug and their experiences, or “acid trips” as they are more commonly known, let to the production of the 2 of the greatest and most critically acclaimed albums of all time, Revolver and St Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “Strawberry Fields Forever” is also considered by many to be the best song of the psychedelic genre of the late 1960s. The level of musical experimentation and innovation demonstrated in these 2 albums have never been equaled since, and most probably never will be. The fact that these 2 albums were influenced by LSD experiences shows the undeniable and enduring legacy of LSD in contemporary music.

Other major pop groups of the era that were Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Cream. Below are a couple of their hit songs that were influenced by LSD and which continue to inspire today’s musicians.

Jefferson Airplane – “White Rabbit”

Jimi Hendrix – “Voodoo Child”

The Doors – “People Are Strange”

Cream – “White Room”

Enduring Legacy

This is just a small sample of the artists and songs that were made under the influence of LSD in the 1960s. I don’t know about you but I find it amazing that so many great classic songs and albums were produced in this short period. It was also an extraordinary period of creativity and innovation, the likes of which, we will probably never see again. LSD allowed music to move light years ahead in such a short period of time and while the use of drugs is largely condemned in music (including myself), it’s hard to deny that its legacy remains and continues to shape and inspire contemporary music.

Comment on my post below.

by Martin Sejas

It’s been a while since the last part of this special series of posts. Just like the 3 other parts, Part 4 showcases 5 more great classic love songs. I’ve included videos of each song for your convenience.

Enjoy Part 4 of this special series of posts.

16. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

If you had to choose the ballad with the best vocal performance, Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You” would probably be your pick. You may be surprised to know that this was remake of a country song from Dolly Parton. It became the theme song of the 1993 movie The Bodyguard starring Houston, and expresses the protagonist’s sadness at leaving their lover, but that they will always love them forever. Despite this causing the protagonist pain, they know that it’s the right decision and wish
them both luck and love in their future. Houston’s voice resonates like no other making this song simply unforgettable.

17. “Endless Love” by Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie

Probably the most recognizable of duets, “Endless Love” is about how lovers declare that their love for each other has no limits, given how much they adore each other. Despite being sung more than 25 years ago, it still resonates and pulls people’s heart strings more than ever before. Arguably the best ballad from the 80s.

18. “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers

The fact that “Unchained Melody” is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century is a testament to the high regard many artists have for this song. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard this song before. The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 recording remains the most well-known rendition and its inclusion in the 1990 movie Ghost certainly helped its popularity among modern audiences. One of the oldest yet
most beautiful compositions about love ever written.

19. “Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville

One of the simplest yet one of the most powerful love songs ever made. It explores how people may not know what’s going on in the world or what their future holds, but the one thing they do know for sure is that they love their partner. This is a perfect song for a moonlight first dance and it’s difficult to find a better song for such an occasion. Simply magical.

20. “Best Of My Love” by the Eagles

One of the simplest ballads from the classic rock/country genres, “Best of My Love” expresses the protagonist’s feeling that despite problems with their lover, that they always give their lover the best of their love. A great ballad to sing to the one you love on a guitar or around a campfire with friends.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

Wanna write a love song yet know absolutely nothing about music? This may be what you’ve been looking for.

Written by: Brian Wilson & Mike Love
Released: 1965

US Charts: #3
UK Charts: #26
Other Charts: (N/A)

The opening piano tune of the classic 60s song “California Girls” from the Beach Boys immediately puts you in a relaxed frame of mind to take you to a far away, tropical and tranquil beach, a paradise of some sorts and the stuff of dreams. Once you’re in such a place, the rest of the song is logical and speaks for itself. It’s a song that truly lives up to the name of the band, with even Brian Wilson referring to the song as the band’s signature song on one occasion. It’s very catchy and very fun to sing along, yet like a lot of other 60s songs it ends a bit too quickly.

The song was written by the band’s lead singer and legendary musician Brian Wilson during his first LSD experience. Sometimes I find it amazing how many great iconic songs have been written under the influence of drugs. While I do not tolerate drugs whatsoever and strongly condemn its use, I wonder if we would have ever been exposed to some of these great songs if it weren’t for drugs. Is it any coincidence that many of the greatest bands and artists used drugs? I personally find that fascinating. In fact, it’ll probably be the subject of my next post so keep an eye out for that.

Back to “California Girls”, the song deals essentially with beach culture, and more specifically Californian beach culture and of course, the girls. The protagonist describes his journey across the United States and other countries and the types of wonderful girls that he has seen in every part. He then wishes that all these great girls could be Californian girls, from where he is from.

“California Girls” was another smash hit in the summer of 1965 for the Beach Boys peaking at number #3 on the US Billboard Charts. It was also the first song to highlight a more experimental sound, which would be very prominent in their future albums such as Pet Sounds and Smile. It’s another classic 60s song that will be forever tied to the beach and to the joys of summer. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

by Martin Sejas

Have you ever listened to a song and just thought, “I’ve heard that before”? But then your friend tells you that it’s a brand new song that’s just been released. But you’re not convinced. The song has a familiar rhythm, a familiar beat and perhaps a familiar voice. However, it isn’t a cover version. It has a brand new title and has probably been released as a brand new single, yet you still feel a sense of déjà vu. You start thinking that this ‘brand new song’ pinched someone else’s beat or rhythm and made some slight modifications to make it appear like their own original composition.

This is exactly what happened in the 1960s. 4 different songs from 2 different artists were released over a period of 12 months that sounded pretty much the same. And the amazing thing is that 3 of these songs became number 1 hits in the US while the other one made the Top 5. Can you guess the songs and artists I’m referring to? I’ll give you a clue: Motown.

Motown Records was one of, if not, the most successful record label of the 1960s. In total, they produced 20 number 1 hits on the US Billboard Charts, including countless others that charted in the Top 20 and Top 100 of the Billboard Charts. The main production team that was responsible for most of these Motown hits was a group known as Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH) and they were made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland.

HDH came together at Motown Records in the early 1960s. Eddie Holland arrived at Motown as a recording artist who had a top 30 hit in 1961, but soon realized that his stage fright would not allow to perform at his best. His brother, Brian had already been a songwriter at Motown and had already tasted success as a co-composer of the 1961 number 1 hit “Please Mr. Postman” which has since been re-made by many artists such as The Carpenters. On the other hand, Lamont Dozier had been moving from one record label to the next as a recording artist.

Before long, all 3 realized that they were more comfortable being songwriters and producers rather than recording music themselves. As a result, the HDH production team was formed and their first songs were created for Martha and the Vandellas with which they had some chart success including a top 10 hit. However, their first big success wouldn’t come until 1964 when they created a song called “Where Did Our Love Go” for the Supremes, which up until then, had had 8 failed singles. It became both HDH’s and the Supremes’ number 1 hit in the US.

The tremendous success of the song prompted HDH to think that it had the winning formula to writing and producing hit songs. As a result, they used the same elements that made “Where Did Our Love Go” a hit in the Supremes’ next single “Baby Love”. It’s not a surprise that both songs sound very much alike in beat and rhythm. However, it worked like a charm! Soon enough, “Baby Love” was on top of the US charts and eventually ended up being a bigger hit than “Where Did Our Love Go.”

Apart from the Supremes, the other Motown group that had incredible success with the HDH production team was The Four Tops. They were a male vocal group signed to the Motown label. Due to their earlier success with the Supremes, HDH sought out to use the same elements on their Supremes hits on songs for the Four Tops. It is, therefore, no coincidence that the first number 1 hit “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” uses the same melodic and chordal progressions as “Where Did Our Love Go.” You can be forgiven for thinking that “I Can’t Help Myself” is just a cover version of the Supremes song.

“I Can’t Help Myself” became the group’s first number 1 hit and as a result, Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown records, was keen on producing another hit song to capitalize on their popularity. This was in response to Columbia Records (The Four Tops’ former label) re-releasing an older song in order to capitalize on their popularity. However, Gordy wanted another song written, produced and recorded in 24 hours time.

So HDH were put straight to work on a new song and they were having trouble finding inspiration. To help their cause, they were listening to the radio changing channels which eventually made Lamont Dozier say, “It sounds like the same old song.” At that moment, he got an idea and made a new song by reversing the chord changes of “I Can’t Help Myself” and naming it “It’s The Same Old Song.”

“It’s The Same Old Song” lives up to its title as it is extremely similar to “I Can’t Help Myself” and it is common for people to mix up both. In fact, the Four Tops normally perform both songs one after the other at their concerts. However, unlike “I Can’t Help Myself”, it only reached number 5 on the Billboard Charts.

I guess the lesson to be learnt from these 4 different, yet similar-sounding songs is that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s what HDH did when they had their first number 1 hit with the Supremes. It worked a treat for them and it serves as a lesson for us in everything we do.

It’s also a wake-up call for all of us so that we do not accept anything deemed “original” as purely original. Songs influence songs, artists influence artists, so you shouldn’t be surprised if next time you think you’ve heard a certain song before, because chances are, you probably have.

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By Martin Sejas

Call them one hit wonders, novelty acts or simply outrageously ridiculous songs, there are so many wacky classic songs that we have all grown to ashamedly love. We know they’re stupid, we know they’re pointless, we know they’re meaningless, we know they’re ridiculous yet we never have second thoughts about putting it on our ipod today. It’s probably because of its wackiness that we love these songs.

Below are 5 classic songs for which you should hang your head in shame for liking.

“Kung Fu Fighting” – Carl Douglas

It’s been called the biggest one-hit wonder of all time. It’s also been called the most ridiculous song (and dance) ever made. Which is not surprising given that songs about martial arts are not something that happens every day. One of the earliest disco songs, “Kung Fu Fighting” was a resounding success commercially when released in 1974, selling over a million copies in the US and over 4 million worldwide.

Soon enough the whole world was dancing and singing “everybody was kung-fu fighting, those cats were fast as lightning, in fact it was a little bit frightening, but they fought with expert timing.” The fact that it came with a dance made it even more popular and addictive.

If you have never heard “Kung-Fu Fighting”, I warn you to be prepared for one of the worst songs you’ll ever hear. You’ll almost certainly hate it at first, but you will grow to love it. Guaranteed. And then you’ll hang your head in shame.

“Tarzan Boy” – Baltimora

Any song that uses Tarzan’s cry as the melodic line is nothing but outrageous. “Tarzan Boy” was a huge one-hit wonder for Italian electro-pop dance group Baltimora in 1985. Sung by frontman Jimmy McShane, it also comes with one of the worst music videos ever created. You can see it for yourself above.

The song deals with living in the jungle just like Tarzan Boy and about “monkey business on a sunny afternoon.” The lyrics are certainly some of the worst ever written, however, it is Tarzan’s cry that makes this song so memorable and so loved by many of us. We should really hang our heads in shame.

“Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice

Apart from being a big hip-hop one-hit wonder in the early 90s, it was also the subject of a plagiarism dispute. And to make matters worse (or more interesting), Vanilla Ice was a white rapper which was unheard of in the early 90s.

There are few phrases in music that are more addictive than “ice ice baby.” In fact, many of us still go crazy over the prospect of singing “ice ice baby” in a whisper-like voice. We’ve probably got this song on our ipods right now. Hang your head in shame if you love this song.

“Barbara Ann” – The Beach Boys

You’d be hard pressed to find another song that repeats its title so many times during the song. So many times that the Beach Boys themselves have made the mistake of singing “baa baa black sheep” instead “Barbara Ann” on some occasions. One wonders whether the kid’s nursery rhyme was the inspiration behind this song. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

I feel sorry for anyone named Barbara or Barbara Ann for that matter, this is certainly one song that you would not like to hear. You’re probably wondering why people have to sound like sheep to sing a song. Yet it’s probably because of this, that we all love to sing and dance to this song. Let’s hang our heads in shame.

“I’m Too Sexy” – Right Said Fred

A worldwide hit in 1992, “I’m Too Sexy” features some of the most hilarious and ridiculous lyrics ever used. In fact, I would classify this song to be more of a comedy skit than a pop song.

The song explores the feeling of being comfortable about your personal level of sexiness that you are too sexy for many things. The song goes through a list of things which the protagonist says he’s too sexy for. This includes being too sexy for “my love, my shirt, Milan, Japan, New York, your party, my car, my hat, my cat” and finally the song itself.

Men may not like to admit it, but they simply (and secretly) adore this song and dream of singing it every time they get up from bed. They can hang their heads in shame.

There are more wacky classic songs out there, but you will find it hard to beat the 5 songs presented here.

Feel free to comment on these songs and/or my review below.

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