Classic rock in the 1960s was born from blues, R&B, and soul music. The rhythm was as crucial as the notes, and the best anthems seem to be the ones to induce both sing-alongs and the kind of rapturous joy only conveyed through dancing. As involuntary as a laugh, the right song will make you want to get up and dance. As these classic rock bangers from 1965 surely do.
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“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
Keith Richards wrote this iconic guitar riff in his sleep. Unaware at the time, Richards reached for a cassette recorder in the middle of the night and captured the single-string phrase. Even sleep couldn’t keep him from it, and this Rolling Stones classic will likely move you in similar ways. You might end up peacocking around like Mick Jagger, throwing pointy fingers while shouting this timeless frustration anthem at the top of your lungs.
When I’m driving in my car,
And the man comes on the radio,
And he’s telling me more and more,
About some useless information,
Supposed to fire my imagination.
“My Generation” by The Who
The Mods knew how to dress, and if you dress that well, chances are you can dance, too. Pete Townshend’s mid-60s anthem was a revolt against old-age cynicism. It was punk before punk was a thing, and if Townshend’s guitar riff doesn’t make you want to move, then I’m not sure what will. This track is written in Mod lingo (“dig”), and Roger Daltrey’s stuttering swagger (“f-fade away” and “g-get around”) gets equaled only by Keith Moon’s unhinged drumming and John Entwistle’s fuzzed-out bass breaks.
People try to put us d-down (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Just because we get around (talkin’ ’bout my generation).
“Do You Believe In Magic” by The Lovin’ Spoonful
Dancing is the kind of activity often willed from the body and freed from self-consciousness. John Sebastian’s optimistic tune arrived with a similar energy. “It was something that happened to me. I didn’t really write that song,” Sebastian said. “It happened. And I was so delighted.” It echoes the Motown grooves of Detroit and proves even the folkies wanted to dance. Words are enough to stir emotions, but the power of music lies in its amplification of excitement.
Do you believe in magic, in a young girl’s heart?
How the music can free her whenever it starts?
Photo by King Collection/Avalon/Getty Images
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