Classic rock will never truly die. There’s just too much great music from the 20th century to sift through and enjoy. That being said, a select few classic rock songs make it to my regular rotation, and many of those songs were released in 1969. Let’s look at a few examples! One of your favorites might just be on my list.
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“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
This was truly the song of the decade in my book. The roots rock classic “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival dropped in October 1969 and became a fast hit, peaking at No. 14 in November of that year. It was an ode to soldiers during the Vietnam War, and has also become a retrospective protest song of its era. In my opinion, this song might just be John Fogerty’s best songwriting to date.
A few songs that also could have made it here include “It Came Out Of The Sky” and “Down On The Corner”.
“Come Together” by The Beatles
A couple of different songs from Abbey Road could have made it to our list of amazing classic rock songs from 1969. However, I went with “Come Together”, simply because I revisit it so often. It’s one of The Beatles’ best songs, and it’s a whole hodgepodge of nonsense with an overall vibe of togetherness. That’s really what the Fab Four were about, in my opinion: Surrealist nonsensical wordsmithing in conjunction with a desire for people to come together and find peace.
Come close contenders: “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and “The End”.
“Make Your Own Kind Of Music” by Cass Elliot
This wouldn’t be a list of classic rock songs from 1969 without including a gem from Cass Elliot. A few different tunes could have made it here from the former The Mamas & The Papas crooner, but I went with what is probably her most enduring song: “Make Your Own Kind Of Music”. People still love this song today, including young, new listeners who made it go viral on platforms like TikTok in recent years. It’s a pop-rock, sunshine-soaked classic, and I think it should have gone further than No. 36 on the Hot 100.
A couple of potential follow-ups: “It’s Getting Better” or even “I Can Dream, Can’t I”.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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