The following forgotten pop songs from the Vietnam War era were each poignant and smart pieces of music that bordered on (or dove straight into) being full-blown protest songs. You might just remember a couple of these classic pop hits.
“Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire from ‘Eve Of Destruction’ (1965)
This pop-leaning folk rock song was a smash hit back in 1965. “Eve Of Destruction” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track also made it to the Top 10 in quite a few other countries. I can see why. This protest song touched on everything that everybody was worrying about at the time: the Vietnam War, young men getting drafted, the onset of nuclear warfare, the Civil Rights Movement, and even the impending space race. “Eve Of Destruction” really summed up the era. It’s a shame that Barry McGuire never quite scored a hit like it again.
Videos by American Songwriter
“People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals from ‘Freedom Suite’ (1968)
“People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals is a blue-eyed soul classic from 1968 that became a pop hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This is a unique song, as it has a very musically upbeat vibe to it, but the lyrics are anything but. It’s a desperate plea for freedom and progress. And it was dropped during a particularly turbulent time in mid-1968. Thus, it capitalized on the growing anxieties, fears, and exhaustion of everyone alive at the time.
“Let’s Get Together” by The Youngbloods from ‘The Youngbloods’ (1967)
This tune is actually a cover of a Chet Powers song. But The Youngbloods were the ones to put a psychedelic folk-rock spin on it and take it to the Top 10 on the pop charts. When they originally dropped the song in 1967, The Youngbloods didn’t quite break through into the Top 40. In 1969, after the song was used in a PSA for brotherhood via the National Conference of Christians and Jews, “Let’s Get Together” became a smash hit. It finally made it to No. 5 on the Hot 100 and remains a pop hit for the ages. I’d say this is one of the finest (somewhat) forgotten pop songs from the Vietnam War era.
Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images