So many absolutely amazing rock songs came out in the year 1969. One of the greatest decades of music was coming to a close, and several different genres were pumping out hits from bands and musicians, famous and not-so-famous alike. Let’s take a look at a few standard hits from that year that have somehow stood the test of time. I can personally listen to these three rock songs from 1969 on repeat. You might just feel the same way.
“Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival makes it to our list with this roots rock classic from January 1969. “Proud Mary” is one of John Fogerty’s many classics, and it made it all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 mere weeks after being released to the airwaves. According to lore, Fogerty wrote this swamp rock classic in two days after being discharged from the National Guard. There are so many unique genre elements going on in “Proud Mary”, all held together with an underlying blues-rock sound that never gets old.
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“Get Back” by The Beatles
What would a list of rock songs from 1969 be without just one Beatles tune? I went with “Get Back”, partly because it’s one of my favorite Fab Four tunes. But, realistically, there is a laundry list of Beatles songs from 1969 that could have made it to this list. “Get Back” is a classic, though, and a standout single from the final years of the greatest band of the 20th century. Billy Preston’s contributions to this classic blues-rock tune make it all the more memorable, and most might remember it from The Beatles’ final live performance atop the roof of Apple Corps in January 1969.
“Rock Me” by Steppenwolf
Remember “Rock Me” by Steppenwolf? This hard rock tune was one of the most popular rock songs to come out of the year 1969. While most remember Steppenwolf for the 1968 hit “Born To Be Wild”, “Rock Me” is also deserving of some love for the insane vocal gymnastics that John Kay performs that make up the meat of the song. This tune has been used in quite a few films and TV soundtracks, and I can definitely see why.
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