It’ll be a very long time until rock music fully falls out of style, if it ever will. In the meantime, the genre will continue to evolve and change, just as it first began doing with early evolutions of rock and roll in the 1950s. However, one can’t help but notice that rock music has taken a bit of a backseat in recent years. I think the following rock songs from 1969 are just as good today as they were back in the 20th century. And listening to them in the 2020s is quite refreshing. Modern rock bands could take some notes!
“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
This classic anti-war song is just as good today as it was back in October 1969. Though war and political and cultural unrest are very much a thing today, “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival was admittedly more relevant back in the Vietnam War era. The song is an anthem of the countercultural movement’s defiance against the war, the draft, and the treatment of veterans. It’s honestly the best thing John Fogerty ever wrote, and it’s such a powerful song today, decades after it was released.
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“Get Back” by The Beatles
What would a list of rock songs from 1969 be without at least one Beatles track? I went with “Get Back”, simply because it has such a classic, addictive melody that is hard not to love today. Sure, the song sounds dated, considering it came out over 50 years ago. But there’s something about the songwriting on this song, the overall vibe, the rhythm, the necessary talents of Billy Preston… It’s such a killer song, and it has aged fairly well through the years.
“Let Me!” by Paul Revere & The Raiders
This one’s a little bit of a deep cut. “Let Me!” by Paul Revere & The Raiders was released in April 1969. The song was originally written and arranged by Mark Lindsay. It peaked at No. 20 on the US pop charts, and it is often revered as one of the best rock songs of the year 1969. It’s your classic groovy love song. Just listening to it will transport you back to the turn of the 60s!
Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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