3 Top 40 Hits From 1969 That Stay on Repeat in My Car

As the musical world propels further into the future, my car—a messy but well-loved Honda named Rhonda—remains firmly planted in the 1960s and 1970s. Music from this time period has yet to get old (for me, anyway), and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, you know? Whether you’re looking for new songs to add to your driving playlist or simply want to relate to someone else with a love of music from the late 60s, I invite you to take a gander at three Top 40 hits from 1969 that continue to top the charts on the Top 40 chart of Rhonda the Honda Radio.

“Come Together” by The Beatles

I feel like Abbey Road is to The Beatles what Dark Side Of The Moon is to Pink Floyd. That is, these albums have become such monumental cultural phenomena that listing them as your favorite might come across as vapid or superficial. But to that I say, isn’t there a reason they turned into phenomena the way that they did? Abbey Road is an incredible album from start to finish (I’m even a fan of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”, which everyone except Paul McCartney seemed to hate).

However, “Come Together” is one that I’ll sneak into my driving playlist even if I don’t have time to listen to the whole album. The groove is infectious, the lyrics are fun to sing, and what else can you ask for when it comes to a good driving song?

“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: “Spirit In The Sky” had no business being that nasty. Norman Greenbaum’s one-hit wonder might sound like something straight out of a church youth group song circle based on the lyrics alone. However, one listen to the actual track places this song squarely in the rock ‘n’ roll realm, and that’s all thanks to Greenbaum’s gritty, fuzzy, and fat guitar tone.

Interestingly, Greenbaum got the inspiration to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner sing a gospel song on television. When it was time to record the track, Greenbaum was imagining an acoustic arrangement. Ultimately, he went with a Fender Telecaster running through a built-in fuzz circuit, creating that oh-so-tasty tone.

“Space Oddity” by David Bowie

Finally, who doesn’t love the chance to put on a bit of a show while driving in the car? David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” has always been a favorite of mine for long car rides because I can truly commit to the bit of being Major Tom, “floating ‘round my tin can,” while zooming along the interstate in my Honda Civic. The song is melancholy, moody, and maybe even a little bit campy, as was always going to be the case in Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era. Prime road trip song material.

The song originally came out in mid-summer 1969, although the initial release technically didn’t make the Top 40 that year. A reissue in 1973 performed much better, peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. So, while this technically wasn’t a Top 40 hit in 1969, it would be eventually, and it’s my Rhonda the Honda. I’ll make musical exceptions if I want to.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images