3 Unintentionally Funny One-Hit Wonders From the 1960s

Music fans have been listening to rock for more than 70 years! And over the course of that time, one thing is clear. The genre has changed and evolved over eras, as all art forms do. But what might be most interesting about that today is hearing all those offerings with modern ears.

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Here below, we wanted to do just that. We wanted to dive back into some more rudimentary rock tunes to hear their rough sketches. Why? Maybe for a little giggle. Indeed, these are three unintentionally funny one-hit wonders from the 1960s.

“We Love You Beatles” by The Carefrees from ‘We Love You All’ (1964)

Have you ever heard of a song being written as an ode to another band? When The Beatles came to the United States in 1964 as part of the now-famed British Invasion, they were all the rage. But by then another British-born band was already singing their praises. That’s right, The Carefrees released their tribute to the former Mop Tops and their song, “We Love You Beatles”, which names each member, hit No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, just squeaking into the Top 40. How droll!

“San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” by Scott McKenzie from ‘The Voice Of Scott McKenzie’ (1967)

Gosh, the earnestness. This song is dripping with sincerity, but sincerity has a funny way about it sometimes. With time, it can turn from something positive into something sappy and silly. And that’s just what happened here with this 1960s flower power offering. Scott McKenzie’s track “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” has become a relic of the past. It’s like a photograph of a gun with a daisy in it. Sure, it meant something then. But now? It reads more goofy than anything.

“Here Comes The Judge” by Shorty Long from ‘Here Comes The Judge’ (1968)

This song became a hit for several different artists in the 1960s and 1970s, but we’ll take Shorty Long’s version. We call this offering a song, but in a way it’s more like a comedy sketch. At least, that’s how it reads today. It feels like you’re listening to a Saturday Night Live sketch. And while some of that may have been intentional, because the song is so old and so much has changed in rock music, it reads at times like an unintentional comedy record from an era long ago.

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