Remember jumping into the ol’ station wagon back in 1964 to head to school and listening to songs on the radio the whole way there? It’s far from an original experience, and many 60s kids’ taste in music was formed by those very car rides and exposure to what the Top 40 was dishing out in those days. Let’s look at just a few songs you probably heard on your early morning commute that year.
“Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison and The Candy Men from ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’
Roy Orbison was all over the radio in the 1960s, and one of his most noteworthy hits with The Candy Men has to be “Oh, Pretty Woman”. This rockabilly jam was a crossover pop hit, peaking at No. 1 in both the US and UK.
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“My Guy” by Mary Wells from ‘Mary Wells Sings My Guy’
Remember this R&B classic from Mary Wells? “My Guy” was written by Motown icon Smokey Robinson, and he also produced the track. It became quite the hit for Wells in 1964. “My Guy” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and did similarly well in the UK and Canada.
“People” by Barbra Streisand from ‘People’
Barbra Streisand’s immediately recognizable voice carried the song “People” all the way to the top of the charts in 1964. This song was put together for the musical Funny Girl, in which Barbra Streisand starred. Naturally, Streisand’s recorded version of the song was a hit on the charts. “People” peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
“A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles from ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
Well, I couldn’t put together a list of taste-defining 1964 songs that 60s kids heard on the way to school without mentioning The Beatles. And considering how big of a deal “A Hard Day’s Night” was that year, I went with that iconic song.
This rock staple is one of the Fab Four’s most famous early songs. It peaked at No. 1 across the board in the US, UK, and much of Europe.
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(Original Caption) A singer called Joni. Joni Mitchell, Canadian singer-songwriter, United Kingdom, 1968. The guitar-pickin' gal is Joni Mitchell, a long blonde haired Canadian folk singer. Pictured last night outside the Revolution club, Joni is here (until 1st October) for radio, television and concert appearances. Apart from concert appearances, 25 year old Joni will be heard on "Top Gear" on Radio One and "The Monday Show" on BBC 1. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) -
English rock band the Beatles arrive at London Airport from the USA, with their manager Brian Epstein (1934 – 1967, in coach doorway), 2nd September 1965. From left to right, John Lennon (1940 – 1980), George Harrison (1943 – 2001), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. (Photo by George Stroud/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
George Jones, who released several country songs about whiskey -
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John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls at event, New York, 1990s. (Photo by Steve Eichner/Getty Images) -
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Pop group The Byrds (l to r): Chris Hillman; Dave Crosby; Mike Clark; Jim McGuinn; and Gene Clark. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)