4 Top 40 Hits From 1964 That Every Baby Boomer Can Still Sing by Heart

The music we became attached to in our youth has a way of sticking with us for the rest of our lives, and the baby boomers arguably had some of the best music to choose from. That’s certainly true of the songs topping the charts in 1964, including these four Top 40 hits that every baby boomer can likely still sing by heart decades later.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

The Beatles were on a fast ascent to rock ‘n’ roll stardom in 1964, and indeed, songs like “I Want To Hold Your Hand” only sped them along. Some of the Fab Four’s most iconic tracks came out of this era, with multiple songs lingering in the Top 40 at a time. “I Want To Hold Your Hand” is deeply ingrained in the heart of every baby boomer alive—so much so that even the opening vamp is instantly recognizable.

“I Get Around” by The Beach Boys

While Beatlemania was still making its way across the country, surf-pop groups like The Beach Boys enjoyed their last few years of success before the rise of heavier rock ‘n’ roll took precedence. Songs like “I Get Around” have become synonymous with the sunshiney, bubblegum-pop style of the early 1960s. Even six decades later, every baby boomer can probably sing along to every vocal part on this classic record.

“Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison topped the charts for three weeks after the late-summer release of “Oh, Pretty Woman”. The song is an early rock ‘n’ roll classic, embodying a distinct era of rock that saw the heaviest influence from rockabilly. The song also gained new life in 1990 with the Julia Roberts and Richard Gere film, Pretty Woman, which, naturally, utilized the Orbison track. Moreover, we’d wager it’s safe to say every baby boomer can sing along to the signature guitar riff.

“My Guy” by Mary Wells

Another song from 1964 that gained new life in the 1990s (thanks, Sister Act) is “My Guy” by Mary Wells. The classic pop hit is a feel-good love song about how much the narrator adores their man—just good ol’ wholesome romance. Every baby boomer alive knows that the next line after “nothing you could do” in this 1964 Top 40 hit is “cause I’m stuck like glue to my guy.”

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