4 Rock Songs From 1964 That Make Me Want To Travel Back in Time

By 1964, the music of the 60s was in full swing. The decade includes some of the best classic rock songs ever released, including these four songs, which all came out in 1964.

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“Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison

“Oh, Pretty Woman” was inspired by The Beatles’ hit single, “She Loves You”, released in 1963.

Written by Orbison and Bill Dees, the song says, “Pretty woman, walking down the street / Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet / Pretty woman / I don’t believe you, you’re not the truth / No one could look as good as you / Mercy.”

“I Feel Fine” by The Beatles

The Beatles were in the middle of their long winning streak when they released “I Feel Fine”. On their Beatles ’65 record, “I Feel Fine” is written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

“I Feel Fine” begins with, “Baby’s good to me, you know / She’s happy as can be, you know / She said so / I’m in love with her and I feel fine / Baby says she’s mine, you know / She tells me all the time, you know / She said so / I’m in love with her and I feel fine.”

“The House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals

“The House Of The Rising Sun” is The Animals’ second single. Their only No. 1 hit in the United States, “The House Of The Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song, which the rock band put their own spin on. It appears on their eponymous debut album.

The song says in part, “Now the only thing a gambler needs / Is a suitcase and a trunk / And the only time he’s satisfied / Is when he’s all drunk / Oh mother, tell your children / Not to do what I have done / Spend your lives in sin and misery / In the House of the Rising Sun.”

“Tell Me Why” by Bobby Vinton

One of Bobby Vinton’s biggest hits, he isn’t the first artist to record “Tell Me Why”. The song, written by Marty Gold and Al Albert, was first recorded by Jerry Gray in 1951. Other artists who recorded “Tell Me Why” include Eddie Fisher and Dinah Washington, among others. 

Still, Vinton’s take on “Tell Me Why” remains among the most popular. The title track of an album Vinton also released in 1964, “Tell Me Why” says, “Tell me why, when we danced until three / Tell me why, why my heart couldn’t see / I never dreamed of romance / Never gave it a chance.”

Photo by John Rodgers/Redferns