Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Classic Pop Jams From 1964

Mainstream pop music of 1964 was a vast kaleidoscope of sounds and styles, blending early rock ‘n’ roll, the East Coast folk revival, Motown soul, and the growing British invasion led by bands like The Beatles and The Who. Indeed, some of the most influential records of all time came out in the mid-1960s.

Decades later, every baby boomer alive still remembers what it was like hearing these classic 1964 pop jams for the first time.

“I Get Around” by The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys released “I Get Around” as the sole single from their sixth album, All Summer Long. The quintessential surf tune features The Beach Boys at their best: cruising around town with pretty girls, singing airtight harmonies.

Interestingly, this song also marked the start of a race to the top of the charts between The Beach Boys and The Beatles, who were steadily becoming more popular as the British invasion worked its way inland in the United States. “I Get Around” was one of the last times The Beach Boys would come out on top before their popularity waned in the latter half of the 60s.

“Baby Love” by The Supremes

The Supremes were one of the most notable acts to come out of the Motown scene, and hits like their 1964 single “Baby Love” helped solidify that acclaim. “Baby Love” topped the charts in the U.S. and the United Kingdom at the same time, which helped Motown develop a bigger, international audience.

The Supremes’ 1964 single off Where Did Our Love Go was the first time a Motown act had ever achieved multiple No. 1 hits. The vocal group, led by Diana Ross in spirit and, eventually, billing, would go on to hit double-digit chart-toppers. They remain the best-selling Motown act of all time to this day.

“Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison released “Oh, Pretty Woman” in the late summer of 1964. The song topped the charts for about a month in both the U.S. and U.K. It would be Orbison’s final No. 1 single. But its ubiquity certainly didn’t die in the 1960s.

On the contrary, “Pretty Woman” remained a classic in the 1960s pop canon in the decades that followed. In 1990, the song found new life when it became the theme song for the Julia Roberts and Richard Gere film Pretty Woman. Sadly, Orbison died in 1988, so he never saw his song’s revival.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

One simply can’t discuss classic pop tunes from 1964 without mentioning The Beatles. That was a big year for the Fab Four, debuting on American television and getting catapulted to the highest ranks of musical royalty. Songs like “I Want To Hold Your Hand” took the world by storm, leaving heaving masses of screaming fans in its wake.

1964 also saw The Beatles at some of their most pop-oriented. With the exception of later Paul McCartney tunes (the likes of which John Lennon dubbed “granny” songs), the Fab Four would only grow heavier, more abstract, and more experimental from that year forward.

Photo by James Kriegsmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images