It’s difficult to truly say what is the single most transformative and important year in music history. However, one that certainly comes to mind is 1965. In 1965 alone, Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival, The Beatles released Rubber Soul and performed at Shea Stadium, and bands such as The Doors and the Grateful Dead were founded.
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Needless to say, a lot happened, and a lot of music was released. But no matter how many years pass, these three songs from 1965 will never be forgotten.
“Yesterday” by The Beatles
The Beatles have 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and countless other songs that will go down in history as some of the greatest of all time. One of those songs is their 1965 single, “Yesterday”. Following its release, “Yesterday” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ten years later, when The Beatles released it as a single in the United Kingdom, it peaked at No. 8.
While significant, the chart run of The Beatles’ “Yesterday” is fairly predictable. Regardless, its chart run is not why fans still remember it as one of the greatest songs of all time to this day. No, what makes it such a staple in the public memory is the unspeakable way it moves people.
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
One of the biggest releases in 1965 was, without a doubt, The Rolling Stones‘ single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. Released in June of 1965, the single became the band’s first No. 1 single in the United States as it held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. Additionally, it peaked at No. 1 in their home country of England as well.
Again, the chart history behind this single is notable, but that’s not why we hear it regularly to this day. Rather, we still seem to hear this song frequently, given that it is one of the songs the masses often associate with the 1960s. It might be in a movie, a TV show, or just in conversation, but when someone brings up the decade in some context, there is a good chance this song will make an appearance.
“Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan
It’s funny to think that the most controversial song in Bob Dylan‘s catalog doesn’t feature political or socially subversive lyrics, because his most controversial song is “Like A Rolling Stone”. Famously, “Like A Rolling Stone” marked a major transition for Dylan, as he ditched his acoustic for an electric. Consequently, it shook the world’s folk and music fans to the core.
Reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100, the only song that stopped this single from going No. 1 was The Beatles’ “Help!”. Nevertheless, Bob Dylan will always be an icon in pop culture and remembered by most, and so will this song.
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