200 MOST ESSENTIAL 60s SONGS: 100- 91. We are halfway through the countdown. 
Continues tomorrow.

Caffé Latté looks back at…

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL

SONGS OF THE

1960s

No decade was as turbulent as the 1960s. Politically and socially, there was turmoil. Musically too, the rules were changing at breakneck speed. This was the decade of Flower Power, Motown, Woodstock, girl groups, Beatlemania, psychedelia and The British Invasion. Here are 200 songs that matter most from the period. These recordings had an impact on music and provided the soundtrack to the 10 years that made up the Sixties.

#100

HEY JUDE

The Beatles

Issued in 1968, "Hey Jude" remains one of the most lauded songs from The Beatles' canon. Running at 7 minutes, it defied the rules that pop singles should not exceed 2-3 minutes. The song not only charted, but became one of the band's best selling and longest running #1s. The Paul McCartney song topped the charts in America, Britain, Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

#99

AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Marvin Gaye was a major solo star on the Motown label. The Detroit record company also teamed him up with duet partners that included Mary Wells and Diana Ross. As good as these results were, none matched the magical combination of the Prince of Soul and Tammi Terrell. Together, they recorded some of the best duets of the decade. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was a hit single in 1967.

#98

GIVE IT UP OR TURNIT A LOOSE

James Brown

Released as a single in 1969, "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" further proved how influential James Brown was to genres such as R&B, disco, funk and soul.

#97

YOU DON'T OWN ME

Lesley Gore

While still retaining a sweet demeanour, Lesley Gore delivered a plea for independence on her 1963 hit "You Don't Own Me". Female empowerment songs were rare, despite this being the era of the girl groups. This makes its chart peak of #2 in the U.S. even more remarkable.

#96

VENUS IN FURS

The Velvet Underground

Lou Reed's lyrics for "Venus In Furs" provoked negative reactions but this is precisely why The Velvet Underground's 1967 debut album is so highly praised today.

#95

I'LL BET YOU

Funkadelic

Issued in 1969, "I'll Bet You" set George Clinton's Funkadelic outfit up for the a key role in the development of funk during the 1970s. 

#94

SUITE: JUDY BLUE EYES

Crosby, Stills & Nash

The trio consisting of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash released its debut album in 1969."Suite: Judy Blues" , its opening track, was written by Stills and produced by the trio. The song was one of the singles included on the LP. It inspired the music of the likes of Eagles, America, Grateful Dead and James Taylor.

#93

HOLD ON, I'M COMIN'

Sam & Dave

Beckoned by songwriting partner Isaac Hayes while in the toilet, David Porter responded: "Hold on man, I'm coming". Recognising it as a great song title, the 2 began writing the song that would become a soul music staple in 1966 for the duo Sam & Dave.

#92

MY GUY

Mary Wells

By the time "My Guy" reached the charts in 1964, Mary Wells had already racked up 3 Top 10 hits. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, the single easily became the Motown singer's biggest single. It topped the American chart and made the Top 5 in Britain.

#91

WILD THING

The Troggs

Issued in 1966, "Wild Thing" soon became a rock anthem. The Troggs climbed to #1 in America and peaked at #2 in the UK.

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