200 MOST ESSENTIAL 60s SONGS: 170- 161. Continues next week.

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.

#170

HEAT WAVE

Martha & The Vandellas

Another pop nugget from one of Motown's premier girl groups, "Heat Wave" was a 1963 hit written by the prolific trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland.

#169

UP ON THE ROOF

The Drifters

A song can take you far from your everyday troubles. The Drifters offered one of the best examples of the power of music to do so when the R&B vocal group recorded the Carole King and Gerry Goffin composition "Up On The Roof". In 1963, it went Top 5 on both the Pop and Soul charts.

#168

 

ISREALITES

Desmond Dekker & The Aces

Before Bob Marley became reggae's leading artist, Desmond Dekker exposed worldwide audiences to the genre with "Isrealites". In 1968, the single reached #1 in the UK and went Top 10 in America and Europe.

#167

HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER

The Hollies

In 1969, The Hollies unleashed this ballad which features an as yet unknown session musician on piano named Elton John. The single topped the British chart and made the US Top 10.

#166

FIRE

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

"Fire" remains one of the most unique singles released during the decade. Issued in 1968, the psychedelic soul track provided Arthur Brown with a UK #1 and a Top 10 smash in Europe and the U.S.A.

#165

(YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME)

HIGHER AND HIGHER

Jackie Wilson

 Influential soul performer Jackie Wilson had been absent from the upper rungs of the charts for years but "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" returned him to the top in 1967. The single soon became a soul staple.

#164

SUMMER IN THE CITY

The Lovin' Spoonful

Incorporating sound effects and the excitement of the season, "Summer In The City" was an American and Canadian #1 single for The Lovin' Spoonful in 1966.

#163

THE LOCO-MOTION

Little Eva

Carole King and husband Gerry Goffin created this dance hit for babysitter Little Eva. In 1962, it made #1 in America and peaked at #2 on the British chart.

#162

FRIDAY ON MY MIND

The Easybeats

"Friday On My Mind" bottled teen anticipation and energy and remains an underrated rock track by the Australian group The Easybeats. It was a massive chart-topping success in Australia in 1966 before reaching #6 in the UK and #16 in America. Two of its members, Harry Vanda and George Young continued penning hits for various Australian acts in the 1970s, including the early discs by AC/DC which featured 2 of the latter's brothers.

#161

LEADER OF THE PACK

The Shangri-Las

A girl group, one bad boy and parental disapproval: the perfect ingredients for a hit song. But "Leader Of The Pack" went even further. By the song's end, the couple had broken up and the boy was dead. Released in 1964, the single gave The Shangri-Las an American #1.

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