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[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

The 1963-1967 period was, in my opinion, the highest jump of popular music in all its history. During those years there were some key songs that opened new doors and pushed forward music boundaries with new sounds.

The next list includes the songs that I selected as the most revolutionary of each year from that period. I limited my selection to songs that actually were being played on the radio, having a literal effect on the air of the time.

1963 - I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Beatles). Other songs like "Please Please Me" or "She Loves You" could also have been mentioned; but this song opened the American door not only for the Beatles but also for the whole British Invasion.

The Beatles - I Want To Hold your Hand [HD]

1964 - You Really Got Me (The Kinks). This song could be considered as the first notes of hard rock. It's probably the heaviest rock/pop recording done until that moment, beyond the amateurish performance.

THE KINKS - 1964 - "You Really Got Me"

1965 - My Generation (The Who). Not only the sound was wild for the time, the message was also strong: youth people started to speak loud.

The Who - My Generation

1966 - Eight Miles High (The Byrds). One of the earliest truly psychedelic songs, though "Shapes Of Things" by the Yardbirds should also be mentioned. The song is characterized by free and random guitar playing, intricate drumming, hypnotic bass and elevating vocals.

The Byrds:Eight Miles High (RARE 1967 clip)

1967 - Somebody To Love (Jefferson Airplane). One of the original acid rock songs, along with Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". This is raw psychedelia, without the need of heavy studio experimentation. This new sound was exciting and wild, including blazing guitar solos and thunderous bass.

Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow 1967

[Bobber]

Mmm, I would have to think about that. I do believe i would pick She Loves You anyway for 1963. More a statement in itself and a stronger song compared to IWHYH.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Mmm, I would have to think about that. I do believe i would pick She Loves You anyway for 1963. More a statement in itself and a stronger song compared to IWHYH.

"She Loves You" would be a fair selection too, since it defined Beatlemania in UK.

I chose "I Want To Hold Your Hand" because it was the definitive impact worldwide, especially in the until then difficult US market. Maybe it wasn't the most important step for the Beatles, but it certainly was a key song for the British Invasion phenomenon.

[Moogmodule]

Yes this requires a bit of thought. All your choices are apt Hombre. For 1963 I also could go for either she loves you or I want to ahold Your Hand. Maybe She Loves You wins as it's earlier.

I'll come back on later years

[oldbrownshoe]

I can't think of any other artist (apart from something from 'Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' or, at a push, Dusty's first 45) that could possibly represent 1963.

I've narrowed the song down to 'Please Please Me', 'Twist and Shout', 'From Me To You', She Loves You' or 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'.
I'm tempted to go for 'TWIST AND SHOUT', particularly as it was the most memorable song from the Royal Variety Performance.

[Hello Goodbye]

In 1963 we were awaiting The British Invasion here in the United States.   The song that had the most impact on us teenagers was...

Blowing In The Wind (Live On TV, March 1963)

Peter, Paul and Mary performed it at The March On Washington...

Blowing in the wind Peter Paul n Mary

Blowin' In The Wind remained one of our anthems throughout the 1960s.

[oldbrownshoe]

Yep, 'Blowin' In The Wind' is a persuasive argument.
The 6 minute version on The Basement Tapes doesn't sound too promising but is actually tremendous.

For 1965, I'd like to offer 'See My Friend' (or is it 'Friends'?, it seems to change on a daily basis!) by The Kinks.

Two reasons.
1. The first use of a sitar on a 60s pop record as far as I'm aware and,
2. The lyric appears to be a thinly veiled nod to homosexuality, hardly a subject close to Tin Pan Alley's heart before 'See My Friend'!

[Bobber]

1. The first use of a sitar on a 60s pop record as far as I'm aware and,

I don't see why that should be a reason to make this a revolutionary song. The marriage between the sitar and western popmusic didn't last long. I'm not unhappy with that.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

For 1965, I'd like to offer 'See My Friend' (or is it 'Friends'?, it seems to change on a daily basis!) by The Kinks.

Two reasons.
1. The first use of a sitar on a 60s pop record as far as I'm aware and,
2. The lyric appears to be a thinly veiled nod to homosexuality, hardly a subject close to Tin Pan Alley's heart before 'See My Friend'!

That's a good choice, because it's probably the first song that incorporated clear Eastern elements into Western rock/pop music. But the Kinks did not use an actual sitar, it's just a guitar sounding like a sitar. A similar experiment was done by the Yardbirds with the song "Heart Full Of Soul". But the sitar wasn't used in any prominent rock record until "Norwegian Wood".

P.S. I always name the song as "See My Friends".

[Hello Goodbye]

In 1964, House Of The Rising Sun heralded Folk Rock...

The Animals - House of Rising Sun - HD

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

In 1964, House Of The Rising Sun heralded Folk Rock...

True, and not a bad choice. But in terms of sound, I still think that folk rock started with the Byrds. That is, a folkish spirit given by electric instruments.

[Moogmodule]

In terms of impact on how songs were written the lyrical approach dylan brought in Blowing in the Wind and others clearly influenced the course of pop/rock musical in a lasting way.

Maybe sitar songs remain a mid sixties cliche, but I suppose you could argue that it began that world music/ fusion thing. Which is still ongoing.

I admit I'm finding this harder to work out than I thought.

For instance Tomorrow Never Comes is often cited as a revolutionary song for it's time, but where it sits in the development of psychedelia I can't really say.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

For instance Tomorrow Never Comes is often cited as a revolutionary song for it's time, but where it sits in the development of psychedelia I can't really say.

I think "Tomorrow Never Knows" was the definitive psychedelic song, in terms of both music and lyrics; but it pushed farther previous (recent) works by the Byrds and the Yardbirds.

Maybe "Tomorrow Never Knows" could be the first rock/pop song where studio experimentation talked louder than the actual performance of the musicians. Kind of opening the door to techno music.

Funny enough, "Tomorrow Never Knows" may be my favorite song ever, and I hate techno music with all my heart.

[Moogmodule]

I think "Tomorrow Never Knows" was the definitive psychedelic song, in terms of both music and lyrics; but it pushed farther previous (recent) works by the Byrds and the Yardbirds.

Maybe "Tomorrow Never Knows" could be the first rock/pop song where studio experimentation talked louder than the actual performance of the musicians. Kind of opening the door to techno music.

Funny enough, "Tomorrow Never Knows" may be my favorite song ever, and I hate techno music with all my heart.

Actually you're right. It does have some similarities with techno. A repetitive hypnotic beat, more about the sounds than about melody or harmonics. Maybe bracketing it as a psychedelia piece is underselling it a bit. Not that I'm a big techno fan either.

[Hello Goodbye]

True, and not a bad choice. But in terms of sound, I still think that folk rock started with the Byrds. That is, a folkish spirit given by electric instruments.

Doc Watson & Clarence Ashley - House of the Rising sun

Bob Dylan - House Of The Rising Sun (Home Recording 1962)

Animals: "House Of The Rising Sun" (USA, 1964)

[Hello Goodbye]

I think Bob Dylan was influenced by The Animals in developing his brand of folk rock...


Al Kooper...

Magic in Rolling Stone session.mpeg

Mike Bloomfield...

Michael Bloomfield Like a Rolling Stone Instrumental [Download]

[oldbrownshoe]

1967.
After much thought I'm going for 'See Emily Play' by The Pink Floyd.

[Hello Goodbye]

By late 1965, some of us were coming of age.  We wanted to hear popular music with a bit more meaning, with lyrics more introspective and thought-provoking.  The Beatles were maturing too and they provided us with...

Nowhere Man The Beatles (Rubber Soul) (Digital Stereo Remastered)

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Doc Watson & Clarence Ashley - House of the Rising sun


Bob Dylan - House Of The Rising Sun (Home Recording 1962)


Animals: "House Of The Rising Sun" (USA, 1964)

I was talking about the sound. The Animals version is more bluesy than folkish. But I agree that this song could be considered as an announcement of upcoming folk rock.

[Hello Goodbye]

I was talking about the sound. The Animals version is more bluesy than folkish.

Sure it is.  The band started out as a Rhythm and Blues band.  They took that old folk song and in just one take on 18 May 1964 came up with a ground-breaking trans-Atlantic hit.  But Eric Burdon didn't turn to the band and say "That's folk rock, mates!"  The music press came up with that term later on.  The folk rock genre of music was evolutionary combining collegiate folk and urban blues & folk music with rock.

If you haven't already read this, I recommend you do...





You'll read that Bob Dylan was influenced by several factors in his decision to go electric, one of which was The Animals' recording of House Of The Rising Sun.