- today
Dust off those vinyl records and take a groovy trip down memory lane! We're revisiting those spectacular 60s tunes that deserve way more love than they get today. From psychedelic anthems to soulful ballads and sunshine pop masterpieces, these songs defined an era but somehow slipped from the spotlight. Which forgotten classic still makes you want to dance?
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MusicTranscript
00:00Listen to the music of the traffic in the city
00:03Think you're on the sidewalk weather
00:06The old signs are pretty
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks
00:11for the great songs from the 1960s
00:14that have flown under the radar in recent years
00:17Number 10. Aquarius
00:25Let the sun shine in
00:27The fifth dimension
00:28This one goes out to all the astrology nerds
00:37The fifth dimension's biggest hit is actually a medley
00:40of two songs from the musical Hair
00:42and it sounds just as theatrical as you'd expect
00:46With elements of psychedelic soul, sunshine pop, gospel
00:54and show tunes
00:55Aquarius Let the Sun Shine In covers nearly all of the bases of the 60s music scene
01:02Teasing an upcoming age of spiritual enlightenment, the song was a hopeful anthem for the decade's hippie movement
01:17It might be a little early for the mostly 70s soundtrack, but its campy sci-fi lyrics practically scream for inclusion in a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel
01:27Number 9. Something in the Air
01:38Thunderclap Newman
01:39The Beatles weren't the only 60s band calling for revolution
01:43Thunderclap Newman's only hit, Something in the Air, was a metaphor for the changing cultural landscape
01:50Although peace, love, and flower power were all the rage throughout the decade, they weren't
02:01necessarily getting protesters anywhere in the way of social change. Instead, the edgy song advocated
02:08for more dramatic measures of organizing against issues like the Vietnam War, including violence
02:22Even if you haven't heard of Thunderclap Newman, you'll almost certainly recognize a familiar face
02:27Guitarist Pete Townsend first formed the band as a side project from The Who
02:32Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right
02:39Number 8. Georgie Girl
02:41The Seekers
02:50Besides offering serious political anthems, the music of the 60s could also be light and breezy
02:57One of the best examples is The Seekers' Georgie Girl, which instantly begins with one of pop's
03:04catchiest hooks. From its opening whistle, the Australian folk-pop hit glides effortlessly
03:10between cheery and wistful throughout its runtime
03:13But never stopping to bite
03:16So shed those dowdy feathers and fly
03:21The story of a frumpy young woman who comes out of her shell following a makeover, it was written
03:27as the theme song for a movie of the same name
03:30Life is a reality
03:32You can't always run away
03:35Despite being a happy tune, it has little in common with today's empowerment anthems
03:41encouraging the subject to change her style for male attention
03:45Either way, some distance from the 60s' attitudes towards women has made it just as enjoyable
03:51Come on you Georgie Girl
03:53Come on Georgie Girl
03:54Come on Georgie Girl
03:55Come on Georgie Girl
03:56Come on Georgie Girl
03:57Wake up Georgie Girl
03:58Come on Georgie Girl
03:59Come on Georgie Girl
04:00Number 7. Build Me Up Buttercup
04:02The Foundations
04:04Why do you build me up? Buttercup baby just to let me down
04:10The subject of their biggest hits might have them taken for granted, but The Foundations remain
04:15a 60s soul staple. Much soul music of the time was about a man mistreating a man
04:20But the group turned gender roles on their head for a song about the exact opposite
04:26Hey hey hey
04:27Baby make me try to find
04:30Hey hey hey
04:31I've been tired
04:32And I'll make you happy
04:34Hey hey hey
04:35On Build Me Up Buttercup, they also followed in the footsteps of Motown groups like The Temptations
04:40and The Four Tops with an added British twist
04:43Not only were they one of the first successful mixed-race groups in the UK, but their vocals on this track
04:49are equally harmonious. The song's timeless sound continues to resonate with listeners even though the Foundations would disband shortly after in 1971.
05:11Number 6. Daydream Believer, The Monkees
05:17Oh I could hide, meet the wings of the bluebird as she sings
05:25Decades later, people are still going bananas for The Monkees' signature hits. While The Beatles had long moved on to trippier pastures, the made-for-TV boy band was leaning into their teen-pop sound more than ever.
05:38On Daydream Believer, they sang to a homecoming queen over a whimsical bubblegum backdrop. As the group's last number one hits, it feels slightly bittersweet with an underlying theme of fading youth.
05:58Thankfully, lead singer Davy Jones would later reintroduce the song to a whole new audience, creating one of the best gags in SpongeBob history.
06:14Daydream Believer proved that The Monkees were more than just a manufactured copy of the Fab Four.
06:30Number 5. A Wider Shade of Pale, Procol Harum
06:42It's about time this song makes a comeback. If you want to know what the biggest baroque composer would sound like with lyrics and rock-era instruments, look no further than A Wider Shade of Pale.
06:54Even though Procol Harum is obviously paying homage to Bach's air on the G-string, the organ-heavy arrangement is still original enough to stand on its own.
07:11A Wider Shade of Pale became one of the biggest hits of 1967's Summer of Love, showcasing a subdued side of the psychedelic genre amid wilder offerings from Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix.
07:32First, just go sleep, turn the wind up, shade of pale.
07:41Over 50 years after its release, the song was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as part of their very first round of singles.
07:51Number 4. Happy Together, The Turtles
07:55Slow and steady wins the race, or at least gets the Turtles fourth place.
08:09The verses of Happy Together may seem humble and unassuming, but they quietly build to one of the biggest pop choruses of the 60s.
08:18Once the minor key turns to major, the song suddenly explodes into a wave of pop ecstasy.
08:24However, according to lead singer Howard Kalin, several artists perplexingly passed on it prior to the Turtles.
08:39Thankfully, the band was able to recognize the song's staying power in and outside of the 60s decade and claim it for themselves.
08:47No matter how you toss the dice, Happy Together will go down in history as one of pop's greatest love songs.
09:02Number 3.
09:03The House of the Rising Sun
09:05The Animals
09:06Okay, this one technically isn't from the 60s.
09:18The House of the Rising Sun is a folk song whose exact origins are unknown, passed down through generations and cultures until landing in the animal's lap.
09:29The band's version, widely considered the definitive one, deals with a narrator down on his luck after getting caught up in gambling in New Orleans.
09:44The lyrics never say for sure what happened in the title house, but based on the song's ominous organ, it clearly wasn't anything good.
09:52Tell your children not to do what I have done.
10:00Further adding to its mystique, historians still aren't in agreement over whether the house was a jail, brothel, or even existed at all.
10:10Despite telling a cautionary tale, being bad has never sounded so tempting.
10:15Imagine you all is so well and while all it takes
10:22Number 2.
10:24Downtown
10:25Petula Clark
10:26When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown
10:34Forget all your troubles, forget all your cares.
10:38That's the exact effect of listening to downtown.
10:41Full of hope and wonder, Petula Clark's biggest hit stateside sounds ripped from a Broadway musical.
10:47The lights are much brighter there, you can't forget all your troubles, forget all your cares.
10:55Rather than staying inside and moping on a bad day, the British singer suggests immersing yourself in the lights and sounds of the nearest busy city.
11:03Even pulling off a key change without feeling gimmicky.
11:07It's nearly impossible not to crack a smile during downtown's three-minute runtime.
11:20Numerous artists have since been inspired by the song's message of escapism, with the likes of Dally Parton and even Baby Spice Emma Bunton releasing their own cover versions.
11:30But Clark's stage-ready vocals have yet to be topped.
11:40Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:43Blackberry Way.
11:45The move.
11:46Future ELO members combine psychedelic and classical.
11:50Psychotic Reaction.
11:51Count five.
11:52A garage rock staple later covered by Tom Petty.
12:04On a carousel.
12:05The Hollies.
12:06The beat band's poppiest hour.
12:08It's only yet so far.
12:13On a carousel.
12:14The Hollies.
12:15The beat band's poppiest hour.
12:17It's only yet so far.
12:19On a carousel.
12:211.
12:43Time of the Season Just like the creatures that inspired
12:55the band's name, this song refuses to die.
12:59Contrary to its title suggesting a passing fad, Time of the Season is one of the most
13:04enduring songs of the 60s, surprisingly smooth and sensual.
13:18The Zombies cult classic marks a turning point for popular music getting less prudish.
13:23Between the breathy sound effects and iconic organ solo, Time of the Season conjures an
13:28atmosphere equally steamy and seedy.
13:39Lyrics of the 1960s have rarely been more explicit than here either.
13:51Rhyming pleasured hands with promised lands, the Zombies don't even try to hide what the
13:57song is about, decades after its release.
14:01Time of the Season has held on for a reason.
14:10What are your favorite hidden gems from the 60s decade?
14:14Let us know down in the comments.
14:24Let us know down in the comments.
14:30OK, let us know down in the comments.
14:32Let us know.
14:34We'll see you next time.
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