JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Top 100 Pop songs of 1967

I don't know if this is just the week of Dec 23rd or the year end compilation -- but look at the variety!!!

From: http://www.tropicalglen.com/

1 THE LETTER – The Box Tops (Mala)
2 LIGHT MY FIRE – The Doors (Elektra)
3 CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU – Frankie Valli (Philips)
4 ODE TO BILLIE JOE – Bobbie Gentry (Capitol)
5 TO SIR WITH LOVE – Lulu (Epic)
6 HAPPY TOGETHER – The Turtles (White Whale)
7 WINDY – The Association (Warner Bros.)
8 I’M A BELIEVER – The Monkees (Colgems)
9 GROOVIN’ – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
10 RESPECT – Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
11 GEORGY GIRL – The Seekers (Capitol)
12 I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW – Tommy James & The Shondells (Roulette)
13 SOMETHIN’ STUPID – Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra (Reprise)
14 SOUL MAN – Sam & Dave (Stax)
15 COME BACK WHEN YOU GROW UP – Bobby Vee & The Strangers (Liberty)
16 SWEET SOUL MUSIC – Arthur Conley (Atco)
17 RUBY TUESDAY – The Rolling Stones (London)
18 KIND OF A DRAG – The Buckinghams (U.S.A.)
19 LITTLE BIT O’ SOUL – The Music Explosion (Laurie)
20 I GOT RHYTHM – The Happenings (B.T. Puppy)
21 REFLECTIONS – Diana Ross & The Supremes (Motown)
22 SOMEBODY TO LOVE – Jefferson Airplane (RCA Victor)
23 THE HAPPENING – Diana Ross & The Supremes (Motown)
24 SHE’D RATHER BE WITH ME – The Turtles (White Whale)
25 COME ON DOWN TO MY BOAT – Every Mother’s Son (MGM)
26 I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER – Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
27 INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS – The Strawberry Alarm Clock (Uni)
28 THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE – The Casinos (Fraternity)
29 APPLES, PEACHES, PUMPKIN PIE – Jay & The Techniques (Smash)
*30 A LITTLE BIT ME, A LITTLE BIT YOU – The Monkees (Colgems)
31 THE RAIN, THE PARK AND OTHER THINGS – The Cowsills (MGM)
32 MERCY, MERCY, MERCY – The Buckinghams (Columbia)
33 NEVER MY LOVE – The Association (Warner Bros.)
*33 IT MUST BE HIM – Vikki Carr (Liberty)
35 THERE’S A KIND OF HUSH – Herman’s Hermits (MGM)
36 (We Ain’t Got) NOTHIN’ YET – The Blues Magoos (Mercury)
37 DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE – The Mamas & The Papas (Dunhill)
38 DON’T YOU CARE – The Buckinghams (Columbia)
39 THIS IS MY SONG – Petula Clark (Warner Bros.)
40 LOVE IS HERE AND NOW YOU’RE GONE – Diana Ross & The Supremes (Motown)
*40 SOCK IT TO ME—BABY! – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (New Voice)
42 RELEASE ME (And Let Me Love Again) – Engelbert Humperdinck (Parrot)
43 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE – The Beatles (Capitol)
44 EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART – The Soul Survivors (Crimson)
45 PENNY LANE – The Beatles (Capitol)
46 PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER – Bobby Vinton (Epic)
47 A WHITER SHADE OF PALE – Procol Harum (Deram)
48 JIMMY MACK – Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (Gordy)
49 BABY I LOVE YOU – Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
50 SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON – The Royal Guardsmen (Laurie)
51 HOW CAN I BE SURE – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
52 FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound) – Buffalo Springfield (Atco)
53 TELL IT LIKE IT IS – Aaron Neville (Par-Lo)
54 MY CUP RUNNETH OVER – Ed Ames (RCA Victor)
55 LET’S LIVE FOR TODAY – The Grass Roots (Dunhill)
56 SILENCE IS GOLDEN – The Tremeloes (Epic)
57 UP—UP AND AWAY – The 5th Dimension (Soul City)
58 CARRIE-ANNE – The Hollies (Epic)
59 YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (Tamla)
60 WHITE RABBIT – Jefferson Airplane (RCA Victor)
61 BROWN EYED GIRL – Van Morrison (Bang)
62 PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY – The Monkees (Colgems)
63 GIMME LITTLE SIGN – Brenton Wood (Double Shot)
64 GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME – Tom Jones (Parrot)
65 COLD SWEAT (pt. 1) – James Brown & The Famous Flames (King)
66 THE BEAT GOES ON – Sonny & Cher (Atco)
67 (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) HIGHER AND HIGHER – Jackie Wilson (Brunswick)
*68 98.6 – Keith (Mercury)
69 FUNKY BROADWAY – Wilson Pickett (Atlantic)
70 SOCIETY’S CHILD (Baby I’ve Been Thinking) – Janis Ian (Verve Forecast)
71 SAN FRANCISCO (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) – Scott McKenzie (Ode)
72 I NEVER LOVED A MAN (The Way I Love You) – Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
73 BABY I NEED YOUR LOVIN’ – Johnny Rivers (Imperial)
74 ALFIE – Dionne Warwick (Scepter)
75 YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING – The Temptations (Gordy)
76 CLOSE YOUR EYES – Peaches & Herb (Date)
77 SAN FRANCISCAN NIGHTS – Eric Burdon & The Animals (MGM)
78 GIRL, YOU’LL BE A WOMAN SOON – Neil Diamond (Bang)
79 ALL I NEED – The Temptations (Gordy)
*79 ON A CAROUSEL – The Hollies (Imperial)
81 SOUL FINGER – The Bar-Kays (Volt)
82 WESTERN UNION – The Five Americans (Abnak)
83 (I Wanna) TESTIFY – The Parliaments (Revilot)
84 A GIRL LIKE YOU – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
85 I CAN SEE FOR MILES – The Who (Decca)
86 C’MON MARIANNE – The 4 Seasons (Philips)
87 BERNADETTE – The Four Tops (Motown)
88 CREEQUE ALLEY – The Mamas & The Papas (Dunhill)
89 MORE LOVE – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (Tamla)
90 DON’T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY – Petula Clark (Warner Bros.)
91 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN – The Turtles (White Whale)
92 I’VE BEEN LONELY TOO LONG – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
93 LET IT OUT (Let It All Hang Out) – The Hombres (Verve Forecast)
*94 CALIFORNIA NIGHTS – Lesley Gore (Mercury)
*95 HIM OR ME—WHAT’S IT GONNA BE? – Paul Revere & The Raiders (Columbia)
96 THERE IS A MOUNTAIN – Donovan (Epic)
97 DING DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD – The Fifth Estate (Jubilee)
*98 GOOD THING – Paul Revere & The Raiders (Columbia)
99 DANDELION – The Rolling Stones (London)
100 SUNDAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME – Spanky & Our Gang (Mercury)

I think I know nearly every one of those.......showing my age.

Sometimes I think all the good songs were written in the sixties and anything since then has been a waste.

Thanks Kevin, you can hear the 67' top 40 from the week of Dec. 23RD free here. I listened to it yesterday.
http://www.ultimateoldiesradio.com/

Great post, Kevin! Proves we're not that off these days, like so many postulates. People don't have this long term memory.

What variety? Cheesy lyrics performed by strung out musicians, at the most egocentric time of the decade. Everything sounds like a poor homerecording, and even then the most popular band on the charts The Monkeys was a calculated boyband put together to demean audiences. The Doors couldn't play a lick three months before they released a record, like so many other opportunity hunters of that aera, still they got a free ride as cultural icons of the times.

The list is full of covers too, boy, it looks way worse than now to me. Gosh those were tasteless times, sad to say! Glad we are where we are now, would be my honest comment

Thanks for the memories Kevin. 1967 was the year I graduated from high school. I was ready to take on the World. I didn't realize it was so big - and that I was just a speck of dust in the the universe.

Only one Beatles entry?


John

And, "Penny Lane", at 45.

Comments so far has it about right for music is in the ear of the beholder. Some that listened to Pop radio mostly will find it an incredible time for songwriters, and banda and solo artists, especially with the variety. And some that may not have been listening to Pop radio at that time will think they're not all that.

I happened to love that era. I was 14 in 1967. So, being in the Northeast, with great pop radio stations, and being in teen bands playing a lot of those groups, yeah, "I'm A Believer"!

The peak, as I hear and see it for Pop, has the early sixties through the early seventies right in there. POp classics, that are still being talked about and played. Beatles outsold EVERY pop artist through the last ten years! Young, middle age and old,,,,BUYING songs that are already on many people's albums!

But they don't have a clue! Ha!

Love that list! Varied, for sure,,,and on the same radio stations, for the most part, if not ALL. That is also an amazing thing.

John

I never know if Mags is kidding or being serious lol
Here he must be totally kidding....

Like songwriter extraordinaire Brian Holland once said,
"God must have sprinkled magic dust down and it landed on the music of the 60's"

So much talent, so much creativity,so much diversity, and sooooo much of it.

How'd I miss #45 John? Old age I guess.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock - a one hit wonder. That's only one hit more than I had.

Interesting to compare 67 with 2009. Even I had forgotten that so many unforgettable hits could come out of one weeks chart and the variety of styles and genres is amazing. I do not think that such a chart of unforgettable hits could be compiled from the last decade never mind just one weeks chart.

For those who do not remember "Windy", she had stormy eyes. In addition to this, she also had wings to fly above the clouds.

Those were different times.

I don't think Magne was kidding, but to me, this is an amazing lot of variety. I was born in '61, but I clearly remember this era, and I was glued to the radio from this point and throughout the 70's. Radio lost my devotion in the 80's...about the same time it broke into lots of genre-specific stations. But here in 1967, you would hear "Light My Fire" followed by Sinatra's "Something Stupid" followed by "Wichita Lineman" followed by The Kinks' "You Really Got Me"...and at some point in any given hour, you would hear a Beatles song.

The eclectic mix of songs you could hear on radio in those days was the delight of my young life. I had no idea that would change into decades of generic music, most of them sounding like each other, years where no one played lead guitar anymore, lyrics that don't hook my interest, and, if they do, often lose it before the song is over, and songs that stand out being rarities.

The Monkeys were a Supergroup, super songwriters like Neil Diamond supplying the songs, super players like Chet Atkins playing the instruments, and the boys clowning around, in the early days, and later playing and writing songs themselves.

But they were just one contributor to what came out of the radio, an endless stream of exploration of musical possibilities, many with memorable lyrical and instrumental hooks. If you lived then you can probably sing some or all of each of those songs. They 'hooked' you and you stayed hooked.

Magne,

Well, I like the Monkees. I especially like "I'm a Believer." And, I really especially like the tambourine on "I'm a Believer." I ought to, because I own it.

My old friend, the late Tom "The Hitman" Cerone played that tambourine on "I'm a Believer" and several other Monkees hits while working for Jeff Barry, the Monkees' producer. Tom also played drums on Mr. Barry's production of "Sugar Sugar" for another "put together" band, the Archies. Before passing away, Tom gave me that tambourine and the drum kit from "Sugar Sugar." Tom was a great guy, a real friend, and a top notch musician. When you hear tambourine on my productions, you'll hear that tambourine. I keep the drum kit at Razzy Bailey's studio and you'll hear it on his productions.

Funny old world, eh?

Mike

Im not kidding, perhaps carving out a little edgy counterposition for the purpose of discussion, but not really kidding. Don't mean to offend anyone, of course, just my opinion. Sure I know there are a couple good ones in there, but most of that list I think is rubbish, or at least from no better to worse than the music we are exposed to today.

I think the 30ies to the 50ies was far more musically innovating and creative in the last century, and when the production chops got really good in the late 80ies and 90ies, I started to enjoy contemporary music again. So the 60ies, 70ies and first half of the 80ies, are by far the worst periods of music making in the last century, to me, anyway.

So, I can't vouch for your celebration of those times, but I can understand that this was the music many of you were fed while in your teens, 20ies and 30ies, and the music you learned to enjoy and drew cultural references from. Many of you have a lot of idenity invested in the music on that list, and I certainly understand what that means.

Quite a few of these songs have been closely connected to history, and has been the mark of whole decades and influenced many ever since. That fact doesn't make it great music to me, though, just tells me that these people were at the right time the right place. Sure the connection with popular culture and society were very much there, but to me the 60ies revolts displayed the most spoiled egocentric kids of this century, so I think a certain cultural critique when critizising the music of that era, is inevitable.

Personally, I have never listened to most of these songs on the radio, none of my friends were listening to Doors, Monkeys, Procul Harum ect., nor were my parents. I have later explored much of that myself, and some I like, most not. But I think there's a pointe in that the 60ies are way too overrepresented when we are celebrating the music of the last century, so I feel someone has got to offer an honest counter voice that goes a little beyond sentimental appreciation.

And I can do that with ease, based on my own tastes.

Justmy2c, of course, and expectedly vastly outnumbered on these boards..

I love this thread, I think those songs are awesome. Glad to have grown up with those songs on my radio.

Magne I cannot believe you just said that. These songs COVER JUST ABOUT EVERY GENRE show a diversity of talent and innovative styles never seen before or since. I can understand someone saying that certain songs on that list were not their cup of tea or not to their liking BUT no way can you dismiss all of them. There are SOME songs there that are not my cup of tea but I recogise them as bng classics. Even the kids nowadays love most of these old songs.
One thing for sure though whatever your taste most of the songs on this chart have stood the test of time and still show the same freshness as when people first played them all those years ago. In all honesty you will not be able to say that about most of the current crop of chart stuff. I do not think folk will play or remember these songs in forty years time. Most will be forgotten in a few months.

Bearing in mind that these were the pop songs of the day, I think it is worth noting that practically all of them have a memorable sing along hook, both melody and lyrics.

Regardless of whether the bands were contrived like the Monkees or recorded by studio musicians, the songwriting was outstanding. Roger McGuinn was a paid songwriter prior to the Byrds and he was instructed to write songs that sound like what was on the radio (some things never change).

It's hard to be totally objective about this - being that I, like most of you, grew up on this stuff. Certainly the variety is impressive.

Mags might have a point as far as lyrics go. Yes, there were some very cool lyrics back then but also a lot of stuff that wasn't very good. There are also a lot of current lyrics that aren't very good.

An advantage (if you want to call it one) that current writers have is that there are more things to write about, because many things are no longer taboo. This might be a good or bad thing. It is kind of funny to me to think that The Doors were given grief for singing "Girl we couldn't get much higher" on Ed Sullivan.

But, being as objective as I can be, the thing that makes that time period absolutely rule over the current one is melody. So many of the songs on that list were stuck in my head after only one listen! I was gonna list my favorite examples but there are just too many.

I can't think of the last song I heard on the radio that I could hum even a minute after it finished. But it would be from many years ago

Maybe Soak Up The Sun, by Sheryl Crow. But then, only the chorus.

So if current writers have an advantage lyrically, the writers of the 60's had the advantage on melody - especially if you believe that melodies are discovered, rather than written.

Spider Robinson, a science fiction writer, wrote a story once about how popular music died because all the pleasing melodies were used up and copyright laws prevented them from being re-used. I wonder if he had a point?

Scott

"Magne I cannot believe you just said that."

Well, it still feels good to have said it.. I think way too many sells the other story.. Maybe it's part of my adolecent revolt, being born in 1970

I love to hear Magne's perspective. Yeah, it runs counter to mine, but it makes the world feel more balanced somehow. I miss having my dad tell me these things...I miss the Generation Gap.

If you read reviews at that time the main comment was that "Most of these songs will not be remembered over a few months." Older people always say that about the music of generations coming up behind them. Always.

MAB

Scott,

I'd go one step further. It is impossible to be objective about this. Taste is subjective, or, as the old saying goes, "There is no accounting for taste." We can look at things which are currently regarded as "mistakes" and find them in songs from every era.

As far as melody goes, that, too, is subjective. My daughter can hum the melodies and recite the lyrics of many of today's songs. She would say that you are unable because you are a dinosaur.

Musical styles seem to move in spirals. While penduluming back and forth between simplicity and complexity; rootsiness and sophistication; traditional and revolutionary, it also builds on what has gone before. Only now the spiral is quickened by the technology of recording and broadcasting. Two hundred years ago, composers flat out stole each others' melodies, but the composer's local fans didn't know it. Only people in the biz back then knew it. Nowadays, lawyers know it. Add to that, the fact that you simply cannot write a new melody...no matter how "new" or "exotic" you think your melody is, it has already been written.

The music of the sixties literally exploded from a cultural and technological revolution. That's over. It produced some great music, my daughter can hum many of the Beatles' songs also (that makes my daughter a more rounded and open minded listener than some of today's remaining dinosaurs.) As much as we'd like to say that we know, we actually don't know which or how many songs of today will be remembered. Anyone who tells you they know is a fool. The critics are wrong much of the time. Of all the endless parade of forgotten singer/songwriters hailed as "the next Dylan" only Springsteen was chosen by the public to wear the mantle. Bands thought of as "sell outs" and "commercial" back in the 60's, such as Creedence (they were a 45rpm, top forty AM band, if you recall) are now culturally and critically regarded above many of the hip elite of the day.

Then there are the times themselves. We remember music that came from interesting times. The songs of the depression, the songs of WW2, and the songs of the 60's-70's revolution take on iconic status.

Yes, these songs bring great memories for me, mostly because I was there. This was five years before I gave away my tv, radio and phonograph and spent eight years listening to great live music. Such great songs as "The Dutchman," "Delicate Balance," "Bicycle Wheel," "Mr. Arthur's Place," and "Crazy Mary." Now, those were really great songs from the 70's. I remember all those melodies, but I can't remember any of that radio fluff. LOL.

Yes, Spider had a point. I believe that running out of legal melodies, rather than the downloading problem, is what will end the copyrighting of music. Music is too limited. At that point, though, the marriage of music to lyric...the song...will still be copyrighted.

In the meantime. Instead of arguing improvable opinions, how about enjoying what we enjoy and delighting in the fact that others enjoy different things? Well, in my opinion, that will never happen

She might just be right!

Lotta thought provoking comments in your post, Mike, but this one particularly so to me. There are a lot of changes that the brain and body undergo in the first 20 years of life or so - I wonder if there has been any research into the ability to absorb and remember a melody as a function of age - and whether this ability is enhanced in younger folks.

I've always believed that younger folks remember the songs that were playing when they had their most formative experiences - an environmental kind of thing. But I wonder if there is anything biochemical going on too.

Would seem to be a peculiar research study - but no more peculiar than some others.

Scott

Well well.

Can we be so musically unknowable not to recognize when something is being done to it's up-most.

FORGET AGE and that what I or you grew up on crap, that is SENTIMENT! talking, while I have LOADS of sentiment music to me knows no boundaries. So put aside your hearts for two seconds and use your EARS and minds. Plain and simple I LOVE 40's Big Band music and it was YEARS before I was born... so dates mean CRAP. And if you love classical music than your clear out of the century.

For POPULAR MUSIC and what music was MOST POPULAR at the time the
two dominant decades are the 1960's & the 1970's not only in sales, because sales are not sometimes the fairest judgment but by depth and diversity and PEEK!!!

The 1950's which was a GREAT time for music is one of my favorites.
BUT........ Aside from loving the sentiments and the pretty melodies and wonderful vocal harmonies. And the the BIRTH of Rock N Roll

It is so musically TINY compared to the what was coming...

The same 3 or 4 chord progressions used 10,000 times over & over and over can never be the BEST of what we have to offer in popular music sorry....
What does aid in it being a great decade was also Jazz influence remaining and still popular in the scene, SMALLER ensembles were catching on instead of the mostly LARGE orchestration of Jazz in the 40's. So while Jazz was popular R&R became the dominant music on the planet.. the way Hip Hop/Rap is today only with much more impact I believe. Also thanks to the like of people like the late GREAT Hank Williams Country music really starts taking strong form in the mainstream universally.

While I think well (know) the 30's and 40's RULE because
#1 - MUSICIANS ruled the planet, even singers were an after thought. Not only was Benny Goodman's band GREAT GREAT GREAT by every stretch of the word, they were the MOST POPULAR! Wow! what a concept.... And earlier Jolson was a great pioneer to ALL of showbusiness

However it was still largely dominated by SHOWTUNES, all up and down the charts,,, take a look if you don't believe.
Music was BIG side by side with theater and that can get a little..
Well ya know, I'm not gonna give a popular music history lesson here today lol

And were are talking about POPULAR Music here folks....
and what music was most POPULAR so that means Led Zeppelin who never charted and sold more albums then ANYBODY!!!!!!! Music here folks....

I can never decide between the two decades as they both have such overwhelming things in both...
Listen 60's and 70's DID IT ALL, in popular music and music that was MOST popular and it ain't never been done with the same effectiveness before or since. Melodies,Melodies,Melodies,!

I'll end this discussion with two words that are unarguable and un-debate-able

BEATLES & MOTOWN

In the same decade, What can touch these two? The end! lol

"If Beethoven were alive in the 60's he'd stop to check out Hendrix"

Well I'll tell ya.
It breaks my heart to not see Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Richie Valens, or Elvis in that bunch. Del Shannon would have been nice. or Dion. Ahhhh Mr Blue.

Ahhhh now that was music. Just ten years to soon I guess. Even Frankie or Annette would have made my day.

Scott. Those acts I just listed are among the best in my memory. I could listen to those guys for hours, and I did. But I was in Grade school and high school. I was forming, becoming a person, getting hair in my arm pits and even starting to see some peach fuzz on my chin.
I liked Country too. Hank was just magnificent.
Yep those were my formative years, the years when I was most influenced by the things happening around me. Slow dancing to "Oh Donna" and starting to realize there was something wonderful happening to my body when I could smell the perfume in a girls hair.
And that music sunk deep in my soul.
I can still remember dancing with a cute little Blonde named Nancy in the Gymnasium to the crooning of Richie Valens singing Donna. It was magic I tell ya. Magic.

That was the best music ever, EVER, EVER I tell ya.

Yes
I think there is something Biological or Biochemical going on when we hear music in those formative years.
Magne wasn't even a gleam in his father's eye when I was dancing to that music. Nor was he in 1967.
Of course he cannot identify with that period.
The fact that none of his friends were listening to the Doors means nothing. They had already missed it.

Magne, being borne in 1970 grew up during the worst Music in the last 100 years so I can understand his viewpoint. It's what he heard during his Formative years. So he thinks it is the best.
I took a listen to some of Magnes songs. Really good stuff there. I thought it was Tim Mcgraw there for a second.
I don't mean that in a bad way. It is commercial. It's what works today.

Here is the first example of it right here While I love Bill
this how most folks keep thinking, with there Hearts.
Leaving the ears to be way too small.

Oh Donna?

Okay when Richie Valens (who I liked) is a musical dot on Paul Simon's ass then how explain how 1970's was the worst music ever?

But again if you never listened to ALL of music a period has to offer how does someone formulate and point or sound opinion?

Look pass the back seat romance of our youths" LOL

Listening with your brain is for music teachers and critics. Listening with your heart is for music lovers.

Ignore your heart at your peril.

To the people who talk about "oldies" music not being up to par and that we wrongly disrespect modern stuff as being inferior and mostly a lot of crap.
Go to any karaoke and hear what is being sung.....very seldom does any current chart stuff feature yet the average age of the singers is mid twenties....they sing the sixties seventies and some eighties classics. In fact a number of songs from that one week in 67 chart feature as the most popular karaoke songs of all time.
If the current chart stuff was any good you would think that the youngsters would prefer to sing it on karaoke. It says a lot that they even know the old stuff never mind prefer to sing it.

I TRY to listen with my heart and my brain...but my stupid ears are too loud!

Music already consumes my heart more than anyone I have ever met in my lifetime.
But in a discussion about popular songs and periods I think throwing brains or better yet ears in to equation isn't a bad idea.

This same reasoning is why SONGWRITERS feel so jaded and sit around and really believe that THEY should be getting as much notice and rewards as the stars of the industry.
They ONLY think with there HEARTS "MY MUSIC is as good as this"
As long as we believe it's true right?

I think it'very reasonable to think and discuss popular music over 100 years and more or less figure out the pinnacle of it.
thus far Don't ya's think?

In my opinion just as ONE tiny example is Paul Simon, I say he's as good to better than ANYONE before his time,
And I dare anyone (Mag's) to show me one better since, or from this decade, so therefore my question would be, which Paul Simon the one from the 60's or 70's do you consider better and why or why not?

To me that's an educational and INTERESTING MUSICAL discussion, as opposed to say, Where I lost my virginity and in which decade.

I mean technically I should LOVE the 1980's as that's my coming of age decade... BUT..... My musical ears say I like the 40's better. So while MY times music was playing I was feeling like Yikes! Get me out of here.

And in retrospect is how you can really tell. Listen to the many cheezeball sounds and majority of many many song approaches of the time in the 80's. I know it's the time period and technology, But we are now looking back aren't we?
Now go back and listen to people smoking on horns and instruments.

Anyhow, who really cares enough about music to know these things?

If you LOVE rap and Hip Hop then you only have 3 decades to pick from? So we could just keep piling on the limitations

Well this is another thread I'm gonna have to bail on,
the John Lennon has no real talent one lol
And if the if my heart says Justin Timberlake and Alica Keys, has better pop melodies
(meaning I WISH I sat down and wrote this) than The Bee Gee's The Beach Boys, Dylan, The Stones, Mamma Pappa's Billy Joel, Elton, Paul Simon, The Eagles,Stevie Wonder, Motown, The Who, Hendrix, Zep, Queen Floyd,
Or did we forget that Pink Floyd has the longest time chart running success? James Taylor, Carol King, and countless countless countless others between the 60's & 70's

Well then it must be so.....

Peace

Back of a Plymouth Volare, 1978.

Oh! Sorry...

Mike
You're killin' me buddy.



Number 2 on the National charts in 1958. Not bad for a 16 year old kid from the ghetto.

If Donna was written by Taylor Swift and titled Donny it would be a major hit today. It is exactly the kind of songs she writes. Teenage love, romance, broken hearts.
The music would have to be different there isn't much romance in todays stuff.
As a teenager I loved that song. I remember dancing to that song with a sweet young lady in 1963 in Gerolzhofen, Germany and singing that song in her ear. It was a very good move. HA!
If I ever quit listening with my heart I'll quit listening.

As far as Richie Valens being a pimple on anyone's butt goes. well lets see he was how old when he died?

But I will agree there are two ways to approach this. With your heart or your technical ears.

let's see 70's hmmmm. Gag me with a spoon. Disco

So close your eyes and imagine Taylor Swift singin' this one in her wonderful pop style. But she would probably have the guy come back in the last verse or the Bridge.

Oh, Donny, Oh, Donny
Oh, Donny, Oh, Donny

I had a guy
Donny was his name
Since he left me
I've never been the same
'cause I love
my guy
Donny, where can you be? Where can you be?

Now that you're gone
I'm left all alone
All by myself
To wander and roam
'cause I love my guy
Donny, where can you be? Where can you be?

Well, darlin', now that you're gone
I don't know what I'll do
All the time and all my love for yo-ou-ou

I had a guy
Donny was his name
Since he left me
I've never been the same
'cause I love my guy
Donny, where can you be? Where can you be?

Oh, Donny, Oh, Donny
Oh, Donny, Oh, Donny

Ha
My 1954 Chevy Convertible with a hole in the roof. 1960
And Donna was probably on the radio

A lot of great songs on the list, nice to see a Charlie Chaplin song in there too

Though it's difficult to escape personal preference/bias, I CAN look for songs that have a "timeless" quality about them, and maybe to do so is a tad less subjective...looking for songs that seem to not "date" too badly...SONGS...mind you NOT recordings...

Though your "timeless list" will be different from mine, the point is that some songs are "built to last" --while others are built for NOW...I think many of todays songs are "built for NOW." Also, many urban songs are more about the recording, and NOT the song...

My favorites from this year couldn't be included..."Incense and Peppermints" has chords that are too weird...many that are the soul of "bubblegum" --I love, but DO sound badly dated now...

"Ode to Billy Joe" is one of those songs that will survive, because it's a great little mystery story, it's STILL rather unique, and the music is a perfect compliment.

1 THE LETTER – The Box Tops (Mala)
2 LIGHT MY FIRE – The Doors (Elektra)
3 CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU – Frankie Valli (Philips)
4 ODE TO BILLIE JOE – Bobbie Gentry (Capitol)
5 TO SIR WITH LOVE – Lulu (Epic)
6 HAPPY TOGETHER – The Turtles (White Whale)
7 WINDY – The Association (Warner Bros.)
8 I’M A BELIEVER – The Monkees (Colgems)
9 GROOVIN’ – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
10 RESPECT – Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
11 GEORGY GIRL – The Seekers (Capitol)
12 I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW – Tommy James & The Shondells (Roulette)
13 SOMETHIN’ STUPID – Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra (Reprise)
14 SOUL MAN – Sam & Dave (Stax)
15 COME BACK WHEN YOU GROW UP – Bobby Vee & The Strangers (Liberty)
16 SWEET SOUL MUSIC – Arthur Conley (Atco)
17 RUBY TUESDAY – The Rolling Stones (London)
18 KIND OF A DRAG – The Buckinghams (U.S.A.)
19 LITTLE BIT O’ SOUL – The Music Explosion (Laurie)
20 I GOT RHYTHM – The Happenings (B.T. Puppy)
21 REFLECTIONS – Diana Ross & The Supremes (Motown)
22 SOMEBODY TO LOVE – Jefferson Airplane (RCA Victor)
23 THE HAPPENING – Diana Ross & The Supremes (Motown)
24 SHE’D RATHER BE WITH ME – The Turtles (White Whale)
25 COME ON DOWN TO MY BOAT – Every Mother’s Son (MGM)
26 I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER – Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
27 INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS – The Strawberry Alarm Clock (Uni)
28 THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE – The Casinos (Fraternity)
29 APPLES, PEACHES, PUMPKIN PIE – Jay & The Techniques (Smash)
*30 A LITTLE BIT ME, A LITTLE BIT YOU – The Monkees (Colgems)
31 THE RAIN, THE PARK AND OTHER THINGS – The Cowsills (MGM)
32 MERCY, MERCY, MERCY – The Buckinghams (Columbia)
33 NEVER MY LOVE – The Association (Warner Bros.)
*33 IT MUST BE HIM – Vikki Carr (Liberty)
35 THERE’S A KIND OF HUSH – Herman’s Hermits (MGM)
36 (We Ain’t Got) NOTHIN’ YET – The Blues Magoos (Mercury)
37 DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE – The Mamas & The Papas (Dunhill)
38 DON’T YOU CARE – The Buckinghams (Columbia)
39 THIS IS MY SONG – Petula Clark (Warner Bros.)
40 LOVE IS HERE AND NOW YOU’RE GONE – Diana Ross & The Supremes (Motown)
*40 SOCK IT TO ME—BABY! – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (New Voice)
42 RELEASE ME (And Let Me Love Again) – Engelbert Humperdinck (Parrot)
43 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE – The Beatles (Capitol)
44 EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART – The Soul Survivors (Crimson)
45 PENNY LANE – The Beatles (Capitol)
46 PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER – Bobby Vinton (Epic)
47 A WHITER SHADE OF PALE – Procol Harum (Deram)
48 JIMMY MACK – Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (Gordy)
49 BABY I LOVE YOU – Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
50 SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON – The Royal Guardsmen (Laurie)
51 HOW CAN I BE SURE – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
52 FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound) – Buffalo Springfield (Atco)
53 TELL IT LIKE IT IS – Aaron Neville (Par-Lo)
54 MY CUP RUNNETH OVER – Ed Ames (RCA Victor)
55 LET’S LIVE FOR TODAY – The Grass Roots (Dunhill)
56 SILENCE IS GOLDEN – The Tremeloes (Epic)
57 UP—UP AND AWAY – The 5th Dimension (Soul City)
58 CARRIE-ANNE – The Hollies (Epic)
59 YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (Tamla)
60 WHITE RABBIT – Jefferson Airplane (RCA Victor)
61 BROWN EYED GIRL – Van Morrison (Bang)
62 PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY – The Monkees (Colgems)
63 GIMME LITTLE SIGN – Brenton Wood (Double Shot)
64 GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME – Tom Jones (Parrot)
65 COLD SWEAT (pt. 1) – James Brown & The Famous Flames (King)
66 THE BEAT GOES ON – Sonny & Cher (Atco)
67 (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) HIGHER AND HIGHER – Jackie Wilson (Brunswick)
*68 98.6 – Keith (Mercury)
69 FUNKY BROADWAY – Wilson Pickett (Atlantic)
70 SOCIETY’S CHILD (Baby I’ve Been Thinking) – Janis Ian (Verve Forecast)
71 SAN FRANCISCO (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) – Scott McKenzie (Ode)
72 I NEVER LOVED A MAN (The Way I Love You) – Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
73 BABY I NEED YOUR LOVIN’ – Johnny Rivers (Imperial)
74 ALFIE – Dionne Warwick (Scepter)
75 YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING – The Temptations (Gordy)
76 CLOSE YOUR EYES – Peaches & Herb (Date)
77 SAN FRANCISCAN NIGHTS – Eric Burdon & The Animals (MGM)
78 GIRL, YOU’LL BE A WOMAN SOON – Neil Diamond (Bang)
79 ALL I NEED – The Temptations (Gordy)
*79 ON A CAROUSEL – The Hollies (Imperial)
81 SOUL FINGER – The Bar-Kays (Volt)
82 WESTERN UNION – The Five Americans (Abnak)
83 (I Wanna) TESTIFY – The Parliaments (Revilot)
84 A GIRL LIKE YOU – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
85 I CAN SEE FOR MILES – The Who (Decca)
86 C’MON MARIANNE – The 4 Seasons (Philips)
87 BERNADETTE – The Four Tops (Motown)
88 CREEQUE ALLEY – The Mamas & The Papas (Dunhill)
89 MORE LOVE – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (Tamla)
90 DON’T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY – Petula Clark (Warner Bros.)
91 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN – The Turtles (White Whale)
92 I’VE BEEN LONELY TOO LONG – The Young Rascals (Atlantic)
93 LET IT OUT (Let It All Hang Out) – The Hombres (Verve Forecast)
*94 CALIFORNIA NIGHTS – Lesley Gore (Mercury)
*95 HIM OR ME—WHAT’S IT GONNA BE? – Paul Revere & The Raiders (Columbia)
96 THERE IS A MOUNTAIN – Donovan (Epic)
97 DING DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD – The Fifth Estate (Jubilee)
*98 GOOD THING – Paul Revere & The Raiders (Columbia)
99 DANDELION – The Rolling Stones (London)
100 SUNDAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME – Spanky & Our Gang (Mercury)

Bill

You sum up the 70's with one word? Disco? lol...

I know we are all music fans here so is pretty much every human with ears to some extent.
I thought we were songwriters, and musicians and people who record a lot.

So as a fan if you love Tiny Tim then he's your guy, there is no reason to discuss it lol..

I have discovered that mostly NON musicians hate disco and dance music. YES there was very cheezy disco just like every other fad/genre it gets ruined. But the people who started it innovated it and PLAYED it were smoking good!

Lets see? lets hate a music that....
1- Needs LOADS of songwriters as not all wrote there own songs.

2- Puts anywhere from 13 to 30 LIVE playing musicians to work constantly in the studio and in gigs....

One person hates the Salsoul Orchestra mean while I would kill to have been in Barry Whites band, his drummer and bassist are STELLAR! I'm not even good enough to get in but it sucks so what's the point anyway LOL...

In the 1970's The Pop Charts had Weather Report with Jaco Pastorious at #22 and they performed on the biggest popular music TV show of the time.

Any decade that does THAT is doing something right...

Later!

I was 10 that year. This is top 40, people -- Casey Casen type stuff. Played on every radio, every day. When you look at the variety of this list, it is just mind boggling.

Here's my top 10 from that year:

8 I’M A BELIEVER – The Monkees (Sorry, the Monkees were cool -- and great writers were involved here -- Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart wrote tons of tunes for these guys.)

9 GROOVIN’ – The Young Rascals ("on a sunday afternoon")

10 RESPECT – Aretha Franklin (It's Atlantic records, but it still screams Motown to me, baby)

26 I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER – Stevie Wonder (was I a motown fan or what!)

44 EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART – The Soul Survivors (beep-beep, It might not be a top ten now, but it was then -- hey, I was 10))

61 BROWN EYED GIRL – Van Morrison (Monster hit!)

62 PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY – The Monkees (Might a boy-band designed to insult the intelligence of human kind, but I watched every show -- write a song as good as this one is.)

67 (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) HIGHER AND HIGHER – Jackie Wilson (Probably the greatest soul song of all time -- Your love... I once was downhearted, disappointment was my closest friend)

69 FUNKY BROADWAY – Wilson Pickett (Now if you don't think this is funky, then you need to turn in your music card right now. I only got to 9 on my list, so I added this one in.)

77 SAN FRANCISCAN NIGHTS – Eric Burdon & The Animals (I am not sure why I loved this song -- but I did. I used to call the radio station to play this one.)

Kevin

Kevin,

I agree about the variety. My point was simply that "timeless songs" come in every shape and size...Within every Top 40 countdown, are songs that will be around for centuries to come...at least judging from a 1967 perspective..."Ode to Billy Joe" is miles apart from "Respect" which is miles apart from "Never My Love" ...arguably, ALL timeless...

Mike

Mike,

I am not arguing with you -- your timeless list is monster!! I just tried to go back and remember which would be my top 10 from back then. To be truthful, I probably hit 5 -- I've forgotten a lot of those times, so I just rounded it out as best I could.

Edit: "Ode to Billy Joe" should have made my top 10, I listened to it a bunch.

Kevin

Kevin, we are the same age. "Groovin'", most memorable. I took a bus trip with my mother, brothers, and sister that year. I remember the little juke box extensions on the table booths at the bus stations, and hearing that tune throughout the trip, and the smell of diesel coming from the busses. The greasy food. Boy, it was good. "Penny Lane", don't know why "Hello, Goodbye" wasn't on the list.

Ft. Myers had their own top ten songs on WMYR. A radio station about the size of a tool shed. It was determined by the number of 45RPM record sales at local stores, and phone in requests. National top 40 didn't matter. They may have played a syndicated top 40 program on Sundays when nobody was listening.

Sub, the R&B from the 70's can't be any better. The Spinners, The Chi-Lites, Barry White & Love Unlimited, The O-Jays, Friends of Distinction, Earth, Wind, And Fire, The Commodores, I can go on. Even Neil Young sounded good in the 70's. The Country music of the 70's, Outlaw music.

I can't be philosophical, just don't feel like it right now, but I know what I like, and I think that what I like reflects a large majorty of opinion.

Recorded popular music began in the 1920's along with broadcast radio. Not really that long ago. It wasn't until I became a serious musician that I learned to respect the music and the era of the song. The bottom line is to consider the era and form your own opinion.

Ben: WMYR was my radio station, too.

Kevin

Kevin, they leveled the studio building, but left the transmitter and antennas. 1410 AM is still transmitting but Disney owns it now.

Hi Ben

You can bet your life on that.. Earth Wind & Fire whom I've seen six times were not only great melody writers who had HITS! they are sublime musicians.
Verdine White's bass playing is in the top 5 of my favorite ALL TIME..
If you see them live all you can do is have your jaw dropped and your body unable to stay still...

In R&B
The 70's included the great melodies and playing that the 60's and The Funk Brothers at Motown had and started to get a bit heavier lyrically, Ya know instead of "Baby Baby" it was like
"Backstabber" and Stevie grew tremendously from the 60's to the 70's. He actually owned the 70's, grammy after grammy, one year when Paul Simom won he thanked Stevie for not making an album that year lol...

The Ojay's "Love Train" is still the most contagious song I have ever heard. All those great Philly Sound songs too...
But what they did was they built on the orchestration greatly in the 70's that's what I LOVE about all 70's pop music the FULL use of horns and strings along with core band instruments. GREAT arrangements. And loads of harmonies and diverse singers.

Along with who you mentioned the 70's was sparkling with the likes of Stevie of course, MArvin GAye, Al Green, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Curtis Mayfield, Issac Hayes and plenty plenty more..
War wasn't too bad either were they? The JAckson Five had some catchy songs GREAT bass lines!!

Rock music is even bigger on this. Some great mid late 60's groups shined in the 70's The Who, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, just too name four.

In the 70's you can tell RECORD people cared about the music, they spared no expense in any regard. And they let EVERYTHING in to have a chance at being popular and a hit.

Yes INSTRUMENTAL"S are radio hits!!!! Wow! how terrible that is for the MUSIC business. lol.. Only a horrible decade lets me tune in and hear and see George Benson playing "Breezin"
and Chuck Mangiones guitar player wiping through "Feels So Good"
And bass playing isn't too catchy or influential listening to Herb Alberts "Rise"
It's not every decade when you can hear a groundbreaking track like Edgar Winters Frankenstein played on POP radio all day... Freaking Dueling Banjos was a single bro!

Between the acoustic singer/songwriters, piano singer/songwriters
Hard Rock, Southern Rock, Progressive Rock, Punk Rock, R&B, Country,New Wave,Disco, Instrumentals, Jazz fusion, Funk, straight ahead Pop songs in a VERY w-i-d-e variety. ALL on the TOP chart.

A massive variety MORE that any other decade by FAR! and all on the RADIO and the charts.... the 60's being the closest of course. Album music was a wonderful concept for sales and artistry and for fans..

Everybody's happy from the listeners to the labels, the producers,writers engineers and players

Mike
if you read my post you must have been able to recognize the humor of it. I wasn't saying the 70's music was all crap. The point I was making was as listeners we tend to think of the music of our youth as the best stuff.

What I remember of the 70's music was disco. It was everywhere you went in our neck of the woods. You couldn't get away from it.
I still don't care much for it just like I don't care for gangsta Rap or beats that are just rip offs of other music.
But in the 70's you had Barry Manilow, The Bee gees, ELO, Lou Rawls, and on and on. Quite a mix.
But the number one song of 1976 was a disco song.
There's a lot of music today that I don't like either. But there's a lot I do like. Just as there were bands and songs I liked in the seventies. But in my mind when I think of 70's music I think of Disco.
Bruce Springsteen came along in the 70's. I liked his music. He got really hot in the 80's but I didn't care for much of the 80's music either. But I did like Springsteen. Even if he is a liberal.

I'm not sure how to take the statement that only non musicians hate disco music. I know I'm not a Professional musician and I certainly don't have your talent but I still think I have a little music in me.
I like big band and orchestra music and they use a heck of a lot more musicians than disco. Does that mean I'm a musician?

I can probably sing part or all of most of the 1967 top 100 songs.
I don't think I know more than a word or two of all the "great" music you listed in your post about the 70's. As for the timelessness of the music goes my 21 year old Grand daughter thinks Elvis is the greatest, loves the Beatles and Buddy Holly and most Music from the 60's and early 70's but I'd wager she doesn't recognize more than 1 or 2 of the names you listed in your last post. Why do you think that is?
My wife lived in Thailand during the late 60's. She didn't know anything about the beatles. Those guys from the 60's. Yet she is a big Beatles fan. She also has a lot of CD's of 60's and early 70's music. I don't think she has a single CD of any of the bands you listed from the 70's. Why do you think that is?
My Father in Law probably has about 5000 CD's and a $5000.00 stereo system for his listening pleasure. He takes his music listening very serious and I can guarantee he doesn't have a single one that features any of the artists you mention from the 70's. But that doesn't mean the artists you mention were not great. But I can assure you my Father in Law would not listen to their music.

Given all that it still doesn't mean the Music you love so much from the 70's wasn't great music. It just wasn't great to them. Or me

Guys, you are amazingly civilized about this! You have the love allright.

There's no perspective in keeping up the counterposition, as I DO like quite a few on this list (Im not running away from my general statement, though, as this is still really not my generations of music). I won't argue with any decade Paul Simon, I love Cream from those years, and Im a big fan of especially the fusion jazz of the 70'ies, but also some of the r&b. From the list, the Motown records stand out to me, and I did have a period listening a lot to those. I still put on Four Tops and Stevie Wonder from time to time. I forget a bunch, so only broad stokes here.

Most of all I appreciate the way many of these artist matured later, and the diversity in the body of work they did. The longevity they were able to maintain gave me a chance to aquaint myself with them when I got in my teens and later.

As I see it, many of todays contemporary artists have had a very high bar to pass, just to please the demands of times (record companies ect.), and thereby have had less room to be creative. We must not forget that the 60ies was a time where everyone started a band in their garage, it was easier to get gig's, the music industry exec's were more forgiven and music was in general more appreciated in society, I believe. So, I really believe the artists of today, have the potential to mature just as good as the artists of the 60'ies.

I really look forward to when that happens, and they start to put out 'smaller' records with less emphasis on 'hits' and more emphasis on listenability and longevity. Today it seems that is only possible after you've had a string of hits, and have achieved a stable income after adapting to sustainable lifestyle. Country artists like Kathy Mattea (the "Coal" album), Patty Loveless (the "Mountain Soul" albums) and many others are starting to do that, it looks to me.

Thanks to Kevin for putting up a great reference too. http://www.tropicalglen.com/ is just a great link to go back quickly and get a feel of a genre and a period of time!

Great thread! Merry Christmas to you all!

Hi Mags

Yes I found your whole post to be humorous.

No actually you said it was mostly rubbish, that being the 60's 70's and early 80's.
I think you couldn't be more off base flat out wrong in your perception.

But my comments back were not all directed straight at you, at your notions but not you. It was Bill who thought Disco was all the music there was in 1970's

I don't know very much in this world and I'm full of useless
info but that information is ALL about Pop Culture, mainly music,film and sports, especially Boxing.

Just like in one of our other threads I mentioned something about feeding yourself with music and pitching songs and you replied honestly saying "Well I don't do that I have a full time job/career not with music"

In this one you talk about popular music, then reveal here that you don't know much about the 60's 70's period.
I know ALL about the periods. To such a degree it borders on fanatical.

In other words If I was to ever get on some game show and it starts popping off questions about popular music I get RICH that day!

I am a jukebox!

For example I don't know some Genesis songs, I have every album they ever made and there not my favorite band. Along with many many many many other groups I love, absorb and collect music.
Besides being a music freak and listening to the radio constantly. My brother in law and sister owned a record store when I was about six years old. I would stay there all day when my sister was watching me. The neighborhood was 80% African American so they carried loads of R&B Soul Music. besides my sister loved that style of music. She had 14 years on me, now my brother who had 12 years on me was a rock nut, would go see Cream & Hendrix and come home and tell me about it. even brought home Ginger Bakers foot pedal The the closest person in age to me was a cousin who had six years on me.
So he was playing me all kinds of newer stuff that the others weren't. The first of that newer stuff was Black Sabbath.

Did I have a Black Sabbath album or two? NO I had ALL of then named my cover band after one of there songs.

COVER BAND! Oh boy on top of having my sister bring home every hit 45 that came out from Terry Jacks "Season In The Sun" to Billy Preston's "SPace RAce" I'm starting a band.

Do you know HOW much music and how many times you have to listen to it to learn a song by ear off a record player??

When I was seven to 10 years old it wasn't The BEatles (The Best)
making me practice my guitar for six hours a day. It was Sabbath and those riffs, that made me realize I have a lot of work to do

Anyway when I talk about the 40's 50's I KNOW loads and loads of songs from those decades, same goes for the 80's 90's an early part of 2000's I can't even bare through listening to it from 05 - 09. I know all of it not just "what I like" but what i don't listen to as well..

But I know EVERY damn popular song and any album worth a spit from those two decades especially. And I keep getting into conversations with those who don't.

The non musician thing was not directed to you but a general comment.
But I will say this, I have been a music fanatic my entire life.

I know more about say Fusion Bands or Metal alone than most do about all of pop music combined. And those aren't my specialties.

It basically comes down to this...
I am not a hobbyist or someone who thinks of music as an after thought, for fun, I've been glued to it since my ears opened lol and I've been playing it for 40 years now seriously..

I didn't listen to my parents music, I absorbed it and know 10X more about it then my parents ever did.


Now go grab a guitar and put on these cheezy 70's RADIO pop songs Reelin In The Years - Still The One - and Twenty Five Or Six To Four- Ramblin Man

And figure out how to play them even half way, come back and discuss popular music with me lol And totally change your mind!

Love you guys and I won't rest till I enlighten you!!
Your so lucky to have so much stuff to hear for the first time...
Lucky!

Mike I am in a similar position to you. I eat sleep live and breath music. I love all music really despite expressing my personal nits and opinions on what I term as good bad and indifferent. Sometimes I think people get acclaim they do not deserve and sadly the biz is full of sharks, charlatans and freaks who prey upon anyone and anything they can make a buck from....but I love it despite all that.

Any half decent musician or music lover should be able to tell the difference between quality and crap. I am not talking about personal likes or dislikes or differences in genre, era or geographical location but am talking about spotting well crafted, well performed and well produced music when you hear it regardless of whether the piece realy moves you or is not your cup of tea.
The sad thing is that too many people are genre or era driven. Some people are too insular but the main prob is that too many people just do not give a damn. They are incapable of having an open mind and a decent ear.

Really? Could you enlighten me as to which song you are referring?

Also, on a side note, it is true the Boyce and Hart wrote for the Monkees, but I'm A Believer was written by Neil Diamond.

I believe the sixties was a monumental time in transition in every form of popular music, and that defined nearly EVERYTHING that has come since. Younger folks hear the regurgitated stuff from their own generation and cannot understand the impact that the original sounds had on those who lived through it.

The fifties was a huge time for changing musical attitudes and introducing a music that had been around at least since the mid-1940's (listen to Louis Jordan, for example) and I love the stuff from that era, but the sixties took the original impact of rock and roll and diversified the sounds like no other era. The sheer diversity of this list speaks to that.

I understand everything I know about this. Of which ain't much.

The Charlie Chaplin is "This is My Song" (Petula Clark) I believe...much better known is Chaplin's composition "Smile" ("Smile/when your heart is breaking...")

Ahh, thanks!