300 GREAT POP SONGS FROM THE 1960s

The following are 300 songs from the '60s that I consider great. Basically, these are songs that could be included if you put the '60s in a time capsule. And note the word "pop" in the title; these songs should have either been hits or at least been famous album tracks and/or later became popular radio tracks (or in some cases, been part of a legendary compilation as is my admittedly flimsy reasoning for including several Nuggets tracks). If I were to search high and low for great "underground" songs I'm sure that this list could eventually be stretched to 1,000 and onward...so no Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, etc. Also, one last thing, I decided to impose a 10-song maximum per artist for variety's sake.

? & Mysterians - 96 Tears
The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post
The Amboy Dukes – Journey To Center Of The Mind
The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun
The Animals - It’s My Life
The Animals - Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
The Animals – We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
The Association - Cherish
The Association - Never My Love
The Band - I Shall Be Released
The Band - The Weight
The Band – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Beach Boys - Help Me Rhonda
The Beach Boys - I Get Around
The Beach Boys - California Girls
The Beatles - A Day In The Life
The Beatles - Hey Jude
The Beatles - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
The Beatles - In My Life
The Beatles - Penny Lane
The Beatles - Norweigan Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
The Beatles - She Loves You
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
The Beatles - Yesterday
The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
William Bell – You Don’t Miss Your Water
Chuck Berry – No Particular Place To Go
Big Brother and The Holding Company - Ball and Chain
Big Brother and The Holding Company - Piece Of My Heart
Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home
Blood Sweat and Tears – You've Made Me So Very Happy
Booker T. & The MG's - Green Onions
David Bowie - Space Oddity
The Box Tops – The Letter
James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good)
The Buckinghams – Kind Of A Drag
Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
The Byrds – Eight Miles High
The Byrds – Feel A Whole Lot Better
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds – My Back Pages
James Carr – The Dark End Of The Street
Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today
Gene Chandler - Duke Of Earl
Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time
Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind
Chubby Checker – The Twist
Chicago – Beginnings
Chicago – Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
The Chiffons - One Fine Day
The Chiffons - He's So Fine
Jimmy Cliff - Many Rivers To Cross
Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends
Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music
The Contours – Do You Love Me?
Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home To Me
Sam Cooke – You Send Me
Sam Cooke – Wonderful World
Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire
Cream - Tales Of Brave Ulysses
Cream - White Room
Cream – Sunshine Of Your Love
Cream - Crossroads
Cream - Badge
Cream - I Feel Free
The Creation - Making Time
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around Bend
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Born On The Bayou
Crosby, Stills, & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me
The Crystals – Da Doo Ron Ron
Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - Miserlou
Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over
Deep Purple – Hush
Delfonics - La La Means I Love You
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Dion – Runaround Sue
Dion – The Wanderer
The Dixie Cups – Chapel Of Love
Donovan – Sunshine Superman
Donovan – Hurdy Gurdy Man
The Doors - Light My Fire
The Doors - Touch Me
The Doors - Break On Through
The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk
The Drifters – On Broadway
The Drifters – Up On The Roof
Bob Dylan – Blowin’ In The Wind
Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
Bob Dylan - Positively Fourth Street
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A' Changin'
Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues
Bob Dylan – I Want You
Bob Dylan – Just Like A Woman
The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind
The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night
Betty Everett - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)
Roberta Flack – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
The Four Seasons - Dawn (Go Away)
The Four Tops - Reach Out, I'll Be There
The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
The Four Tops - Bernadette
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Aretha Franklin - Think
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain't Nothing Like Real Thing
Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston – It Takes Two
The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions
The Guess Who – These Eyes
The Guess Who – Undun
Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Crosstown Traffic
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Fire
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Foxey Lady
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Little Wing
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
The Hollies – Bus Stop
Human Beinz - Nobody But Me
The Impressions - People Get Ready
The Impressions – It’s All Right
Iron Butterfly - Inna Gadda da Vidda
The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
Jay & The Techniques – Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit
Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love
Jethro Tull - Living In The Past
Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign
B.B. King – The Thrill Is Gone
Ben E. King - Stand By Me
The Kingsmen – Louie Louie
The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night
The Kinks – Tired Of Waiting
The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
The Kinks - You Really Got Me
Led Zeppelin - Communication Breakdown
Led Zeppelin - Dazed And Confused
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
Led Zeppelin - Ramble On
The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee
Barbara Lewis – Hello Stranger
Los Bravos - Black Is Black
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe In Magic
Lovin' Spoonful – Summer In The City
Lovin' Spoonful – You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice
Lovin' Spoonful – Daydream
The Mamas and the Papas - California Dreamin'
The Mamas and the Papas – Monday Monday
The Mamas and the Papas – Go Where You Wanna Go
Manfred Mann - Quinn The Eskimo
Martha & The Vandellas – Dancing In The Street
Martha & The Vandellas – (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
Martha & The Vandellas – Nowhere To Run
Scott McKenzie – San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)
Steve Miller Band - Living In The U.S.A.
The Monkees – I’m A Believer
The Monkees – Last Train To Clarksville
The Monkees – Daydream Believer
The Moody Blues – Go Now
The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin
The Moody Blues – Tuesday Afternoon
The Moody Blues – Ride My See Saw
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
The Move – Blackberry Way
The Music Machine – Talk Talk
The Nazz – Open My Eyes
Harry Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin’
Roy Orbison - Crying
Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely
Roy Orbison – Oh, Pretty Woman
Roy Orbison – Running Scared
Roy Orbison – In Dreams
The Outsiders – Time Won’t Let Me
Wilson Pickett – In The Midnight Hour
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
The Rascals - Good Lovin'
The Rascals - Groovin'
The Rascals - How Can I Be Sure
The Rascals - A Beautiful Morning
The Rascals - People Got To Be Free
Otis Redding – (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
Otis Redding – Mr. Pitiful
Otis Redding - I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)
Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness
Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - Tramp
The Remains - Don't Look Back
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks
The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Ooh Baby Baby
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – The Tracks Of My Tears
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – You Really Got A Hold On Me
The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown
The Rolling Stones - Get Off Of My Cloud
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash
The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
The Rolling Stones - Ruby Tuesday
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
The Rolling Stones - You Can’t Always Get What You Want
The Rolling Stones – Let’s Spend The Night Together
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
Jimmy Ruffin – What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly
Sagittarius – My World Fell Down
Sam and Dave - Hold On, I'm Comin'
Sam and Dave – Soul Man
Sam and Dave – When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
Bob Seger System - Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
The Shangri-Las - Give Him A Great Big Kiss
The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack
The Shangri-Las - Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)
Del Shannon – Runaway
The Shirelles – Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds Of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel – Scarborough Fair
Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound
Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson
Simon & Garfunkel - America
Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer
Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To Music
Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Sly & The Family Stone - I Want To Take You Higher
Sly & The Family Stone - Stand
The Small Faces – Itchycoo Park
The Small Faces – Afterglow
The Sonics – Strychnine
The Soul Survivors - Expressway To Your Heart
Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin'
Spirit - I Got A Line On You
Dusty Springfield – Son Of A Preacher Man
Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
Strawberry Alarm Clock – Incense and Peppermints
The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go?
The Supremes – You Keep Me Hanging On
The Supremes – My World Is Empty Without You
The Supremes – Someday We’ll Be Together
The Supremes – Love Child
The Swinging Medallions - Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)
The Temptations – Since I Lost My Baby
The Temptations - (I Know) I'm Losing You
The Temptations - Ball Of Confusion
The Temptations - My Girl
The Temptations – Get Ready
The Temptations – Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
The Temptations – Can't Get Next To You
Them - Gloria
Them - Here Comes Night
Thirteenth Floor Elevators – You’re Gonna Miss Me
Thunderclap Newman - Something In The Air
Traffic - Dear Mr. Fantasy
The Troggs - Wild Thing
Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep Mountain High
The Turtles – Happy Together
Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On
Dionne Warwick - Walk On By
Mary Wells – My Guy
The Who - I Can't Explain
The Who – The Kids Are Alright
The Who - My Generation
The Who – Substitute
The Who – I Can See For Mile
The Who – Pinball Wizard
The Who - We're Not Gonna Take It
Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs - Stay
Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, and Delivered
Stevie Wonder – Uptight (Everything’s Alright)
The Yardbirds – For Your Love
The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul
The Yardbirds – Shapes Of Things
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Cowgirl In The Sand
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Down By The River
The Youngbloods - Get Together
The Zombies - She's Not There
The Zombies – Time Of The Season


send me an email

Back To Artist Index Home Page