Rock America 60s

While Elvis Presley's 17-hit streak ended in 1962, "Let's twist again" (1961, Chubby Checker) and "Oh, pretty woman" (1964, Roy Orbison) were the two iconic rockabilly songs of the 60s. Hailing from the West Coast, surf rock reached world fame in 1963 with the Beach Boys and Dick Dale. But the frenzy for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones gripped the USA in early 1964 and sparked both the "British Invasion" of the US charts and the influence of British beat on American rock.

Progressive rock started in the mid-60s and became mainstream in 1967. Although folk singer Bob Dylan came under heavy criticism when he went electric in 1965, the following years spawned wide acceptance of many new styles of progressive rock, including:

• psychedelic rock (Jefferson Airplane, the Doors, Jimmy Hendrix, Iron Butterfly);
• innovative forms of country rock (Buffalo Springfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival), blues rock (Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat) and soul rock (Janis Joplin, Bob Seger, Tommy James & the Shondells, Mother Earth).
• hard rock (Steppenwolf, Spirit);
• underground rock (the Mothers of Invention, the Velvet Underground);
• jazz rock (Chicago Transit Authority, Blood Sweat & Tears);
• latin rock (Santana);
• art rock (the Byrds, Grateful Dead);
• garage rock and its vibrant protopunk scene (The Fugs, The Monks, The Sonics, The Stooges, Captain Beefheart);

ROCKABILLY & COUNTRY ROCK  ∙  1960  ∙  You're sixteen (Johnny Burnette)  ∙  Only the lonely (Roy Orbison)  ∙  1961  ∙  Let's twist again (Chubby Checker)  ∙  Travelin' man (Ricky Nelson)  ∙  Runaway Sue (Dion)  ∙  Peppermint twist (Joey Dee and the Starliters)  ∙  1962  ∙  Let's dance (Chris Montez)  ∙  Satan is her name (Steve King & The Echelons)  ∙  1963  ∙  Suger shack (The Fireballs)  ∙  Mr. Bass man (Johnny Cymbal)  ∙  1964  ∙  Oh, pretty woman (Roy Orbison)  ∙  1967  ∙  Guitar man  (Jimmy Reed)  ∙

SURF ROCK  ∙  1960  ∙  Walk, don't run (The Ventures)  ∙  1961  ∙  Runaway (Del Shannon)  ∙  Jack the Ripper (Link Wray & the Wraymen)  ∙  Mr. Moto (The Bel-Airs)  ∙  Ghost riders in the sky (Neil Levang)  ∙  1962  ∙  Misirlou (Dick Dale & the Del Tones)  ∙  Pipeline (The Chantays)  ∙  1963  ∙  Surfin' USA (Beach Boys)  ∙  Surf rider (The Lively Ones)  ∙  Surf city (Jan & Dean)  ∙  Surf walk (Manuel & the Renegades)  ∙  Surfin' bird (The Trashmen)  ∙  1964  ∙  Mr. Rebel (Eddie & the Showmen)  ∙  1965  ∙  Bony Moronie (Dick Dale & the Del Tones)  ∙  Barbara Ann (Beach Boys)  ∙

BEAT ROCK  ∙  1963  ∙  Louie Louie (The Kingsmen)  ∙  1965  ∙  Lies (Knickerbockers)  ∙  Count me in (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)  ∙  Hang on Snoopy (McCoys)  ∙  You Baby (The Turtles)  ∙  1966  ∙  Snoopy vs the Red Baron (Royal Guardsmen)  ∙  I'm a believer (The Monkees)  ∙  Kind of a drag (The Buckinghams)  ∙  1967  ∙  Never my love / Windy (The Association)  ∙  Incense & peppermints (Strawberry Alarm Clock)  ∙  Green tambourine (Lemon Pipers)  ∙  Western Union (Five Americans)  ∙  Come on down to my boat baby (Every Mother's Son)  ∙  1967  ∙  I love you more today than yesterday (Spiral Staircase)  ∙

PROGRESSIVE ROCK  ∙  1965  ∙  Subterranean homesick blues / Like a rolling stone / Maggie's farm (Bob Dylan)  ∙  C.C. rider  (Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels)  ∙  1966  ∙  Eight miles high (The Byrds)  ∙  Trouble every day (Mothers Of Invention ft Frank Zappa)  ∙  Walkin' blues (Paul Butterfield Blues Band)  ∙  1967  ∙  Hush (Billy Joe Royal)  ∙  White rabbit (Jefferson Airplane)  ∙  Purple haze (Jimi Hendrix)  ∙  Light my fire / People are strange (The Doors)  ∙  Sunday morning / Venus in furs (The Velvet Underground)  ∙  The other one (The Grateful Dead)  ∙   Mr. Soul (Buffalo Springfield)  ∙  Just dropped in (..to see what condition my condition was in) (The First Edition ft. Kenny Rogers)  ∙  You keep me hangin' on (Vanilla Fudge)  ∙  Let it all hang out (The Hombres)  ∙  1968  ∙  Piece of my heart (Janis Joplin)  ∙  Born to be wild (Steppenwolf)  ∙  In-a-gadda-da-vida (Iron Butterfly, 17')  ∙  I got a line on you (Spirit)  ∙  Ramblin' gamblin' man (Bob Seger)  ∙  Mony mony / Crimson and clover (Tommy James & the Shondells)  ∙  Nobody but me (The Human Beinz)  ∙  1969  ∙  I'm a man (Chicago Transit Authority)  ∙  Spinning wheel (Blood Sweat & Tears)  ∙  Proud Mary (Creedence Clearwater Revival)  ∙  On the road again (Canned Heat)  ∙  Evil ways (Santana)  ∙  What are you trying to do (Mother Earth)  ∙

GARAGE ROCK / PROTOPUNK  ∙  1965  ∙  I couldn't get high (The Fugs)  ∙  Liar, liar (The Castaways)  ∙  Strychnine (The Sonics)  ∙  I fought the law (Bobby Fuller Four)  ∙  Pushin' too hard (The Seeds)  ∙  1966  ∙  Foolish woman (The Oxford Circle)  ∙  Get it on (Paul Revere & the Raiders)  ∙  My little red book (Love)  ∙  96 tears (Question Mark & the Misterians)  ∙  Complication (Monks)  ∙  You gonna miss me (The 13th Floor Elevators)  ∙  Dirty Water (The Standells)  ∙  Talk talk (The Music Machine)  ∙  Psychotic reaction (The Count Five)  ∙  1967  ∙ Alone again or (Love)  ∙  Zig-zag wanderer (Captain Beefheart)  ∙  Little bit o' soul (Music Explosion)  ∙  1968  ∙  Satisfy you (The Seeds)  ∙  The eagle never hunts the fly (The Music Machine)  ∙  Just a little bit (Blue Cheer)  ∙  1969  ∙  Kick out the jams (The MC5)  ∙  I wanna be your dog (The Stooges)  ∙  Moonlight on Vermont (Captain Beefheart)  ∙  My pal Foot Foot (The Shaggs)  ∙

RnB ROCK 60s  ∙  ..  see 'RnB SOUL 60s'