Great Western rock classics and hit songs of the '60s
The era when the foundations of rock music were forged: the 1960s.
Today’s rock music includes many subgenres that blend a variety of musical styles.
Of course, every genre is rooted in rock, but if you trace many of them back to their origins, you end up in the 1960s.
This time, we’ve selected classic songs that had a tremendous impact on the rock scene of the 1960s.
Many famous artists and bands appear, so even if you’re not well-versed in rock, be sure to check them out!
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Great Western rock classics and hit songs of the 1960s (41–50)
I Wanna Be Your DogThe Stooges
This is a signature song by The Stooges, the garage rock band led by vocalist Iggy Pop that epitomized the late 1960s.
Its raw, high-energy sound is quintessential garage rock.
It’s easy to see why it’s said to have had a profound influence on later punk rock.
Break On Through (To The Other Side)The Doors
The debut by The Doors, a psychedelic rock band emblematic of America, is a striking track where organ and guitar weave a dreamlike sound, paired with Jim Morrison’s charismatic vocals.
Its polished blues-rock rhythm and innovative drum beat—skillfully incorporating bossa nova elements—make it a performance that symbolizes the psychedelic movement of the ’60s.
Released in January 1967 as the opening track of their debut album The Doors, the song has continued to be loved across generations, later featuring in the film Forrest Gump.
Imbued with the band’s determination to open doors to new worlds through music, this track is highly recommended for all music fans seeking liberation of the heart.
Mr. Tambourine ManThe Byrds
The Byrds, a great rock band from Los Angeles.
They excelled in genres like pop rock, country rock, and folk pop, and in particular had a major influence on later bands and artists in folk rock.
One of their classic songs is Mr.
Tambourine Man.
Released in 1965, it’s an exceptionally pleasant track that blends a melody somewhere between folk and country music with a touch of classic rock.
Bad Moon RisingCreedence Clearwater Revival
This is a signature song from the 1960s by Creedence Clearwater Revival, known as pioneers of the Southern rock genre in the American South.
It’s truly a Southern rock track—rock that emphasizes the gritty blues and boogie styles rooted in the American South.
Summer in the CityThe Lovin’ Spoonful
The Lovin’ Spoonful, a quintessential American folk-rock band of the 1960s, crafted an urban soundscape that still shines with undiminished brilliance.
Released in July 1966, this track features an innovative arrangement that deftly weaves in car horns and jackhammer noises—symbols of city clamor—and spent three consecutive weeks at No.
1 on the Billboard chart.
Included on the album Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful, it vividly depicts scenes of a sweltering summer in the city.
Its hard-driving rock sound and organ-fueled, fast-paced melody were also used in the opening scene of the 1995 film Die Hard with a Vengeance, and the song remains beloved for evoking the heat and energy of summer.