Music permeates the summer landscape: it can be heard from car windows, at the beach and during street festivals. For Throwback Thursday, here are some of my favorite summer hits of the 1960s:
In July 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act and the Beach Boys charted their first number one hit, “I Get Around,” written by Brian Wilson. The song is included on The Very Best of the Beach Boys. Also both the film and single of the Beatles’ A Hard Day's Night were hits that summer.
In July 1965, the same month Dylan “went electric” at the Newport Folk Festival, the Rolling Stones dominated the Billboard charts with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The song was released as a single and featured on the U.S. version of Out of Our Heads, which came out that summer. It’s considered one the of the greatest rock songs of all time.
In summer 1967, the Summer of Love, thousands of hippies descended on Haight-Asbury in San Francisco, and hippie culture grew in cities across the country. Music, drugs, politics and free love were in ample supply. "Light My Fire" by the Doors, included on their self-titled debut The Doors, was a hit that summer, spending time at the top of Billboard chart in July and August.
Released in August 1969, the same month Sly and the Family Stone performed at Woodstock, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" peaked at number two on the charts and is still considered a summer anthem and can be heard on Greatest Hits.
Add a comment to: #TBT: 1960s Sounds of Summer