25 killer singles that are 60 years old

DECEMBER

“A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke didn’t live to see 1965. This song was released as a single ten days after his death. The glorious, soaring prayer for change stood in contrast to the ugly, tragic circumstances of his death. The strings that made so many other contemporary songs seem old somehow give it a timeless quality, and Cooke’s voice was never more open in its longing. More than two dozen singers and musicians were credited on the recording. Cooke’s voice towers over the massive production.

“I Can’t Explain” by the Who

The Beatles and the Stones, the Dave Clark Five, and the Kinks – they had all put songs on the map by the end of 1964. The last of the great first-wave invasion bands, the Who, snuck in just under the wire with their first non-album single in December. Pete Townsend has acknowledged that he was essentially just copying the Kinks “You Really Got Me” in the simple guitar rhythm.

But Townsend does expand the verse a little bit. And Jimmy Page may or may not have played the short spiky solo that comes just before the end. Depends on who you believe. The single barely cracked the charts in the States, but it was clear a new rock & roll presence was on the scene.

“Laugh Laugh” by the Beau Brummels

The Beau Brummels’ first album wouldn’t be released until 1965, but they put out this single at the end of 1964. A mournful harmonica, courtesy of Declan Mulligan, kicks off the proceedings in a sultry mood. Then singer Sal Valentino’s perfect baritone starts crooning. Guitar player Ron Elliott wrote the song, but the guitar isn’t prominent. The harmonica and the vocals remain the dominant sounds.

Out of all the songs on this list, this is the only one that was performed on an episode of The Flintstones. Of course, that version was done by the Beau Brummelstones.

“No Reply” by the Beatles

What I failed to mention in the previous entry was that many critics thought the Beau Brummels sounded like the Beatles. I don’t hear it myself (maybe more on a song like “Just a Little”). The Beatles were the Beatles. Even the bands that did sound like that didn’t really sound like them. It was almost impossible to match their harmonies. And no one wrote pop melodies like Paul McCartney and John Lennon. This is a Lennon song.

His songs were a little tougher and his vocals were a bit rougher, but it still retains the type of melody that they seemed to invent without even trying. This song opened the Beatles for Sale album. It was followed by “I’m a Loser” and “Baby’s in Black.” That trio is usually considered middling Beatles, which basically means it was better than virtually any other band at the time could produce.

“Ferry Cross the Mersey” by Gerry & the Pacemakers

We’re closing our list with a sentimental, dramatic, and beautiful love song that actually could have been mistaken for the early Beatles. Gerry Marsden and his mates were from Liverpool and had associations with Brian Epstein and George Martin – just like the Beatles. Marsden didn’t write it as a love song to a girl but to a place. Ray Davies must have had this song in mind when writing “Waterloo Sunset,” among the most romantic ballads written in the early rock era.

All in all, not a bad year.

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