1965 in music.

The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night won 1964 in a landslide. Let's see who wins 1965. Features the debut of one of my favorite American bands during the invasion, The Byrds.

Billboard chart-topping albums of 1965:
Elvis - Rustabout
The Beatles - Beatles '65
Soundtrack - Mary Poppins
Soundtrack - Goldfinger
The Beatles - Beatles VI
The Rolling Stones - Out of Our Heads
The Beatles - Help!
Herb Alpert - Whipped Cream and Other Delights

Billboard chart-topping singles of 1965:
The Beatles - I Feel Fine (cont. from '64)
The Supremes - Come and See About Me
Petula Clark - Downtown
The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost that Loving Feeling
Gary Lewis - This Diamond Ring
The Temptations - My Girl
The Beatles - Eight Days a Week
The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love
Freddie and the Dreamers - I'm Telling You Now
Wayne Fontana - Game of Love
Herman's Hermits - Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter
The Beatles - Ticket to Ride
The Beach Boys - Help Me, Rhonda
The Supremes - Back in My Arms Again
The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Herman's Hermits - I'm Henry VIII (I Am)
Sonny and Cher - I Got You Babe
The Beatles - Help!
Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction
The McCoys - Hang on Sloopy
The Beatles - Yesterday
The Rolling Stones - Get Off of My Cloud
The Supremes - I Hear a Symphony
The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
The Dave Clark Five - Over and Over

What are your top three albums for 1965? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be:

1. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
2. The Who - My Generation
3. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisted

What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later?

YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm

 

last minute cuts:
the beatles - rubber soul
bert jansch - bert jansch
the byrds - turn! turn! turn!
jackson c frank - jackson c frank
otis redding - otis blue/otis redding sings soul

additional cuts:
the beach boys - the beach boys today
the beach boys - summer days and summer nights
the beatles - help
bert jansch - it don’t bother me
buck owens - i’ve got the tiger by the tail
the byrds - mr. tambourine man
donovan - fairytales
donovan - what’s bin did and what’s bin had
the kinks - kinda kinks
the kinks - the kink kontroversy
nina simone - pastel blues
the paul butterfleld blues band - s/t
paul simon - the paul simon songbook
the rolling stones - out of our heads
the rolling stones - december’s children
roy orbison - orbisongs
the sonics - here are the sonics
the temptations - the tempting temptations
them - the angry young them
the yardbirds - for your love
the yardbirds - having a rave up with the yardbirds
the zombies - the zombies

adding to check out:
barbara streisand - my name is barbara
booker t and the MGs - soul dressing
ella fitzgerald - ella at duke’s place
george jones - new country hits
herbie hancock - maiden voyage
john coltrane - a love supreme
john coltrane - the john coltrane quarter plays
miles davis - my funny valentine
the moody blues - the magnificent moodies
ornette coleman - chappaqua suite
sun ra - the heliocentric worlds of sun ra
the temptations - sing smokey

 

1965 belonged to John Coltrane. A Love Supreme is one of the best albums ever made in any genre. The year was year.

 

Posting so I remember to make my top 3 later.

 

Massive year.

1. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
2. Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
3. The Beatles - Rubber Soul

Dylan's Highway 61 is probably my favourite "rock" album of all time, just a huge, flawless record with two of the most iconic bookends to open and close it. Pretty much every song could be my favourite on any given day. Bringing it All Back Home is also superb with maybe (?) my favourite Dylan song, "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding", but would give Highway 61 the edge just about.

Nina's Pastel Blues is also my favourite Nina album, and has 100% my favourite song by her, Sinnerman, which is an absolute powerhouse track to close the record, and utterly thrilling and transfixing every time I listen to it. She also released the equally perfect I Put a Spell on You in this year, which is significantly poppier, whereas Pastel Blues is more subdued. Both brilliant in their own right.

There's not much to say about Rubber Soul that hasn't been said before, but for me this is when The Beatles take the big leap forward, and it's when I really start listening to them from. Like Dylan, picking a favourite Beatles song is a fools errand, but mine might as well be "In My Life".

Honourable mentions would be a long list, but particular shout outs to Coltrane's A Love Supreme, which is one of my favourite jazz records, The Four Tops Second Album, which has these absolutely massive pop / soul smashes, Jackson C Franks' self-titled and only record, which is full of these lovely little folk songs, and a clear influence on the likes of Nick Drake. Finally, Smokey Robinson's Going to a go-go, which contains my favourite Smokey Robinson track, and one of my favourite soul songs in general, "The Tracks of my Tears".

 

I also just realised that I have Otis Redding’s Otis Blue tagged with the wrong year in my ITunes library, so I missed that from consideration. Probably wouldn’t have made my top 3, but an incredible collection of soul / RnB staples that Otis makes his own.

 

1. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
2. Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album
3. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights

Tough year... I just went with what has sentimental value to me.

 

1965 in music

Best Singles:
California Dreamin’ - The Mamas And Papas
Day Tripper - The Beatles
California Girls - The Beach Boys
Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
Yesterday - The Beatles
My Generation - The Who
Dance, Dance, Dance - The Beach Boys
It Was A Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra
The Sound Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
Ticket To Ride - The Beatles
For Your Love - The Yardbirds
Game Of Love - Wayne Fontana
I Can’t Explain - The Who
We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
Iko Iko - The Dixie Cups
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
My Girl - The Temptations
A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

Best Albums:
1. Rubber Soul - The Beatles
2. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
3. The Beach Boys Today! - The Beach Boys

This is when I start worrying I’m missing many good songs as it’s hard to tell my favorites that came out by year without going through the songs individually.

 

1. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
2. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
3. The Beatles - Help!

Just missed:
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
Four Tops - Second Album
The Beach Boys - Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!!)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles - Going to A Go-Go
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Others I Love:
Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You
Moacir Santos - Coisas
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
Nina Simone - Let It All Out
B.B. King - Live at the Regal
The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Party!
Sammy Davis, Jr. - If I Ruled the World
Phil Ochs - I Ain't Marching Anymore
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
The Temptations - Sing Smokey
Dean Martin - Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)

Good ones I've heard:
The Who - Sing My Generation
The Rolling Stones - Our of Our Heads
Frank Sinatra - September of My Years
The Beach Boys - Today!
The Supremes - More Hits by The Supremes
Otis Redding - The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads
Jimmy Durante - Way of Life
Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba - An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba
The Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe in Magic
Peter, Paul and Mary - See What Tomorrow Brings
The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones Now!
Johnny Cash - Orange Blossom Special
Thelonious Monk - Solo Monk
Peter, Paul and Mary - A Song Will Rise
Sammy Davis, Jr. - The Nat King Cole Songbook
The Moody Blues - The Magnificent Moodies

Not a fan:
Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity

Targets to listen to:
Eddy Arnold - My World
Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra
Original Cast - The Sound of Music Soundtrack
Maurice Jarre - Doctor Zhivago Soundtrack
Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music
Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch
Buck Owens - I've Got a Tiger by the Tail
The Sonics - Here Are the Sonics
Martha and the Vandellas - Dance Party
Jr. Walker and The All-Stars - Shotgun
Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is To Be Loved by You
Wilson Pickett - In the Midnight Hour
The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band - Hoodoo Man Blues
Yardbirds - Having a Rave-Up
Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album
The Impressions - People Get Ready
Tom Lehrer - That Was the Year That Was
The Ramsey Lewis Trio - The In-Crowd
Herman's Hermits - Introducing Herman's Hermits
Elis Regina and Jair Rodrigues - Dois Na Bossa 2
The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream and Other Delights

 

These are on my list of targets to listen to.

A Love Supreme is astounding. Worthy of every hosanna it recieves.

Are you already a Moody Blues fan? If not, that's not really where I'd go if I was uninitiated. Incredible single, solid white British blues, but a significantly different lineup than their classic period (Justin Hayward and John Lodge hadn't joined yet and Denny Laine of Wings fame was in the band)

You'll dig Sings Smokey for sure.

FUCK yes on these two. When people say early Motown didn't have albums, these are what I use to argue.

Astrud is on my list to possibly listen to.

Herb Alpert is currently on my turntable. I won't lie, I've always owned it mostly because the cover is so iconic.

There is something so insanely hypnotic about this song.

 

1. Charlie Brown Christmas

 

Placeholder for my post tomorrow.

What a year. I listened on shuffle to nothing but stuff from ‘65 all day today and have been having an absolute blast.

 

Can anyone else relate to not really ever going through a “Motown” phase? Not for not liking it, but just growing up with mostly classic and modern rock music in the house I never really educated myself on who Sang these iconic songs.

And then to hear songs I’ve known my whole life and be able read about the artists and make all those connections in my head is just so awesome. What a time for pop music in general.

Example - I’ve had “I can’t help Myself” by Four Tops in my head all day. Now THAT is an objectively perfect song.

 

A great one, but check out “I Got a Feeling”. Probably in my top 15 songs ever.

 

for your love is probably thee yardbirds one to go with, if you haven't heard either, tbh

also have to imagine you'll love turn! turn! turn!

and I've heard some moody blues but not a full album yet

 

Maybe I’ll swap my Yardbirds pick. I wanted to two-birds-one-stone it being on the Rolling Stone list

And honestly I’d maybe wait for a better Moody Blues album to start with. For some reason Days of Future Passed has become the consensus (I imagine for the two incredible hits) but I am a passionate stan for On the Threshold of a Dream and especially A Question of Balance

 

1. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
2. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
3. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home

A year of quantum leaps, where two of the greatest recording artists of all time officially ascend to that all-time great status.

Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles album. More daring work would come later, but song for song, I think this is their apex. A brilliant balance between extremely fun pop songs ("Drive My Car," "I'm Looking Through You") and some first-ballot hall-of-famers in the "most gorgeous ballads of all time" conversation ("In My Life," "Norwegian Wood"). "Run for Your Life" is pretty cringe, but otherwise, this record is pretty close to flawless.

Highway 61 Revisited was my favorite Dylan album for a long time, and probably the first one I really loved. These days, I probably prefer Blood on the Tracks (and maybe even Bringing It All Back Home, depending on the day) but then I listen back to the bookends on this record. For my money, there's only one album ever with a better opener/closer pairing, and I'm sure you all know what that is.

 

honestly, the bookends of bringing it all back home is what gave it the edge for me haha

 

“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” is probably my second favorite Dylan song. Just staggeringly great

 

same, yeah

 

Today's listens:

Jr. Walker and The All-Stars - Shotgun
Obviously has the great single but the whole thing is one of the best party records I've ever heard. The band cooks, Walker's sax sound is incredible. Just joy on wax.

The Sonics - Here Come the Sonics
Awesome record. I'd heard their second but this one is even more ferocious if possible. I've always loved "The Witch", but never expected that intensity could sustain over a full record. Loud, wild, and intense.

Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights
Corny, sure, but also really pleasant. Well performed and light on its feet. The striptease version of "Love Potion No. 9" and "Lollipops and Roses" were particular highlights for me.


Tom Lehrer - That Was the Year That Was
A legitimate genius. I'd heard his first two records, but this was new to me on the whole. A few references went over my head given that it was topical in 1965 but most of it is still just hilarious. "The Vatican Rag" has to be one of the best satirical songs ever made.

 

“Subterranean Homesick Blues,” while great, does not hold a candle to “Like a Rolling Stone,” for me.

 

it’s all over now, baby blue is the best of the four though

 

Yeah, I disagree.

 

If I'm ranking those four songs:

Like a Rolling Stone>Desolation Row>It's All Over Now...>Subterranean Homesick Blues