Top 10 Billboard Chart Topping Rock Songs of the 1960s

With all due respect to the 1990 film that re-introduced this song to mainstream America, “Oh, Pretty Woman” is not actually about a Hollywood hooker with a lonely heart. No, not even close. It was actually inspired by Roy Orbison’s wife, and when the song was released in 1964, the singer’s smooth delivery and heavy purring took it straight to #1. Twenty-four years later, a star-studded Cinemax special featured a classic performance of the song, which would ultimately earn Roy Orbison a posthumous Grammy Award upon his death.

“Girl, we couldn’t get much higher.” This was the line that Ed Sullivan producers asked The Doors to change for a 1967 live performance, and do you think they agreed? Nahhh. It was this type of rebellion that initially led to the creation of“Light My Fire,” as the philosophical hippies combined acid rock with their background in Chicago Blues. After all, there weren’t many rock musicians playing a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass in the late 60s, and Puerto Rican musician Jose Feliciano was so impressed with “Light My Fire,” that he covered the #1 hit and took home a Grammy in 1969. The Doors expanded their minds with this Billboard smash, and their musical reach expanded throughout the world.

Long before Will Ferrell took a tranquilizer dart to the jugular in “Old School”, a couple of folk rockers took to the ol’ pen and pad for a most introspective creation. After “The Sound of Silence” initially bombed on the music charts and forced the duo to end their collaboration, it was Father Time that saved the day, along with producer Tom Wilson who enlisted a few of Bob Dylan’s musicians for a remix that took the revamped version to #1. A few years later, “Mrs. Robinson” would become the first rock song to win a Grammy for Record of the Year, but it was “The Sound of Silence” that paved the road to rock immortality.

Before the counter-culture movement spread throughout America in the latter half of the 60s, a group of California musicians were already imagining a new style of music, and a new way of life in general. Brian Wilson and his teams of boys from the beach created a psychedelic rock classic, using beautiful harmonies and an early use of the electro-theremin. The Beach Boys knew how to get around, and they came out swingin’ with that very message for their first Billboard #1 in 1964.

There once was a time when Elvis was undoubtedly THE king of rock and roll, but after serving his country in the U.S. Army, he came to realize that the times were definitely a-changin.’ But in 1968, Elvis re-emerged with his famous black leather comeback special, and by 1969, he released his 17th and final #1 Billboard hit with “Suspicious Minds.” It was this song that reinvigorated Elvis’ career - almost a full decade after the release of his 1960 romantic ballad “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”

When Elvis Presley returned from Germany in March of 1960, four young musicians were about to begin perfecting their craft in the German city of Hamburg shortly before kicking off what is now known as “The British Invasion.” As The Beatles’ first #1 Billboard hit, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” literally caused distraught American girls to faint and forced aspiring rock stars to step up their game. With such a simple yet effective message, the song figuratively connected John, Paul, Ringo and George with mainstream America, and they kept a firm grip for years to come.

In the early 60s, a baby-faced Bob Dylan was performing a folk version of this song all around New York City, but it was the The Animals that reached a larger demographic while touring with Chuck Berry. “House of the Rising Sun” details a dark journey through New Orleans, and through the menacing voice of Eric Burdon, The Animals announced themselves as the next great British invasion band - aside from The Beatles that is. All in all, it’s a traditional song made popular by a most untraditional psychedelic band.

As the Beatles were conducting a collective hand-holding session with America,The Rolling Stones took a more controversial approach by conveying their need for a little satisfaction. While older listeners didn’t necessarily process the sexual nature of the lyrics, younger audiences immediately grasped the concept and helped make the Stones’ hit one of the most popular songs ever recorded. From the suggestive innuendos to the killer guitar riff, “Satisfaction” was in tune with times, and Jagger’s vocal performance was the cherry on top.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Summer in the City” (1966)
The Lovin’ Spoonful

“Everyday People” (1968)
Sly & The Family Stone

“Good Lovin’” (1966)
Young Rascals

“Come Together” (1969)
The Beatles

“Paint It Black” (1966)
The Rolling Stones

Well, here it is. In a time of social unrest, The Beatles gave listeners a symbolic and inspirational seven-minute ballad that is quite possible the best pop song of all time. Originally devised to help young Julian Lennon cope with divorce of his parents, Paul McCartney slowly but surely molded “Hey Jude” into something bigger, and even John Lennon believed the song to be an inadvertent message from one band mate to another. The two musicians wrote “Help!” just a few years prior, but with “Hey Jude,” McCartney seemed to acknowledge the end of an era, and it wouldn’t be long until he and John shook each other’s hand and went their separate ways.

So, do you agree with our selections? What is your favorite Billboard chart topping rock song of the 60s? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.