Pitchfork: Best Songs of the 1960s

God Only Knows

The Beach Boys & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)

I Want You Back

Jackson 5 (1969)

A Change Is Gonna Come

Sam Cooke (2011)

Like a Rolling Stone

Bob Dylan (2000)

A Day In the Life

The Beatles (1967)

Be My Baby

The Ronettes (2011)

Folsom Prison Blues (Live at Folsom State Prison, Folsom, CA (2nd Show) - January 1968)

Johnny Cash (1968)

Israelites

Desmond Dekker (1990)

Dazed and Confused

Led Zeppelin (1969)

Gimme Shelter

The Rolling Stones (1971)

The Weight

The Band (1968)

Think

Aretha Franklin (1968)

I Wanna Be Your Dog

The Stooges (1969)

Fortunate Son

Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)

Then He Kissed Me (Re-Recorded)

The Crystals (2023)

Tomorrow Never Knows

The Beatles (1966)

Out in the Streets

The Shangri-Las (1997)

Good Vibrations

The Beach Boys (1966)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Marvin Gaye (1968)

At Last

Etta James (1960)

You Can't Hurry Love

The Supremes (1997)

Paint It Black

The Rolling Stones (1971)

I Am the Walrus

The Beatles (1967)

I'm Waiting For the Man (Mono)

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

Otis Redding (1968)

Waterloo Sunset (Live at Piccadilly Studios, 1968)

The Kinks (2011)

Leader of the Pack (Single Version)

The Shangri-Las (1964)

These Days

Nico (1967)

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Main Title)

Ennio Morricone (1966)

The Kids Are Alright

The Who (1970)

Ring Of Fire (Live)

Johnny Cash (1969)

The Sound of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel (1966)

Cissy Strut

The Meters (1969)

Sympathy For The Devil

The Rolling Stones (1968)

This Will Be Our Year (Mono Remastered)

The Zombies (1968)

Suzanne

Leonard Cohen (1967)

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

The Band (1987)

Linus and Lucy

Vince Guaraldi (2006)

Where Did Our Love Go

The Supremes (1964)

Son of a Preacher Man

Dusty Springfield (1969)

Making Time

The Creation (1965)

Eleanor Rigby

The Beatles (1966)

Space Oddity (1979 Version) [2017 Remastered Version]

David Bowie (1977)

Some Velvet Morning

Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood (1967)

Alone Again Or (Alternate Mix Version)

Love (2008)

River Deep - Mountain High

Ike & Tina Turner (1966)

Georgia On My Mind

Ray Charles (2006)

Whole Lotta Love

Led Zeppelin (1969)

Daydream Believer (Live)

The Monkees (2020)

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher

Jackie Wilson & LaVern Baker (1967)

Crimson and Clover

Tommy James & The Shondells (1968)

I Want to Hold Your Hand

The Beatles (1988)

Sunday Morning

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Sly & The Family Stone (2013)

You Keep Me Hangin' On

The Supremes (1997)

Street Fighting Man

The Rolling Stones (1971)

The Girl from Ipanema

Stan Getz & João Gilberto (2011)

Runaway

Del Shannon (2010)

California Dreamin' (Single)

The Mamas & The Papas (1966)

The Tide Is High

The Paragons (2015)

Cinnamon Girl

Neil Young & Crazy Horse (1969)

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

The Shirelles (2005)

Misirlou

Dick Dale (1960)

Crazy (feat. The Jordanaires)

Patsy Cline (1961)

Manic Depression

The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

Sweet Thing

Van Morrison (1968)

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Bob Dylan (1963)

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (Pts. 1 & 2 / Single Version)

James Brown (1965)

The Boxer

Simon & Garfunkel (1970)

Doctor Who Theme (New Stereo Remix 2002)

BBC Radiophonic Workshop (2011)

Heroin

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

I Want to Take You Higher (Single Version)

Sly & The Family Stone (2013)

Baby

Gal Costa & Caetano Veloso (1968)

Subterranean Homesick Blues

Bob Dylan (1965)

Hold On, I'm Comin'

Sam & Dave (1966)

Suspicious Minds

Elvis Presley & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2016)

Down By the River

Neil Young & Crazy Horse (1977)

You Can't Always Get What You Want (Live)

The Rolling Stones (1977)

Crying

Roy Orbison (2008)

The Tracks of My Tears (Re-Recorded)

The Miracles (2005)

You Really Got Me

The Kinks (1964)

1969

The Stooges (1969)

Substitute

The Who (1996)

River Man (Take 1, 4th January 1969)

Nick Drake (2025)

Yoo Doo Right (3p Mix)

Can (1996)

Mrs. Robinson

Simon & Garfunkel (1968)

Cupid

Sam Cooke (1962)

Give Him a Great Big Kiss

The Shangri-Las (1997)

Pressure Drop

The Maytals (1968)

Care of Cell 44 (Mono Remastered)

The Zombies (1968)

All Along the Watchtower

The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)

It's Your Thing (Live)

The Isley Brothers (1993)

See Emily Play

Pink Floyd (1967)

Everyday People

Ann Wilson & Sly Stone (2011)

Mama Tried

Merle Haggard (1994)

21st Century Schizoid Man

King Crimson (2006)

America

Simon & Garfunkel (1968)

007 (Shanty Town)

Desmond Dekker & The Aces (1965)

Visions of Johanna

Bob Dylan (1966)

One

Harry Nilsson (1968)

Eight Miles High

The Byrds (1966)

It's the Same Old Song

Four Tops (1965)

I Was Made To Love Her

Stevie Wonder (1967)

Friday On My Mind

The Easybeats (1965)

These Boots Are Made for Walkin'

Nancy Sinatra (2021)

Victoria (In Concert at The Hippodrome Theatre, 1974)

The Kinks (2001)

White Rabbit

Jefferson Airplane (1967)

Stand By Me

Ben E. King (1962)

Oscillations

Silver Apples (1968)

96 Tears

? and The Mysterians (1966)

Wichita Lineman

Glen Campbell (1968)

I Fall To Pieces (feat. The Jordanaires)

Patsy Cline (1961)

I Hear a Symphony

The Supremes (1966)

Venus In Furs

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

Shhh / Peaceful (LP Mix)

Miles Davis (1969)

What Is and What Should Never Be

Led Zeppelin (1969)

She Thinks I Still Care

George Jones (1959)

For What It's Worth

Buffalo Springfield (1966)

My Favorite Things

John Coltrane Quartet (1960)

I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better

The Byrds (2006)

What a Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong (1968)

I'm a Believer

The Monkees (1967)

Shangri-La (Stereo Mix)

The Kinks (1969)

Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Jimi Hendrix (1996)

Iko Iko

The Dixie Cups (1998)

Unchained Melody

The Righteous Brothers (2009)

People Get Ready

The Impressions (1997)

Season of the Witch

Donovan (1966)

Baby Love

The Supremes (1964)

A Whiter Shade of Pale (Live at Leicester University, 1975)

Procol Harum (1975)

Big Louise

Scott Walker (1969)

Ode To Billie Joe

Bobbie Gentry (1967)

Stand By Your Man

Tammy Wynette (1968)

In C

Terry Riley & Members of the Creative & Performing Arts at SUNY-Buffalo (1999)

Sinnerman (Live In New York/1965)

Nina Simone (1965)

Sister Ray

The Velvet Underground (1995)

Tighten Up, Pt. 1 (LP Version)

The Drells & Archie Bell (1968)

It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

Bob Dylan (1965)

The Human Abstract

David Axelrod (1969)

Never My Love

The Association (1967)

Stay With Me (Mono Single Version)

Lorraine Ellison (2006)

Louie Louie

The Kingsmen (1990)

Bad Moon Rising

Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

Fist City

Loretta Lynn (1968)

Do Right Woman, Do Right Man

Aretha Franklin (1967)

The First Cut Is The Deepest

P.P. Arnold (1967)

Astronomy Domine

Pink Floyd (1967)

A Minha Menina

Os Mutantes (1968)

I Can See for Miles

The Who (1970)

Caledonia

Cromagnon (1969)

It Was a Very Good Year (Live At The Sands Hotel And Casino/1966)

Frank Sinatra (1965)

Monk Time

The Monks (2009)

Nothing but a Heartache

The Flirtations (2015)

Different Drum

Stone Poneys (1966)

Ghosts

Albert Ayler (1967)

Tous les garçons et les filles (Slow)

Françoise Hardy (1962)

Sweet Caroline (Live At Madison Square Garden / 2008)

Neil Diamond (2009)

Here I Go Again

Archie Bell & The Drells (1968)

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Darlene Love (1963)

Don't Come Home a-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn (1966)

Kick Out the Jams

MC5 (1969)

Egyptian Shumba

The Tammys (1964)

I've Been Loving You Too Long

Otis Redding (1965)

Armée guinéenne

Bembeya Jazz National (1967)

Beyond the Sea

Bobby Darin (1959)

Get Ready

The Temptations (2005)

Bus Stop (1997 Remastered Version)

The Hollies (1997)

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (Stereo Version)

The Walker Brothers (1965)

Debora (Live in London 1969)

Tyrannosaurus Rex (2005)

Strychnine

The Sonics (1964)

So Long, Marianne

Leonard Cohen (1967)

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live)

Cannonball Adderley Quintet (2013)

I'm Still in Love With You

Alton Ellis (1966)

Build Me up Buttercup

The Foundations (1967)

Night Train (Live At the Apollo Theater/1962)

James Brown & The Famous Flames (2012)

Time Is On My Side

Irma Thomas (2004)

Track A - Solo Dancer (Stop! Look! And Listen, Sinner Jim Whitney!)

Charles Mingus (1962)

Walk On By

Dionne Warwick (1964)

Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair (Live)

Nina Simone (1958)

Sunny Afternoon (2023 Remaster)

The Kinks (2023)