Music

60’s/70’s Music I Love

by Pooja G

The Sixties And Seventies

This is a post I have been wanting to make for such a long time now- for literally over six months lol! As some of you may know I took a course on the sixties last year/semester at university and I learnt so much amazing stuff in it. One of the things that really stood out to me was the counterculture and the music that was such a huge part of this counterculture.
I love music so much and I’m always willing to give something new a listen especially when it will get me a good grade. Since I have not really made a post about music in a while I thought I would share this one and talk about 6 of my favourite songs from the sixties and seventies.
Also, I know the class was technically supposed to be about the 60’s but we learnt a lot about the 1970’s as most of the 70’s were an extension of the 60’s counterculture and that’s why I decided to add music from both the sixties and the seventies on the list. A lot of what was created in the 70’s stemmed from what began in the 60’s.
It was so difficult to pick just six because to be honest there are so many songs that I still listen to almost daily that I haven’t mentioned on this list. Maybe I’ll write a part two some time. I picked these songs in particular because they really stood out to me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Disclaimer: For some really weird reason every music post I make gets a bunch of hate comments. If you don’t enjoy this kind of music please feel free to move on with your life and visit the thousands of other blogs out there instead of wasting your time leaving mean comments because I genuinely don’t care whether or not you agree with me. This is my blog and I will write about exactly what I want to. Thanks and have a great day! 

6. Jefferson Airplane- White Rabbit (1967)

This was the first song I learnt about from the sixties- ironically it was in a different American history class that I had taken in the same semester and we had started discussing 60’s music earlier in that class. I don’t know why I am so fascinated by this song or the look on the lead singers face but I just am. I think this song holds a special place in my heart because it was the first song from the sixties that I heard that I really got into.

5. The Beatles- Here Comes The Sun (1969)

I absolutely love this song and it’s probably one of my favourite songs by The Beatles. A little history behind it:

“Here Comes the Sun” was written at the time when Apple was getting like school, where we had to go and be businessmen: ‘Sign this’ and ‘Sign that’. Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever; by the time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided I was going to slag off Apple and I went over to Eric Clapton’s house. The relief of not having to go and see all those dopey accountants was wonderful, and I walked around the garden with one of Eric’s acoustic guitars and wrote “Here Comes the Sun.”

—George Harrison. Source: https://genius.com/The-beatles-here-comes-the-sun-lyrics
I can truly feel what he means in the song. It’s just so relaxing and calming- like an escape from all your worries and stress. Also Canadian winters aren’t the best so I also totally understand the way he feels about spring although I quite like winter so I can’t complain too much- it just gets a bit too long sometimes.

4. Joan Baez- House Of The Rising Sun (1960)

Joan Baez is a musician I did not know much about until I took a course on American history taught by the same professor who taught me about the sixties. As soon as I heard her voice I was absolutely blown away- she is so talented and can express so much emotion through her music that it really touches your heart.
The reason I picked this song in particular was because the most well known version of this song is by The Animals which I also like but this one just hits different and I definitely love this version.

3. Jimi Hendrix- Purple Haze (1970)

I definitely could not leave Jimi Hendrix out of this list. He was such a brilliant musician. I first heard this song as a teenager and I absolutely loved it. However, after taking the class and learning more about him, his music and the background behind this song I love it even more.
A little history behind the song:

“I dream a lot and I put a lot of my dreams down as songs. I wrote one called ‘First Around the Corner’ and another called ‘The Purple Haze’, which was all about a dream I had that I was walking under the sea.”

-Jimi Hendrix. Source: https://genius.com/The-jimi-hendrix-experience-purple-haze-lyrics

2. Janis Joplin- Me & Bobby McGee (1971)

Janis Joplin is probably one of my top 5 favourite musicians from the sixties. I love her voice, her music, her look and just everything about her. I actually learnt about her in quite a bit of detail in my sixties class and I found her back story really sad but also quite relatable.
We also read one of the letters she sent to her mum- she kept in touch with her family until she passed away- talking about meeting Paul McCartney and fan girling over George Harrison. It really reminded me that these people aren’t just the musicians we think they are but people too. I don’t know how to explain it but a lot of times we don’t think of famous people as “people” but at the end of the day they’re really just people like us.
The reason I picked this song in particular was because it was the first Janis Joplin song I heard- I was a teenager back then. I had just read On The Road by Jack Kerouac and I was getting into the 60’s counterculture. I thought it was really fascinating but also very inspiring. This is a bit off topic but that book really inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and every time I get anxious about trying something new I think of On The Road. For me, this song will always remind me of that book.

  1. Phil Ochs- I’m Going To Say It Now (1966)

As a university student this song really hit home and spoke to me. I think most students will be able to relate with this song because the frustrations of being a student, being forced to conform, only being taught certain things etc are still very much present in the education system.
I know that things are getting better and I am so happy about that but I don’t think we’re quite there just yet especially when it comes to education in schools- from my experience universities are much more diverse about what they teach compared to high school.
This song is probably one of my favourite songs of all time and it is definitely my favourite song from the sixties just because it’s so incredibly relatable even for a student in 2020- at least it is for me. I absolutely love Phil Ochs in general too and I love his other songs as well.

Conclusion

I know this was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to counterculture music or music from the sixties and seventies. There are so many songs I wish I could have added but I didn’t want the post to get too long. I hope you enjoyed these song and this post.

Thoughts

What kind of music do you like? Are you a fan of music from the 60’s and 70’s? Were you part of the 60’s and 70’s counterculture? If you were what were your experiences in the 60’s and 70’s like? As always let me know your thoughts in the comments section below and today I have a favour to ask- if you are a fan of this kind of music leave me some recommendations in the comments below! Thanks I really appreciate it!

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151 thoughts on “60’s/70’s Music I Love”

  3. I have not heard the Joan Baez version of the house of the rising Sun, it seemed a lot more haunting than the animals version.
    I am glad you had a Geroge Harrison written track, I heard that one of the reasons the Beatles split up was he wanted to write more songs. If you listen to his 80’s album cloud 9, very much of its time but still good, or his work with the traveling wilberys (not spelt right), which was a super group with Tom petty, Roy orbison, (just before he died), and Jef Lynn from the 70’s band ELO, which are worth looking into try Mr. Blue sky if you have not heard it, (the song was used in a Dr Who episode) that was a long winded way to mention a band to try, and I will add 10cc for good measure as well.

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    2. It’s definitely a lot more haunting- that’s what I thought when I heard it as well.
      Thank you so much for the recommendations I will be sure to check them out!!

      Reply

  7. Fabulosity. This post is a wondrous piece of superlative writing. You should really be proud of this content. Not only is it clear, your passion for music, but also your command of the written word. Thank you for the work you put into it.

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  10. Good choices. Of the 6, I saw Joan and Phil Ochs. Her voice was even more amazing live. Phil Ochs played in a small coffeehouse in Detroit and it was the best concert I ever saw. There were maybe 150 people there and of course he did I’m Going to Say it Now. He also did all the ad lib commentary between songs that you hear on his concert albums. Don’t forget your host country, Canada, had some of the best singer/songwriters of the 60s. Joni Mitchell was one of the first feminist voices. Try Morning Morgantown and For Free if you haven’t already. Plus, Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne.” And naturally Gordon Lightfoot. Try “Don Quixote.”

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    1. Wow I would have loved to see Phil Ochs in concert and I love the commentary he adds- it just makes the songs so much better. I’m a big fan of Joni Mitchell and I like Suzanne by Leonard Cohen too. I will definitely check out Gordon Lightfoot.

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  11. I’m happy to have grown up in the 60s and 70s and appreciate much of the music from those years. I like your selections. Sometimes I get frustrated, however, with radio and satellite stations playing so many of the same hits repeatedly. After all, I’ve been hearing this stuff for decades and there are so many young super talents that should get their time in the spotlight. That said, here are a couple songs I rarely hear on the radio but struck hard when I first discovered them. https://youtu.be/V2CfgWPj3ls
    https://youtu.be/GeSqBOdmcMc

    Reply

    1. It was probably a very interesting time to grow up in. Thanks so much for those recommendations I will definitely check them out! I get what you mean about radios and stuff playing the same hits. That’s kind of why I left out Bob Dylan- I like some of his songs but I’m just a bit sick of them since they are super popular when it comes to the 60’s/70’s.

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  13. I think the the 1960s when it came to music was very experimental. Artists were breaking and re-breaking the mold when it comes to musical composition. Sometime after the 1970s, I feel, music became formuliac based on what’s popular.
    Here are five artists and their best song, in my opinion of course.
    Love- Alone Again Or (from the album Forever Changes, one of the best albums of the era).
    Richard and Mimi Farina- Reno Nevada (Mimi is Joan Baez’s little sister)
    Sweetwater- Motherless Child (first band that opened Woodstock, too!)
    The Doors – Peace Frog (not the most popular of their songs, but a personal fav)

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    1. I definitely agree. The musicians in were definitely trying new things, pushing boundaries and really just going where the music took them. Popular music after that definitely has become very basic and is extremely similar.
      Thanks for the the recommendations I will definitely check out all five!

      Reply

  17. Nice, nice, nice, looks like i might check out a few Retro songs.
    I’m more of an Afrobeat-cum-Hip hop-cum-Classical music type of person 💆‍♂️❤

    Reply

      1. A lot,
        For Afrobeats, jus listen to Fireboy DML: Jealous; Wizkid: Smile; DJ Cuppy: Feel good; Burna Boy: Wonderful; Davido: Sweet in the middle.
        Hip hop is quite vast, you’ve got the popular POP music and you have rap. I’d advice you listen to Juice wrld (RIP) before progressing to the likes of Eminem, Lamar, Cole, NF etcetera
        As for the classics, I’m not all too judgy, I could stand any piece. I basically enjoy classics for study❤
        Peace ✌

        Reply

  19. I was brought up around hearing some of this stuff from my dad’s era, so the Beatles definitely dominated that. I love Here Comes the Sun, it’s so lovely and cheerful!
    Having said that, I discovered a few myself, and I think Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix are pretty amazing!
    One I’ve discovered recently is Creedence Clearwater Revival, I know they had controversy with the use of their songs but Fortunate Son is one of my favorites still.
    This one might be more 80’s, but Kate Bush is pretty amazing too, she started in the late 70’s with that influence.

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  22. My era too, I grew up with these songs. It was rock & roll talent, before MTV (80’s). I grew up in LA, would go to Hollywood to see bands like Go-Go’s, Oingo Boingo, Surf Punks @ Whiskey a go go. I was working in a store in Santa Monica when a homeless guy came in and we gave him some sunglasses, he was once the drummer in KISS. Yes, these are real people.
    One of my absolute favorites is still Elton John! I’ve seen both Elton John & Paul McCartney concerts, they’re still amazing entertainers. Paul McCartney told stories in between songs of people he knew and this 20-something girl in front of me said, “He keeps aging himself.” I thought, “Never in this girls lifetime is she going to be as talented and as cool as Paul McCartney!” & guess what? We all age, it’s inevitable.
    I feel bad for the kids breaking into this industry now, especially women. If you’re not a stripper too, you can forget it.

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    1. Wow you are really lucky to have seen them live!
      I love Elton too and Paul McCartney is definitely one of my favourite musicians. Yeah music is VERY different these days unfortunately.

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  28. what a great set of songs. I was not familiar with the Phil Ochs song, but I listened and read the lyrics, it is a wonderful song (although not sure about the reference to Mao). The 60s and 70s were my favorite musical years – it’s what I grew up with…

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    1. Thank you! Yeah quite a few people in the 60’s supported Mao- obviously not the best idea but I think it was sort of like they wanted to support communism but didn’t really know how to do so properly. The 60’s and 70’s had some amazing music.

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  29. Thank you for sharing this with your readers, Pooja! I love Here Comes the Sun, Me and My Boby McGee, and Purple Haze. I try to listen to newer songs, and there are some that I like, but I must admit I do find myself gravitating to the older music quite frequently – some songs are just timeless.

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    1. Thank you! Yeah a lot of newer music is great but I love the older stuff too- it just has so much meaning and I love the style of music from the 60’s/70’s. They were so open to new things.

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  30. Great post, Puja! I cut my teeth on those songs and so many others. I was born in ‘65, but I had an older brother and sister who introduced me to so much great music from the 60s & 70s (by the way, you MUST sample Led Zeppelin if you haven’t already). I also discovered a lot if great music via your host country through “The Big 8” CKLW radio out of Windsor. Radio was great back then.

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    1. I’m glad your siblings got you into the music! I really like Led Zepplin and yes Canada has some awesome 60’s and 70’s musicians too.

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  31. I love music from the 60s/70s – so many good ones your included here! House of the Rising Sun has such a killer build throughout & can never ever go wrong with anything from the Beatles 💜

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  34. I love 60s and 70s songs, but I listen many Italian and south American artists as well. One that come in mind right now, who sing in English could be Franck Sinistra. You may probably know him…🙃

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  36. Thanks Pooja, another super post. The 60s were my teenage years so … Abbey Road LP, my favourite track ‘Come Together’; favourite Beatles’ singles ‘Girl’, ‘Norwegian Wood’, ‘Hey Jude’; favourite musicians I still play – apart from Beatles – Kinks (So Tired, All Day, Lola), S&G (Cecilia, Only Living Boy in NY), New Vaudeville Band (go-to LPs when I’m in a bad place); Dylan (Just Like a Woman), and so much more.
    I started writing a reply two days ago … but it’s now 4 pp long and I thought I’d post it instead. I hope you’re OK with that. Also, is it OK if I give your blog a mention (as my inspiration)? 😀🎸❤
    Maz X

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much! I love all the Beatles songs you mentioned, the Kinks are amazing and I will check out the rest that you mentioned! Yes absolutely I would love to read your reply post and feel free to mention my blog!

      Reply

  39. Okay.. I’ll comment on this one. Lately I’m still into Coil and I’d normally say you’d not be interested, yet, they fit this post and your angle perfectly.
    These days I don’t tell people the genre of music I like because it’s not the same as it used to be which is “industrial”. I can go into this because Coil is actually deeply/directly linked to these counter culture things you’re into…
    Before Punk had its name a guy called it industrial music as a counter cultural response to the industrial revolution; the name stuck as part of a sub-genre even though the name punk became the umbrella term.
    First was Throbbing Gristle (not that great) which differentiated itself from punk by continuing the experimental side of the late Beatles. Throbbing Gristle ended and reformed as Psychic Tv which has many more ties to the 60’s era liberation music. (Look up Psychic TV-Just Like Arcadia; very good song)
    Coil formed from the original member Peter Christopherson of both TG and PTV when Jhonn/John Balance joined. The focus of Coil initially was of two gay men in a committed life relationship writing songs about their own subculture while also playfully expressing the idea that homosexuality was the core root of all evil in the universe. As it became more socially acceptable they moved away from it being the core focus but retained a sort of 60’s occult new age vibe to it.
    As with the 60’s beat writers, they followed William Burroughs more than the others with a lot of Aleister Crowley because they retained that social taboo element.
    Coil was also one of the first bands to break away from record labels and selling/distributing to fans directly to retain full creative control earning money through commercial jingles and video directing.
    Even though I’d initially say I’m not big on music of the 60’s and 70’s, the genre of music I primarily listen to is very much directly tied to the era and retains that same counter culture vibe. I’m an 80’s/90’s person generationally so I don’t connect well to 60’s and 70’s.. it’s still heavily influenced though..
    Even if you don’t like Coil you’d probably be very fascinated by their history in a historic context like.. they were the first band to create a charity to combat the aids epidemic and their album/video for this is permanently in the museum of modern art. It was initially banned by MTV and other outlets before being permanently added. lol
    All those members from that Throbbing Gristle band are/were intensely fascinating.

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      1. You’ve probably heard Coil if you follow my page.. I’ve been posting them for weeks being too busy to actually blog.
        If you’re into the counter/subculture stuff with music spawning from the 60’s.. there’s some wild stuff there.

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        1. Yeah I have seen some of the posts about Coil. I totally understand- I’ve been super busy too and have just been posting stuff I had written in advance.

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              1. I’m often too sleepy to really do a thorough blog lately. I’ll either bore myself to sleep or it’ll be very oddly written when it feels like a ping pong championship. lol
                I can get crabby (also) if I spend an hour on a blog and it’s readers are mostly spammers. If I’m tired I’m overly emo about dumb stuff like that. “You can’t like something you didn’t even click on to view!” haha..

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                1. Lol I so get that because when I’m sleepy I sometimes start crying or purposely pick fights so I can be mad at someone. I know it’s horrible but I am working on it.

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                  1. Haha.. I get super grumpy..
                    Annoyed about every stupid thing. Have you ever gotten so used to keeping yourself awake that you keep waking yourself up when you actually CAN sleep? I had that issue. I’ll even worry about oversleeping where I’ll randomly jolt myself up thinking I overslept to find I have 4-5 hours to go before I have to get up.
                    The worst is when I wake up a little too early but feel ready to start the day but stay in bed to have that extra 30-60 minutes of extra sleep make me sleepy the rest of the day. lol
                    Being sleepy is the worst. What’s weird about this stretch is usually I’ll be amazed how time flies. It feels like time is flying by but it hasn’t. It feels like I’ve been at my new job for a year but it’s only been like 4 months. Usually I’m so dazed I’m trying to figure out where the year went.

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                    1. Yeah I do that a lot- I keep waking myself up at random times because my brain thinks I’m supposed to be awake. It’s super annoying.
                      Going back to sleep is the worst- you feel sleepy all day and then can’t sleep all night.

                    2. The last 2 days I started using ambient/white noise apps again. They actually work really well but if it’s too often they keep me up because I get annoyed by the repetition lol..
                      Today I just feel physically tired.

                    7. So many people run blogs without blogging- have you seen those blogs that reblog stuff and never have original content?
                      Sleep well too!

                    8. Ha.. yeah, I actually try to avoid certain tags that attract those and a few others.
                      I actually forgot about the reblog spammers.

                    9. Yeah the rebloggers don’t annoy me but I don’t really follow back people who only reblog stuff and don’t have their own content. It’s kind of weird.

                    10. It’s not as weird (to me) as people who are obviously going by the new WordPress blog suggestions to gain followers only to get followers.
                      Just because they’re doing what’s initially suggested (which is common sense) all wrong. Sure, socialize and mingle so people know you exist by finding like minded people. But don’t make it obvious you’re only trying to get follows and views caring absolutely zero about what posts you like or comment on… lol
                      But yeah.. why even have a blog if it’s just reblogging? I see a lot of celebrity gossip stuff that’s just links to other articles so it’s like reblogging; that makes a little more sense because they’re probably hoping for follows to get an endorsement from actual outlets. (You still need original content.. don’t tell anybody.. it’s a secret)
                      I do random music posts but I try (with the little time I have) to explain why I’m posting/linking it. If people like it they like it, if not then they don’t. There are times when I am busy and I set aside free time to just listen to music so that’s what gets blogged.
                      I still only have a toe in the blogging pool where I don’t promote because I don’t have content worth promoting YET.. I will sometime. I go bare minimum to nothing.
                      And..
                      I don’t like something unless I’ve read it. I don’t follow people unless there’s regular blogs I like.. I try to stay genuine. My own blog is just filler until I get around to actual stuff..
                      My newest peeve is people who like things but they repeatedly unlike to quickly like again so they’re blog/avatar is always at the top of the list.

                    11. Hmm that’s a weird thing to do. I sometimes relike stuff but only because when I use my phone my like button doesn’t work properly and I have to relike stuff which is so annoying. WP needs to get its shit together.

                    12. These are usually the same people who pretty much reblog or just have no original content OR they just have a no original content that’s specific to a tag.
                      It’s rare now because the worst one isn’t active anymore; it was a web designer wanna-be. It’s possible they’re bots just running all day.
                      I’ve only had problems with follow/unfollow.

                    13. Yeah a lot of them are bots for sure. I have people follow/unfollow too but sometimes WP does it automatically which is super annoying. Some of my regular readers get removed from my following.

                    16. I’ve unfollowed people by accident scrolling on mobile actually.
                      There’s also a weird mobile lag where you can follow but it toggle’s late..
                      I have few attachments to followers because…
                      If a person likes something I’ll eventually check out their stuff. I may get consistent likes by followers UNTIL I return the follow and they cease to exist in terms of likes so they were pretty much baiting for a follower number.
                      Related to your more recent blogs; I get the vibe WP isn’t well run and has no real identity.
                      Code is complicated, I’m not referring to that. I just don’t think they have a clear business model themselves.

                    17. Yeah the mobile version does that for me as well and it’s super annoying.
                      I agree the business itself is not well run. They totally seem to ignore the needs of those using their platform which is so ironic considering the fact that they’re the reason their platform exists. They have trouble fixing even the smallest issues so with the big ones they don’t even bother trying.

                    18. Blogging is long form social media and it’s weird they’d ban functions limiting interaction.
                      It’d be humorous if you actually interacted with a bot and not an actual person.

                    19. Lol but like I’m pretty sure most of the emails/help stuff they send are just automated messages. No wonder they can’t tell the difference between a person and a bot.

  40. If you like music from the 60s/70s the Moody Blues are also pretty good though my personal favorite decade for music is the 1990s especially grunge like Seven Mary Three and alternative metal like the Deftones.

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  41. Yay! Guess I’m not the only one who loves 60s-70s music! Have you listened to “In The White Room” by Cream? It’s pretty cool, if you ask me. Oh, have you also checked out any Iron Maiden song? A majority of them deal with history based events, and they’re pretty sick!
    Hey, why not write an 80s-90s or early 2000s music posts? Would love to read about your favourite songs from these timelines

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    1. I haven’t heard “In The White Room” but I will definitely check it out! I really like Iron Maiden- they’re amazing!
      I will definitely do more music posts about music I like from different eras. Thanks for the idea!

      Reply

  44. WOW!! I don’t think I’ve heard even a single song from this list. It’s amazing that you’ve explored your choices in the music and gone beyond what’s served to us in media today.

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    1. It’s such an uplifting song! It’s part of my yoga playlist too – listening to it in the morning just makes your day so much brighter. I’m sure he loves listening to it!

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  47. This is so much fun. I just took a deep dive into this whole era, the late ’60s to early ’70s, on a post I did about counterculture comics over at my blog. You probably would enjoy that. Your post makes for a perfect soundtrack to my post.

    Reply

  49. I know “Here Comes the Son,” but none of the others! My sister was a huge Beetles fan in the 80’s, so I’m familiar with them. She also loved the Monkees! I did too. Other than that, it was mostly classical music since my mom was an opera singer and I played violin.

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  51. Hi, I love this! I was there. Had my 72 birthday Wednesday. And yes, the music was a huge part of the “cultural revolution” that took place in the 60’s; and bled into the 70’s. Maybe ‘it’ started with JFK being killed. Though there were “the Beats” – Kerouac and all. First folk music, Dylan, Biaz, etc. Then the Psychedelic SanFrancisco sound, The Jefferson Airplane, etc. Then the Laural Canyon, LA sound, Buffalo Springfield with Neil Young. Joni Mitchell. . The Doors. The Beach Boys. And don’t forget The Rolling Stones! Who are on tour now. Amazing! … Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll.
    I’ve written about it some, here on wordpress.

    Reply
  52. Pingback: My Favourite Songs (At The Moment!) - Lifesfinewhine

  53. Even though I was born in the late sixties, I’m not a big fan of the 60’s and 70’s music. I like hip hop, rock, and soft rock from the 80’s. I also like some rap especially Eminem. I also enjoy Christian music as well as most Christmas music. I’ll listen to country music if someone has it on but otherwise I rarely listen to country. Some blues and music from the 50’s I’ll listen to on occasion. Good post Pooja.

    Reply

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