the best songs of 1969

Howdy folks. I’m starting this new phase with a blog post and it’s a fun one. Here are fifteen of my favorite (pop/rock) songs from 1969. It was the year of Woodstock (fun!) and Altamont (not fun!), the first lunar landing and the first episode of Sesame Street, the Stonewall Riots and the inauguration of Richard Nixon. Some say the sixties ended abruptly on August 10th, with the gruesome Tate-LaBianca murders. But I promised fun! And these songs deliver, from the groovy beauty of Stevie Wonder to the glorious early-punk thrashing of the Stooges, from the deep swampy pocket of the Meters to the swinging melancholy of Nick Drake, this list has it all. Note: I did not include songs by Joni, Beatles, Who, or Zeppelin – I like them too much, or something. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite fifteen songs from 1969. Find them, listen to them, and don’t be afraid to dance!

“My Cherie Amour” – Stevie Wonder

“Hot Fun in the Summertime” – Sly and the Family Stone

“Spinning Wheel” – Blood, Sweat, and Tears

“This Girl’s in Love with You” – Dionne Warwick

“Everybody’s Talkin’” – Harry Nilsson

“Galveston” – Glen Campbell

“Cissy Strut” – The Meters

“Lay Lady Lay” – Bob Dylan

“Israelites” – Desmond Dekker and the Aces

“I Wanna Be Your Dog” – The Stooges

“Can’t Find my Way Home” – Blind Faith

“Son of a Preacher Man” – Dusty Springfield

“River Man” – Nick Drake

“Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” – Neil Young

“Something in the Air” – Thunderclap Newman

Finally, here’s me (below) with a quick basement cover of the Blind Faith tune from back in 2014. Take care everybody. 

Much love, hg