There are a lot of songs here that have become novelty songs, mostly because they are immediately identifiable and have been used so much in other contexts. I've talked about this a lot, but it's harder to remember, simply because the songs are so old, a time when "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" or "Hit the Road Jack" were not attached to Disney movies and cracker commercials (or whatever). Or for that matter, "Runaway," "Barbara Ann," "She Thinks I Still Care," Please Mr. Postman," "Michael," Stand By Me," "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You," or the fantastic "Crazy." All of them have been run into the ground to varying success, but divorced from everything they stand up remarkably well, which is the best thing I've discovered from making these mixes. When you take these songs at face value, it's easy to see why they were so successful in their time.

There are some great lesser-known songs here too though. Bobby Blue Bland was a great singer who has been unjustly forgotten by the majority of the population, and "Big Boss Man" may be the best blues song represented on these mixes.

Then there is "At Last," one of the best songs ever and truly deserving of its place at the end of this mix. Hope you enjoy.

Download the mix here.

1. The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Tokens - 2:39
2. Runaround Sue - Dion - 2:34
3. Hit the Road Jack - Ray Charles - 2:01
4. Runaway - Del Shannon - 2:19
5. Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis - 2:35
6. Blue Moon - Marcels - 2:15
7. Barbara-Ann - The Regents - 2:16
8. Hello Mary Lou - Ricky Nelson - 2:19
9. Mother-in-law - Ernie K-Doe - 2:36
10. Turn On Your Love Light - Bobby Blue Bland - 2:38
11. Hideaway - Freddy King - 2:36
12. Rainin' In My Heart - Slim Harpo - 2:34
13. Big Boss Man - Jimmy Reed - 2:51
14. Hello Walls - Faron Young - 2:24
15. She Thinks I Still Care - George Jones - 2:35
16. My True Story - The Jive Five - 2:34
17. I Like It Like That - Chris Kenner - 1:58
18. Take Good Care Of My Baby - Bobby Vee - 2:38
19. It Will Stand - The Showmen - 2:25
20. Quarter To Three - Gary U.S. Bonds - 2:30
21. Let's Go Trippin' - Dick Dale & His Del Tones - 2:10
22. It's Gonna Work Out Fine - Ike & Tina Turner - 3:04
23. I Don't Want To Take A Chance - Mary Wells - 2:49
24. Mama Said - The Shirelles - 2:11
25. Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes - 2:30
26. Gypsy Woman - Curtis Mayfield And The Impressions - 2:20
27. Michael (Row the Boat Ashore) - The Highwaymen - 2:45
28. I Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis Presley - 3:05
29. Crazy - Patsy Cline - 2:43
30. Stand By Me - Ben E. King - 2:54
31. At Last - Etta James - 2:58

Girl groups and ballads were dominant in the early 60s, since it was basically still the stereotypical 50s in America. There were some great songs within that mold though, and black groups were starting to have crossover hits of their own (The Exciters' "Tell Him" is a fantastic example), which would pave the way for Motown to really break through (they have a few classics here already with songs like "Two Lovers" and "You Really Got a Hold On Me"). You've heard most of these songs on your oldies stations, but listening to them as if they were new displays their progressive production and their influential melodies. Like it or not, a lot of your favorite rock and roll came from this music, and while it was cool at the time (and it still is now) to mention blues greats and early R&B favorites, this was the unavoidable music, and it's easy to see how The Beatles first big single, "Love Me Do" can sit right next to them in a mix and seem like little more than a British take on the style of the time.

Enjoy the mix, I'm almost done here, can't believe it's been more than 40 weeks... By the way, if anyone has any suggestions as to what I should do with the site once I'm finished, let me know in the comments section. Thanks!

Download the mix here.

1. Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) - Contours - 2:54
2. Tell Him - The Exciters - 2:39
3. Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares - 2:21
4. He's a Rebel - The Crystals - 2:26
5. The Loco-motion - Little Eva - 2:25
6. Let Me In - Sensations - 3:06
7. Big Girls Don't Cry - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - 2:23
8. Wah-Watusi - Orlons - 2:30
9. Don't Make Me Over - Dionne Warwick - 3:23
10. Stop The Wedding - Etta James - 2:51
11. You Really Got a Hold On Me - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - 2:58
12. Up on the Roof - Drifters - 2:40
13. Two Lovers - Mary Wells - 2:48
14. Cry To Me - Solomon Burke - 2:36
15. Twisting The Night Away - Sam Cooke - 2:43
16. Telstar - The Tornados - 3:20
17. Green Onions - Booker T and the MG's - 2:55
18. Boom Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker - 2:33
19. Backdoor Man - Howlin' Wolf - 2:49
20. Desafinado - Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd - 5:47
21. I Left My Heart In San Francisco - Tony Bennett - 2:51
22. If I Had a Hammer - Peter, Paul, and Mary - 2:11
23. I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles - 4:14
24. She's Got You - Patsy Cline - 3:00
25. Love Letters - Ketty Lester - 2:36
26. Roses Are Red (My Love) - Bobby Vinton - 2:39
27. Love Me Do - The Beatles - 2:24

Girl groups and ballads were dominant in the early 60s, since it was basically still the stereotypical 50s in America. There were some great songs within that mold though, and black groups were starting to have crossover hits of their own (The Exciters' "Tell Him" is a fantastic example), which would pave the way for Motown to really break through (they have a few classics here already with songs like "Two Lovers" and "You Really Got a Hold On Me"). You've heard most of these songs on your oldies stations, but listening to them as if they were new displays their progressive production and their influential melodies. Like it or not, a lot of your favorite rock and roll came from this music, and while it was cool at the time (and it still is now) to mention blues greats and early R&B favorites, this was the unavoidable music, and it's easy to see how The Beatles first big single, "Love Me Do" can sit right next to them in a mix and seem like little more than a British take on the style of the time.

Enjoy the mix, I'm almost done here, can't believe it's been more than 40 weeks... By the way, if anyone has any suggestions as to what I should do with the site once I'm finished, let me know in the comments section. Thanks!

Download the mix here.

1. Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) - Contours - 2:54
2. Tell Him - The Exciters - 2:39
3. Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares - 2:21
4. He's a Rebel - The Crystals - 2:26
5. The Loco-motion - Little Eva - 2:25
6. Let Me In - Sensations - 3:06
7. Big Girls Don't Cry - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - 2:23
8. Wah-Watusi - Orlons - 2:30
9. Don't Make Me Over - Dionne Warwick - 3:23
10. Stop The Wedding - Etta James - 2:51
11. You Really Got a Hold On Me - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - 2:58
12. Up on the Roof - Drifters - 2:40
13. Two Lovers - Mary Wells - 2:48
14. Cry To Me - Solomon Burke - 2:36
15. Twisting The Night Away - Sam Cooke - 2:43
16. Telstar - The Tornados - 3:20
17. Green Onions - Booker T and the MG's - 2:55
18. Boom Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker - 2:33
19. Backdoor Man - Howlin' Wolf - 2:49
20. Desafinado - Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd - 5:47
21. I Left My Heart In San Francisco - Tony Bennett - 2:51
22. If I Had a Hammer - Peter, Paul, and Mary - 2:11
23. I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles - 4:14
24. She's Got You - Patsy Cline - 3:00
25. Love Letters - Ketty Lester - 2:36
26. Roses Are Red (My Love) - Bobby Vinton - 2:39
27. Love Me Do - The Beatles - 2:24

A long time ago, artists had very little control over their music, people rarely put out full albums, and so songs were never more than three and a half minutes (let’s ignore Jazz, it just wanted to be respectable). Hell, most songs were two minutes long. No extended dance mix, no five minute guitar solos; get in, get out, get paid. So instead of ending up with a mix like 1991 with 16 songs, or even the average 19 or 20, 1963 has a whopping 29 songs on it.

Fortunately, there is more than enough to fill up 80 minutes. "Please Please Me" was the first Great Beatles Song, Phil Spector started to show his talents, and "Louie Louie" was investigated by the FBI on suspicion of indecency. Then there's the surfing trend, big while the Beach Boys were still a trend (where is the Surfaris' Pet Sounds?).

There are so many movements here it is hard to keep track of them. Girl groups, folk hits, Motown, Pop Vocals, and The Singing Nun all in one year. Crazy stuff.

Download here.

1. Louie Louie - Kingsmen - 2:46
2. Please Please Me - The Beatles - 2:04
3. Be My Baby - The Ronettes - 2:39
4. Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals - 2:35
5. He's So Fine - The Chiffons - 1:54
6. Denise - Randy & the Rainbows - 1:59
7. Heat Wave - Martha and the Vandellas - 2:47
8. Wipe Out - Surfaris - 2:37
9. Surfing USA - Beach Boys - 2:28
10. Pipeline - Chantays - 2:20
11. Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash - 2:33
12. Six Days On The Road - Dave Dudley - 2:23
13. Act Naturally - Buck Owens - 2:21
14. On Broadway - The Drifters - 3:06
15. I Will Follow Him - Little Peggy March - 2:29
16. It's My Party - Lesley Gore - 2:22
17. My Boyfriends Back - The Angels - 2:39
18. South Street - The Orlons - 2:14
19. Pushover - Etta James - 2:57
20. Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke - 2:25
21. Fingertips Part 2 - Little Stevie Wonder - 3:12
22. The Girl from Ipanema - Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto - 5:24
23. Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan - 2:48
24. We Shall Overcome - Joan Baez - 3:37
25. Puff the Magic Dragon - Peter, Paul & Mary - 3:26
26. Dominique - The Singing Nun - 2:56
27. The End Of The World - Skeeter Davis - 2:37
28. Blue Velvet - Bobby Vinton - 2:51
29. Danke Shoen - Wayne Newton - 2:36

Beatlemania was at its peak in 1964, but don't let that make you think that there wasn't other music at the time. Of course there were those other great 60s rock bands: the Kinks, the Zombies, and the Rolling Stones all had some of their biggest early hits. But there was also strong soul and pop at the time. I love Dave Clark Five's "Because" way more than "Glad All Over," so I included the former, and the Beach Boys were still making summery pop at the time with "I Get Around." On that soul tip, there's the Supmeres, The Four Tops, and Dionne Warwick's version of "Walk On By," which was also performed by Isaac Hayes in 1969; it's one of the few songs included twice (on purpose).

Closing out the mix are three great socially relevant songs. There's "A Change is Gonna Come," by the legendary Sam Cooke (I prefer Otis's version, but that's just me), followed by "The Times They Are A Changing," which is an obviously political song, no matter what Dylan says these days. Finally, I included a live recording of Where Have All the Flowers Gone," a classic folk song that saw a revitalization at the beginning of "the 60s" which '64 really was in a lot of ways, considering Kennedy had been killed the November before, and Vietnam was escalating. It was also the year of the Daisy ad, so nuclear war was certainly on the minds of Americans.

Anyway, I won't run my mouth (too much) this week and instead just let you enjoy the mix.

Download here.

1. A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles - 2:39
2. You Really Got Me - The Kinks - 2:16
3. House of the Rising Sun - Animals - 4:31
4. She's Not There - Zombies - 2:25
5. Where Did Our Love Go - Diana Ross and the Supremes - 2:31
6. Baby I Need Your Lovin - Four Tops - 2:46
7. Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes - 2:32
8. Remember (Walking In The Sand) - Shangri-Las - 2:19
9. Time Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones - 2:55
10. Because - Dave Clark Five - 2:23
11. I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermits - 2:29
12. I Get Around - Beach Boys - 2:13
13. Who Do You Love - The Sapphires - 2:44
14. Walk On By - Dionne Warwick - 2:57
15. Wishin' And Hopin' - Dusty Springfield - 2:55
16. Under the Boardwalk - Drifters - 2:41
17. Downtown - Petula Clark - 3:11
18. Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley - 2:21
19. Um Um Um Um Um Um - Major Lance - 2:21
20. Walking In The Rain (stereo) - Ronettes - 3:20
21. The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations - 2:43
22. What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am) - Tams - 2:01
23. Dancing In the Streets - Martha and the Vandellas - 2:38
24. My Guy - Mary Wells - 2:54
25. Stay With Me Baby - Lorraine Ellison - 3:32
26. A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke - 3:14
27. Times They Are a Changing - Bob Dylan - 3:12
28. Where Have All The Flowers Gone - Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger - 4:20

1965

I wonder if Roger Daltrey regrets singing "hope I die before I get old." My guess is no, considering the fact that his life has turned out pretty well since that fateful line made its way into rock history. Perhaps if it had been sung with any irony, with a slight wink at the naivete of youth, I might be able to forgive the currently depressing "Who" tour, not to mention the never ending disappointment that is The Rolling Stones (and here's "Satisfaction," that could have been sung at the first Super Bowl). But then if you didn't believe he honestly wanted to die, would it have had the same impact? Part of the appeal of rock n roll is that the artists throw themselves so completely into their work (probably the reason why The Killers and She Wants Revenge and The Darkness are so shitty, ironic removal from your music has never worked). Unfortunately for rock stars, it is also what makes it so embarrassing to get older, kind of a more unforgiving "I Can't Believe I Wore That."

But then, why does it not seem as depressing for James Brown to hop around at 70? "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" has just as much rebellious youth in it as "Satisfaction," but somewhere along the line Rock became music for young people. Most likely it is because old white men are the status quo, they look like the establishment, and there's no amount of weird spiky haircuts, tightly fitting t-shirts, and tattoos that can cover up this fact. Though it is infinitely more pleasurable to watch Mick Jagger jump around on stage than to watch Brian Wilson be handed a guitar by three people that he can't even really manage to play himself, the middle ground is to simply get older and display that in your art. To reference another artist that had one of his best songs in '65, even if Paul Simon is starting to resemble Dr. Evil, at least he appears to be writing about things that matter to people his age (though he had a head start - he never would have made any assertion about younger being better in the first place). There's only so much you can do to maintain a genre as fleeting as rock n roll. And that's what makes it so fucking great.

One last thing, check out the Shangri-Las, the greatest girl group ever, for some dark, awesome pop. There's more of them to come as rock fades away and early 60s pop comes into stronger focus in the early 60s.

Download the mix here.

1. My Generation - The Who - 3:17
2. Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan - 6:09
3. Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones - 3:46
4. Shotgun - Junior Walker & The All Stars - 3:04
5. Papas Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown - 4:19
6. Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds - 2:22
7. Gloria - Them - 2:41
8. California Dreaming - Mamas and the Papas - 2:41
9. We Can Work It Out - The Beatles - 2:15
10. Uptight (Everything Is Alright) - Stevie Wonder - 2:54
11. California Girls - Beach Boys - 2:35
12. I Can Never Go Home Anymore - Shangri-Las - 3:12
13. The Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - 2:55
14. It's The Same Old Song - Four Tops - 2:49
15. In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett - 2:30
16. Keep On Running - Spencer Davis Group - 2:43
17. Ain't That Peculiar - Marvin Gaye - 3:00
18. My Girl - The Temptations - 2:45
19. We Gotta Get Out of this Place - The Animals - 3:16
20. For Your Love - Yardbirds - 2:31
21. See My Friends - The Kinks - 2:48
22. Flowers On The Wall - The Statler Brothers - 2:25
23. King of the Road - Roger Miller - 2:27
24. I've Been Loving You Too Long - Otis Redding - 2:57
25. The Sounds of Silence - Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel - 3:06
26. It Was A Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra - 4:28