My Favorite Song for Every Year, Part 1: 1955-1979

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs

Just for fun, I thought I’d do a series of posts listing my favorite songs for each year starting with 1955, when many music historians claim the so-called “rock era” began, as well as the first full year of my life, to the present. There were so many tremendously great songs, especially from about 1964 through 1973, it was a real challenge to pick just one for each year. That said, this listing will provide a sort of snapshot of my life, at least in terms of the music I’ve loved over the years. I’ve written in some detail about many of these songs in previous posts over my eight-plus years of blogging, so won’t write lengthy narratives about any of them here. Just the year, the song and the artist, followed by one sentence and the best video I could find for each one. Enjoy!

1955 ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK – Bill Haley & His Comets

Often considered to be the first big rock’n’roll hit song that set the standard for many to come.

1956 MOONGLOW & THEME FROM “PICNIC” – Morris Stoloff

A sublime melding of an old standard and the score from one of the best films of the 1950s.

1957 LITTLE DARLIN’ – The Diamonds

A rather silly, over the top song I foolishly thought would be fun to sing karaoke to back in the 1990s. Boy was I wrong, as I humiliated myself!

1958 AT THE HOP – Danny & the Juniors

Just a delightfully upbeat rock’n’roll song celebrating the joys of youth and going to a dance, that always makes me happy.

1959 MACK THE KNIFE – Bobby Darin

A great, sophisticated classic by one of the finest singers of his time.

1960 THEME FROM “A SUMMER PLACE” – Percy Faith

A bit overly sentimental and cheesy, but my favorite instrumental track of all time.

1961 RUNNING SCARED – Roy Orbison

A short, but emotionally powerful song by one of the greatest male vocalists of all time.

1962 ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK A HEART – Gene Pitney

Few songs are as overwrought as this one, but I love Gene Pitney’s heartrending vocals and the lush orchestration.

1963 BE MY BABY – The Ronettes

The Mt. Rushmore of Phil Spector’s wall of sound production, and a stellar performance by the great Ronnie Spector and Co.

1964 SHE LOVES YOU – The Beatles

An exuberant love song by the greatest band ever, and one of my all-time favorites of their many incredible songs.

1965 (I CAN’T GET NO) SATISFACTION – The Rolling Stones

Though grossly overplayed over the many years since its release, I still love this song and its biting lyrics.

1966 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ – The Mamas & The Papas

Their vocal harmonies were exceptional, the lyrics simple yet profound, and oh my, that gorgeous flute! My third-favorite song of all time.

1967 LIGHT MY FIRE – The Doors

It’s the extended album version, showcasing Ray Manzarek’s spectacular organ riff, that makes this my second-favorite song of all time.

1968 HEY JUDE – The Beatles

It goes on a bit too long, but a great song nevertheless.

1969 AQUARIUS/LET THE SUNSHINE IN – The 5th Dimension

I remember how much my mother loved both “Hey Jude” and this song by the fabulous 5th Dimension.

1970 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – Simon & Garfunkel

A stunning masterpiece that slowly builds to a stirring crescendo.

1971 IT’S TOO LATE – Carole King

An understated yet powerful song that perfectly encapsulates the painful reality of a break-up.

1972 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN – Led Zeppelin

What can I say about this monumental tour-de-force by one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time? It’s remained my favorite song for the past 50 years.

1973 DANNY’S SONG – Anne Murray

This lovely cover by Anne Murray of a sweet Kenny Loggins song just resonated with me for some reason, and I adore it.

1974 LOVE’S THEME – Love Unlimited Orchestra

I’ve always been a sucker for lush, cinematic instrumentals, and this one by Barry White and his Love Unlimited Orchestra is one of my favorites.

1975 I LOVE MUSIC – The O’Jays

The greatest Disco song ever in my opinion, by one of the finest R&B bands to come out of Philadelphia in the 1970s. It could also serve as my own theme song!

1976 LOVE HANGOVER – Diana Ross

Once again, it’s the extended version of this song by one of the greatest female vocalists of all time that makes this a favorite of mine. I can’t remember how many times I danced to this.

1977 DREAMS – Fleetwood Mac

My favorite song by one of my all-time favorite bands, “Dreams” strongly resonated with me as I went through a painful breakup at the time.

1978 STAYIN’ ALIVE – Bee Gees

Though technically not a Disco song, “Stayin’ Alive” nevertheless came to represent the entire genre and all that was both great and bad about it. That said, it’s a perfect song.

1979 DO YA THINK I’M SEXY? – Rod Stewart

I know many fans of Rod Stewart absolutely hated this song, but I loved it the moment I heard it, and never grew tired of it.

40 thoughts on “My Favorite Song for Every Year, Part 1: 1955-1979”

  2. Marc Schuster's avatar Marc Schuster

    Fun idea for a blog post, and a great list! I remember hearing “Rock Around the Clock” when it was the theme song of the first season of Happy Days. I think I just thought the song was called “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” I also saw Danny and the Juniors (though were definitely seniors by then!) many years ago when they played at the Ocean City (NJ) music pier one summer. I didn’t have a ticket and was lurking in the back of the venue when a security guard told me to leave.

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      1. Charles E Jung's avatar Charles E Jung

        Jeff, I just reviewed your top songs from 1955 to 1979 and WOW what memories it brought back. From the theme song from ” Picnic ” to ” Bridge over Troubled Waters” and so many more it is just wonderful. Also, kind of sad to think about so many of these great artists are no longer with us. It’s fun to go back in time and enjoy some happy thoughts. Thanks Jeff!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Charles E Jung's avatar Charles E Jung

        No worries, that scene from Picnic with that song in the back round was so fricking awesome! I had forgotten all about that until I heard the song again!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. H.G.O's avatar H.G.O

    What a great idea! I had heard many of the songs on this list (especially the earlier years) but had no idea what they were called or who the performers were, such as the Picnic song (I have never watched that movie). Just curious, as I always thought it was one, why isn’t “Stayin’ Alive” a disco song?

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    1. Thanks! “Picnic” is a terrific movie, and I highly recommend it. As for “Stayin’ Alive”, the Bee Gees themselves said it was not a disco song, but rather a rock song they’d written well before it came to be used in the film “Saturday Night Fever”. The beat is too fast to make it a proper dance song, and I rarely heard it played at the clubs I went to back in the late 70s.

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  10. That’s a great list and nice to see a few Canadians made the grade! I don’t think I would have the courage to attempt listing a favorite for each year. Though I know I’ve heard the name I don’t recognize that Morris Stoloff song. Looking forward to the next list!

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    1. Thank you Randy. I’ve been making lists of my favorite songs for each year for, well, years, so his was pretty easy for me. I did have to reassess my top picks for a couple of years to reflect my now more mature tastes, (for example, at one time, “Sugar, Sugar” was my favorite song of 1969).

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  11. What a fun post! Back when I was a teenage wedding DJ I played Bill Haley all the time at the start of the wedding dance so the older people could jive and then pass out. It is a song I never really tire of, regardless of how many times I hear it.

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