Yet another list

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

This time from Pitchfork magazine, it's their list of the 200 best song of the 1960s. Pretty great list in my opinion, if a little Beach Boys-centric:

1. the beach boys - god only knows
2. the jackson 5 - i want you back
3. sam cooke - a change is gonna come
4. bob dylan - like a rolling stone
5. the beatles - a day in the life
6. the ronettes - be my baby
7. the beach boys - wouldn't it be nice
8. johnny cash - folsom prison blues (live at folsom prison)
9. the who - i can't explain
10. desmond dekker - israelites
11. led zeppelin - dazed and confused
12. the rolling stones - gimme shelter
13. the band - the weight
14. the beach boys - don't worry baby
15. aretha franklin - think
16. the stooges - i wanna be your dog
17. creedence clearwater revival - fortunate son
18. the crystals - then he kissed me
19. the beatles - tomorrow never knows
20. the shangri-las - out in the streets
21. the beach boys - good vibrations
22. marvin gaye - i heard it through the grapevine
23. etta james - at last
24. the supremes - you can't hurry love
25. the rolling stones - paint it black
26. the beatles - i am the walrus
27. the velvet underground - i'm waiting for the man - 1967
28. otis redding - (sittin' on) the dock of the bay - 1968
29. the kinks - waterloo sunset - 1967
30. the shangri-las - leader of the pack - 1964
31. nico - these days - 1967
32. ennio morricone - the good, the bad and the ugly - 1966
33. james brown - it's a man's man's man's world - 1966
34. the who - the kids are alright - 1965
35. johnny cash - ring of fire - 1963
36. thirteenth floor elevators - you're gonna miss me - 1966
37. simon and garfunkel - the sound of silence - 1965
38. the meters - cissy strut - 1969
39. the rolling stones - sympathy for the devil - 1968
40. the zombies - this will be our year - 1968
41. leonard cohen - suzanne - 1968
42. the band - the night they drove old dixie down - 1969
43. vince guaraldi trio - linus and lucy - 1965
44. the supremes - where did our love go - 1964
45. dusty springfield - son of a preacher man - 1968
46. the creation - making time - 1967
47. the beatles - eleanor rigby - 1966
48. david bowie - space oddity - 1969
49. lee hazlewood - some velvet morning - 1968
50. love - alone again or - 1967
51. ike and tina turner - river deep mountain high - 1966
52. ray charles - georgia on my mind - 1960
53. led zeppelin - whole lotta love - 1969
54. the monkees - daydream believer - 1967
55. jackie wilson - (your love keeps lifting me) higher and higher - 1967
56. serge gainsbourg - bonnie and clyde - 1968
57. tommy james & the shondells - crimson and clover - 1968
58. the beatles - i want to hold your hand - 1964
59. the velvet underground - sunday morning - 1967
60. sly and the family stone - hot fun in the summertime - 1969
61. the supremes - you keep me hangin' on - 1966
62. the rolling stones - street fighting man - 1968
63. stan getz and joao gilberto - the girl from ipanema - 1963
64. del shannon - runaway - 1961
65. the mamas and the papas - california dreamin' - 1966
66. the paragons - the tide is high - 1967
67. neil young & crazy horse - cinnamon girl - 1969
68. the shirelles - will you love me tomorrow - 1960
69. dick dale & the del-tones - misirlou - 1963
70. patsy cline - crazy - 1961
71. jimi hendrix - manic depression - 1967
72. van morrison - sweet thing - 1968
73. bob dylan - don't think twice, it's all right - 1963
74. james brown - papa's got a brand new bag - 1965
75. simon and garfunkel - the boxer - 1969
76. bbc radiophonic workshop - doctor who (original theme) - 1963
77. the velvet underground - heroin - 1967
78. sly and the family stone - i want to take you higher - 1969
79. gal costa - baby - 1969
80. bob dylan - subterranean homesick blues - 1965
81. sam & dave - hold on, i'm comin' - 1966
82. elvis presley - suspicious minds - 1969
83. neil young & crazy horse - down by the river - 1967
84. the rolling stones - you can't always get what you want - 1969
85. roy orbison - crying - 1962
86. left banke - walk away renee - 1967
87. smokey robinson and the miracles - the tracks of my tears - 1965
88. the kinks - you really got me - 1964
89. the stooges - 1969 - 1969
90. the angels - my boyfriend's back - 1963
91. the who - substitute - 1966
92. nick drake - river man - 1969
93. can - yoo do right - 1969
94. simon and garfunkel - mrs. robinson - 1968
95. sam cooke - cupid - 1961
96. the shangri-las - give him a great big kiss - 1965
97. toots & the maytals - pressure drop - 1969
98. the zombies - care of cell 44 - 1968
99. jimi hendrix - all along the watchtower - 1968
100. the isley brothers - it's your thing - 1969
101. pink floyd - see emily play - 1967
102. sly and the family stone - everyday people - 1969
103. merle haggard - mama tried - 1968
104. king crimson - 21st century schizoid man - 1969
105. simon and garfunkel - america - 1968
106. desmond dekker - 007 (shanty town) - 1967
107. bob dylan - visions of johanna - 1966
108. harry nilsson - one - 1968
109. the byrds - eight miles high - 1966
110. the four tops - it's the same old song - 1965
111. stevie wonder - i was made to love her - 1968
112. steve reich - it's gonna rain (part 1) - 1965
113. steve reich - it's gonna rain (part 2) - 1965
114. the easybeats - friday on my mind - 1965
115. nancy sinatra - these boots are made for walking - 1966
116. the kinks - victoria - 1969
117. jefferson airplane - white rabbit - 1967
118. ben e. king - stand by me - 1961
119. the bobby fuller four - i fought the law - 1966
120. silver apples - oscillations - 1968
121. ? and the mysterians - 96 tears - 1966
122. glen campbell - wichita lineman - 1968
123. patsy cline - i fall to pieces - 1961
124. the supremes - i hear a symphony - 1965
125. the velvet underground - venus in furs - 1967
126. miles davis - shhh peaceful - 1969
127. led zeppelin - what is and what should never be - 1969
128. george jones - she thinks i still care - 1962
129. buffalo springfield - for what it's worth - 1967
130. fred neil - everybody's talkin' - 1968
131. john coltrane - my favorite things - 1960
132. the byrds - i'll feel a whole lot better - 1965
133. armstrong, louis - what a wonderful world - 1968
134. the monkees - i'm a believer - 1966
135. the beach boys - surf's up (solo piano version) - 1966
136. the kinks - shangri-la - 1969
137. jimi hendrix - voodoo child (slight return) - 1968
138. the dixie cups - iko iko - 1965
139. the righteous brothers - unchained melody - 1968
140. curtis mayfield and the impressions - people get ready - 1965
141. donovan - season of the witch - 1966
142. the supremes - baby love - 1964
143. procol harum - a whiter shade of pale - 1967
144. scott walker - big louise - 1969
145. bobbie gentry - ode to billie joe - 1967
146. tammy wynette - stand by your man - 1968
147. terry riley - in c - 1968
148. nina simone - sinnerman - 1964
149. the velvet underground - sister ray - 1967
150. archie bell and the drells - tighten up - 1968
151. bob dylan - it's alright, ma (i'm only bleeding) - 1965
152. david axelrod - the human abstract - 1969
153. the association - never my love - 1967
154. lorraine ellison - stay with me - 1969
155. the kingsmen - louie louie - 1963
156. creedence clearwater revival - bad moon rising - 1969
157. loretta lynn - fist city - 1968
158. aretha franklin - do right woman - do right man - 1967
159. p. p. arnold - the first cut is the deepest - 1967
160. pink floyd - astronomy domine - 1967
161. os mutantes - a minha menina - 1968
162. zombies, the - she's not there - 1964
163. the who - i can see for miles - 1967
164. cromagnon - caledonia - 1969
165. frank sinatra - it was a very good year - 1965
166. the monks - monk time - 1966
167. the flirtations - nothing but a heartache - 1969
168. linda ronstadt & the stone poneys - different drum - 1967
169. albert ayler - ghosts - 1964
170. stevie wonder - uptight (everything's alright) - 1966
171. françoise hardy - tous les garcons et les filles - 1964
172. neil diamond - sweet caroline - 1969
173. archie bell and the drells - here i go again - 1969
174. phil ochs - i ain't marching anymore - 1969
175. darlene love - christmas (baby please come home) - 1963
176. loretta lynn - don't come home a drinkin' (with lovin' on your mind) - 1967
177. mc5 - kick out the jams - 1969
178. the tammys - egyptian shumba - 1963
179. otis redding - i've been loving you too long - 1965
180. bembeya jazz national - armée guinéenne - 1969
181. the barbarians - moulty - 1965
182. france gall - laisse tomber les filles - 1964
183. patsy cline - she's got you - 1962
184. bobby darin - beyond the sea - 1960
185. james brown - mother popcorn (you got to have a mother for me) - 1969
186. the temptations - get ready - 1966
187. the hollies - bus stop - 1966
188. the walker brothers - the sun ain't gonna shine anymore - 1966
189. tyrannosaurus rex - debora - 1968
190. the sonics - strychnine - 1965
191. leonard cohen - so long, marianne - 1968
192. cannonball adderley quintet - mercy, mercy, mercy - 1966
193. alton ellis - i'm still in love with you - 1967
194. johnny cash - jackson (with june carter cash) - 1967
195. the foundations - build me up buttercup - 1968
196. james brown - night train - 1963
197. irma thomas - time is on my side - 1964
198. charles mingus - solo dancer - 1963
199. dionne warwick - walk on by - 1964
200. nina simone - black is the color of my true love's hair - 1964
201. the kinks - sunny afternoon - 1966

[miir]

36. thirteenth floor elevators - you're gonna miss me - 1966

That song is all sorts of awesome.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

19. the beatles - tomorrow never knows
29. the kinks - waterloo sunset - 1967
36. thirteenth floor elevators - you're gonna miss me - 1966
38. the meters - cissy strut - 1969
56. serge gainsbourg - bonnie and clyde - 1968
66. the paragons - the tide is high - 1967
89. the stooges - 1969 - 1969
98. the zombies - care of cell 44 - 1968
104. king crimson - 21st century schizoid man - 1969
127. led zeppelin - what is and what should never be - 1969
147. terry riley - in c - 1968
159. p. p. arnold - the first cut is the deepest - 1967
160. pink floyd - astronomy domine - 1967
189. tyrannosaurus rex - debora - 1968
196. james brown - night train - 1963
200. nina simone - black is the color of my true love's hair - 1964

all awesome and imo underrated songs. When I tell people that Tomorrow Never Knows is one of my 3 favorite Beatles songs they look at me and go 'huh? what song is that?'.

[Canelek]

I'm not a Beatles fan, but A Day in the Life fucking owns. I have a great version by late jazz guitarist Grant Green.

Others on that list such as Astronomy Domine by Floyd (they opened with this at Rose Bowl in 94) and basically anything by King Crimson are all ftw.

[Daboohk]

Guess Pitchfork sold out. I recognize most of the artists on that list.

[Winnow]

Nice to see a lot of The Kinks on that list.

[Spang]

Me too, I was tired of waiting.

[Xatrei]

Lots of good stuff there, but the order on lists like this is so debatable. "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "White Rabbit", "For What It's Worth" and "Whiter Shade of Pale" are all waaaay too low on the list, imo. Those are just the ones that jumped out as I perused the list. There is no way that any Beach Boys songs should be in the top 50, but that's just because I just can't stand them. The fact that songs like "Viola Lee Blues" or "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" are not on the list at all is just wrong. How a list like this can ignore Big Brother and The Holding Company is puzzling. No love for "Piece of My Heart" even?

[Momopi]

Way to keep the doors totally off the list. Its not like they had any good songs or anything. whatever.

[Winnow]

Way to keep the doors totally off the list. Its not like they had any good songs or anything. whatever.

You've got a point. There's some good songs on the list below:

Date ALBUMS / Singles
1967 January Break On Through (To The Other Side)
1967 January THE DOORS
1967 May Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
1967 May Light My Fire
1967 September People Are Strange
1967 October STRANGE DAYS
1968 March The Unknown Soldier
1968 July Hello I Love You
1968 July WAITING FOR THE SUN
1968 December Touch Me
1969 March Wishful Sinful
1969 June Tell All The People
1969 July THE SOFT PARADE
1969 August Runnin' Blue

[Funkmasterr]

Lots of good stuff there, but the order on lists like this is so debatable. "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "White Rabbit", "For What It's Worth" and "Whiter Shade of Pale" are all waaaay too low on the list, imo. Those are just the ones that jumped out as I perused the list. There is no way that any Beach Boys songs should be in the top 50, but that's just because I just can't stand them. The fact that songs like "Viola Lee Blues" or "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" are not on the list at all is just wrong. How a list like this can ignore Big Brother and The Holding Company is puzzling. No love for "Piece of My Heart" even?

I agree, specifically about "For what It's Worth", I love that song and I think it was one of the best, strongest songs of it's time.

[Nick]

These lists are always so retarded

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Yeah I know, we all hate lists like this because they're arbitrary - but sometimes I do think they serve a purpose. Not to establish a pecking order or anything like that, the lists have no real value as a scoring device, but to remind people of great songs they'd forgotten about.

Case in point: after seeing this list I dug out my record player and spent an evening listening to Nina Simone, King Crimson and The Meters. How's that for enlightenment?

[Nick]

Can't argue with any of those bands I see your point

[Knarlz]

Interesting list that covers a very fluid decade. but....

76. bbc radiophonic workshop - doctor who (original theme) - 1963 ??