This American Songwriter piece revisits four songs from 1962 that it says helped lay the foundations of modern rock music, arguing that baby boomers will instantly recognise them as touchstones of the genre's early evolution. The article frames the year as pivotal, noting that the guitar-driven, rhythmically powerful style pioneered then went on to shape countless rock sub-genres in subsequent decades.

The selections include The Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do", released that October and marking the start of the band's global rise; the instrumental "Green Onions" by Booker T. & The MGs, built around Booker T. Jones's Hammond organ and Steve Cropper's guitar; The Isley Brothers' original version of "Twist And Shout", which reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 a year before The Beatles' cover; and "Misirlou" by Dick Dale And The Del-Tones, an electric-guitar reworking of a melody with roots in Arabic, Greek and Jewish musical traditions dating back to the 1920s.

– The Beatles' "Love Me Do" (October 1962) marked their breakthrough single
– Booker T. & The MGs' instrumental "Green Onions" showcased Hammond organ and guitar
– The Isley Brothers' original "Twist And Shout" hit No. 2 on the R&B chart
– Dick Dale's "Misirlou" reimagined a decades-old melody with driving electric guitar