World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
3 Top 10 Hits From 1969 That Every 60s Kid Alive Still Remembers Today
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising”, Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” and The Guess Who’s “These Eyes” were all Top 10 hits in 1969. The article revisits the songs’ origins and lasting familiarity, showing how different musical styles from the decade’s end reached broad audiences.
John Fogerty drew inspiration for “Bad Moon Rising” from a hurricane scene in the 1941 film *The Devil and Daniel Webster*. Wonder co-wrote “My Cherie Amour” with Henry Cosby and Sylvia May; it was the most successful single from its album. Randy Bachman first began The Guess Who’s “These Eyes” as “These Arms” before Burton Cummings changed the title, and it became the Canadian band’s first US Top 10 hit.
In short
- Three 1969 Top 10 hits remain familiar songs.
- Fogerty found inspiration in a 1941 film.
- “These Eyes” was The Guess Who’s first US Top 10 hit.
Explained simply
In 1969, popular music in the US and Canada included rock, soul and pop, and songs could reach large audiences through radio and record sales. The three tracks in this story came from different artists: Creedence Clearwater Revival, a US rock band; Stevie Wonder, an American singer and songwriter; and The Guess Who, a Canadian rock band.
Their origins also differed. John Fogerty took the idea for “Bad Moon Rising” from a hurricane scene in a 1941 film, while Wonder wrote “My Cherie Amour” with Henry Cosby and Sylvia May. Randy Bachman began “These Eyes” under another title, and bandmate Burton Cummings helped shape the song that became The Guess Who’s first US Top 10 hit.