# 3 Top 40 Hits From 1969 That Stay on Repeat in My Car

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/3-top-40-hits-from-1969-that-stay-on-repeat-in-my-car/
- Published: 2026-11-02T12:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T12:39:13+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/3-top-40-hits-from-1969-that-stay-on-repeat-in-my-car/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Three late-1960s songs make the writer’s driving playlist.
- Greenbaum’s gospel-inspired song is defined by its fuzzy guitar.
- Bowie’s “Space Oddity” reached No. 15 after a 1973 reissue.

## Summary

The writer singles out three 1969-era songs that remain favourites for driving: the Beatles’ “Come Together”, Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”. The piece reflects on why each works on the road, from a memorable groove and gritty guitar sound to the chance to sing along and act out the song.

Greenbaum said gospel music inspired “Spirit in the Sky”, and its distinctive fuzzy guitar tone came from a Fender Telecaster with a built-in fuzz circuit. Bowie first released “Space Oddity” in 1969, but it did not reach the US Top 40 until its 1973 reissue, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The writer includes it anyway as a personal choice.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.