4 Unforgettable Hard Rock Hits From 1964 That Take Baby Boomers Back in Time
In 1964, hard rock was beginning to emerge from rock and roll, with some hits blending its early sound with garage rock, blues and R&B. The article looks back at four songs that hint at the harder styles their performers, and other bands, would develop later.
The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the UK charts. The Rolling Stones’ “Time Is On My Side” peaked at No. 6 in the US, while The Animals’ “I’m Crying” reached No. 19 there and No. 8 in the UK; The Pretty Things’ “Don’t Bring Me Down” made the UK top 10 and reached No. 34 in Canada.
In short
- Four 1964 hits captured hard rock in its early stages.
- “You Really Got Me” topped the UK charts.
- The songs mixed hard rock with blues, garage rock and R&B.
Explained simply
In the early 1960s, rock and roll was evolving into louder, rougher styles. Some British bands combined blues and rhythm and blues with a raw guitar sound, helping to shape what later became known as hard rock.
The Kinks, the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Pretty Things were among the British groups gaining audiences in the United States and at home. Their 1964 chart successes show how this emerging sound reached listeners, while pointing towards styles the bands and others would develop in later years.
The shift matters as part of the wider story of popular music: it helped connect the rock and roll of the 1950s with harder-edged rock that followed. These songs also capture a period when British groups were becoming prominent on both sides of the Atlantic.