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6 of the Best Rock Songs Turning 60 This Year
American Songwriter has marked the 60th anniversary of six landmark rock songs first released in 1966, celebrating a year widely regarded as pivotal for the genre's evolution towards experimentation and psychedelia. The selection highlights how artists were pushing musical boundaries at the time, from unconventional instrumentation to studio innovation, and demonstrates the lasting influence these tracks have had on rock music in the decades since.
The list includes The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black", which featured sitar and castanets; The Jimi Hendrix Experience's breakthrough single "Hey Joe"; The Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping" from Revolver, notable for its reversed guitar technique; Cream's "I Feel Free"; The Troggs' chart-topping "Wild Thing"; and The Who's lighter, offbeat "Boris The Spider". Together, the songs illustrate the breadth of rock's creative output in 1966, ranging from chart-topping hits to more experimental or humorous tracks.
In short
- Six rock songs from 1966 turn 60 this year
- List includes tracks by the Stones, Hendrix, the Beatles
- 1966 marked rock's shift towards psychedelia and experimentation
Explained simply
In the mid-1960s, rock music was expanding beyond its early guitar-led sound. British and American bands experimented with new instruments, recording techniques and styles, as pop music and studio technology changed rapidly.
The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who and the Troggs were established British groups; Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience brought together musicians from Britain and the United States. Their 1966 songs ranged from familiar hits to tracks that used unusual sounds or playful ideas, reflecting the variety of rock at the time.
These recordings matter because they helped show how much could be done within a rock song. Their influence can be heard in later musicians’ use of studio effects, diverse instruments and less conventional arrangements.