Oh, to belt out a song. Is there anything better? It’s like a fine glass of wine or a satisfying meal. The act of singing your favorite song aloud with dozens or hundreds or thousands of your nearest friends is sumptuous, consuming, and delightful. But what are the best songs from the golden era of the 1960s specifically to sing along to? Well, we’re glad you asked!
Here below, we’d like to explore a trio of tunes from that era when classic rock was coming into shape, folks music and protest songs were all the rage and there was a general sense of hope, optimism, and truth imbued in the music. Indeed, these are three of the best songs from the decade of the 1960s to sing along to.
[RELATED: 6 Iconic Singers from the 1960s]
“These Boots Were Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra from Boots (1966)
The mark of a fun song to sing along to is often whether or not the chorus is catchy. And goodness gracious does this song boast a clever, catchy chorus. Singer Nancy Sinatra (daughter of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra) lays out a fashionable bit of force for anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path. She does so with glamour and style and a smile. But she does so unrelentingly. And it all comes together in a glorious 1960s pop song that is impossible not to sing as soon as it comes on, thanks also to some sticky guitar work. Offers Nancy on the song, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100,
You keep sayin’ you’ve got somethin’ for me
Somethin’ you call love but confess
You’ve been a’messin’ where you shouldn’t ‘ve been a’messin’
And now someone else is getting all your best
These boots are made for walkin’
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals from The Animals (1964)
A traditional folk song that was made famous thanks to the band The Animals on their self-titled 1964 LP, this track builds thanks to a picked guitar line that seems to lead a singer to the lyrics like a cartoon finger does to a pie cooling on the windowsill. The words seem to leap from the tongue of lead vocalist Eric Burdon, making it all look so easy for you to mimic. And on The Animals’ version of the tune, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Burdon belts,
There is a house in New Orleans
They call The Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God, I know I’m one
My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gamblin’ man
Down in New Orleans
“Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel from The Graduate (1968)
Speaking of making it look so easy, folk duo Paul Simaon and Art Garfunkel can blend their voices into such blissful harmony that it seems like everyone should be able to do it. But that of course is not the case. Still, they are such sublime singers that their songs, especially this one, seem to entreat copycats. We like to sing the Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson and the chorus opening line: Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson! This will be one Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping tune that many will continue to sing along with even centuries into the future, to be sure. And on it, Simon & Garfunkel offer,
And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Whoa, whoa, whoa
God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files
We’d like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
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