The 1960s were an inspiring decade. You could feel it in the music. You could feel the supercharged energy, the urgency, and the necessity to do more. You could feel the change in every chorus, the progress in every chord progression. And that’s just what we wanted to explore below. We wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that remain impactful. Indeed, these are three rock songs from the 1960s that can’t help but inspire you to write more.
“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane from ‘Surrealistic Pillow’ (1967)
Jefferson Airplane lead vocalist Grace Slick can fill up a room in an instant. Her voice and the passion behind it are engulfing, enveloping. And when you’re around that kind of power and talent, you can’t help but feel inspired. You can’t help but feel like you’re levitating a little bit off the ground. But then when you dive into Jefferson Airplane’s signature song “White Rabbit”, you may even feel a little more moved. That’s what can happen when you realize the epic, psychedelic rock song is based on the familiar story of Alice running through Wonderland.
“Yesterday” by The Beatles from ‘Help!’ (1965)
Could a song be any simpler? Indeed, on “Yesterday”, Paul McCartney sings sweetly with his acoustic guitar. There is no adornment, no gilding the lily. Just Sir Paul and his six-string. If that’s not inspiring, we don’t know what is! McCartney said this tune came to him in a dream. And while we all can’t be so lucky all the time, we can sit back and think about how a great tune is likely lodged somewhere in our subconscious. All we have to do is access it and sing.
“Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones from ‘Aftermath’ (1966)
When you hear a certain song that gives off a certain feeling, you know you have to pay attention. And that’s just what “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones does for many music fans. The tune is unique. It feels unlike anything else. But isn’t that the point? Isn’t that what we want from our artists? Don’t we want something that stands out among the rest? Yes, yes, yes! And that’s also what we should ask of ourselves. Go ahead, believe in your ability. You have a song to share with the world as unique as this one!
Photo by David Farrell/Redferns
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