The year 1964 became a pretty important year for music. Although they couldn’t have known it at the time, that year saw the release of a lot of timeless songs, which people still sing today. These are three of the best Top 10 hits from 1964, which every 60s kid alive likely still knows by heart today.
“It’s Over” by Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison wrote “It’s Over” with Bill Dees. The song is one of several consecutive singles that Orbison released that were not on an album.
“It’s Over” is actually a pretty depressing song, about trying to convince someone their relationship has permanently ended. The chorus says in part, “It breaks your heart in two, to know she’s been untrue / But oh what will you do? When she said to you / There’s someone new / We’re through / We’re through / It’s over.”
After “It’s Over”, Orbison released “Pretty Woman”, a song that remains one of his biggest hits.
“Walk On By” by Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick’s first Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Walk On By” is part of Make Way For Dionne Warwick, her third studio album. The sad song was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
“Walk On By” starts with, “If you see me walking down the street / And I start to cry each time we meet / Walk on by, walk on by.”
This song gave Warwick her first No. 1 on the R&B chart. She also received her first of 14 Grammy nominations for this song. “Walk On By” has been recorded by numerous other artists, including Melissa Manchester, who had a Top 5 hit with this song in 1990. Cyndi Lauper also puts her own spin on “Walk On By” for her 2003 At Last album.
“C’mon And Swim” by Bobby Freeman
The title track of Bobby Freeman’s fourth and final album, “C’mon And Swim” was written by Thomas Coman and Sylvester Stewart.
A song about a popular dance move, “C’mon And Swim” says in part, “Kinda like The Monkey, kinda like The Twist / Pretend you’re in the water, and you go like this / Now baby, Swim / Baby, do The Swim.”
“C’mon And Swim” is Freeman’s second and final Top 5 single. This song has been covered multiple times, including by Billy Strange and Martha And The Vandellas. Although Freeman didn’t write “C’mon And Swim”, he later said that he was the one who invented the innovative dance.
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