Some of these are so iconic, you probably know them even if you weren’t raised on the sounds of the 60s. Here are some No. 1 hit lyrics from 1969 that every kid from that era will remember.
“Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies
“Sugar, ah, honey, honey / You are my candy girl / And you’ve got me wanting you.”
This song was written for The Archie Show TV cartoon, which featured an animated band playing real songs. The Archies remained popular, especially with younger kids, from 1968 to 1973. This song in particular was written for younger children, which explains why the whole song is about candy and sweets.
“Come Together” by The Beatles
“He say, ‘I know you, you know me’ / One thing I can tell you is you got to be free.”
This one was originally written for a political campaign, and you can totally tell. “Come Together”, much like other songs in The Beatles’ catalog, contains a simple yet effective refrain. This is reminiscent of songs like “Let It Be” and “All You Need Is Love” as well. Some of the lyrics in the verses are kind of weird, though. Just take the second verse for example. “Shoeshine,” “Toe-jam football,” and “Monkey finger” aren’t words commonly found in our vocabulary. But hey, I guess they were for John Lennon.
“I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5
“Oh, baby, give me one more chance (to show you that I love you) / Won’t you please let me back in your heart?”
“I Want You Back” was the first of many No. 1 hits for The Jackson 5 and the first of their songs to be released by Motown Records. Featuring lead vocals by an 11-year-old Michael Jackson, this song was bound for chart dominance. The success of songs like “ABC” and “I’ll Be There” would quickly follow in 1970.
“Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones
“It’s the honky-tonk women / That gimme, gimme, gimme the honky-tonk blues.”
They say that country music is back in style now, but I guess the idea of a cowgirl dancing around in a bar was music to mainstream ears back in the late 60s, too. “Honky Tonk Women” really just starts with a cowbell and a dream, but that was enough to keep it on the UK chart for 17 weeks and get it to top the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks.
Photo by: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The post 4 No. 1 Hit Songs From 1969 With Lyrics That Every 60s Kid Remembers appeared first on American Songwriter.