The core memories we develop in our younger years are inevitably colored by the music we were listening to at the time. Pop music inherently speaks to the general zeitgeist of any given year, helping define the feelings, motivations, and goals of a particular generation by reflecting these qualities in the Top 40 hits of the day. Baby boomers had a wellspring of incredible music to which they could make their younger selves’ core memories, including these five songs from 1967.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli helped define the sound of the late 1960s both as a solo artist and as a member of The Four Seasons. One of his most ubiquitous solo singles was “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, which he released in 1967. Whether you were a baby boomer who was madly in love in the late 1960s or someone who just listened to a lot of radio, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was practically inescapable in the summer of 1967.
“For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield’s 1967 hit “For What It’s Worth” spoke to a greater cultural shift that was taking place across the country that year. The younger generation was starting to speak their minds and push back against authority figures that seemed to stifle free expression, free love, and free thinking. When Stephen Stills sang the words “I think it’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound, everybody look what’s goin’ down,” seemingly every baby boomer did just that.
“Somebody To Love” by Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane might have been foundational in the San Francisco scene, but their influence on rock ‘n’ roll reached all corners of the United States. The Great Society (what would later become Jefferson Airplane) first put out “Somebody To Love” in 1966. Jefferson Airplane released another rendition in 1967, and this time, it achieved national success. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving baby boomers everywhere the perfect soundtrack to the Summer of Love.
“San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” by Scott McKenzie
Speaking of the West Coast and the Summer of Love, Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” was a sonic calling card for both. While not every baby boomer made the trek to California in 1967, many did, and those who didn’t often fantasized about what their lives might look like if they could. Songs like McKenzie’s helped solidify the idea of a free-loving city full of like-minded people in an iconically romantic way, serving as the soundtrack to many baby boomers’ daydreams.
“I’m A Believer” by The Monkees
Whether the core memory had to do with watching The Monkees on television or an experience outside of the realm of television and radio, virtually every baby boomer will travel back in time to the late 1960s when they hear “I’m A Believer”. The Monkees’ version of Neil Diamond’s original was a global smash hit, topping the charts in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, throughout Europe, in South Africa, and Australia.
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