Classic rock was enjoying a fruitful era in 1969, and lots of musicians and bands dropped beautiful ballads that year. If you were a 60s kid, I bet you still can’t get enough of the following four famous ballads. They might even get you a little emotional after all these years.
“Something” by The Beatles from ‘Abbey Road’
This is easily one of the Fab Four’s most famous ballads of their career, and it didn’t come from the band’s famed songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Rather, “Something” was penned by George Harrison, and it remains his most famous contribution to the band. “Something” is a really gorgeous love song with a soft rock vibe to it, and listeners at the time could not get enough of it. This tune made it all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969.
“The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel from ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’
Paul Simon knows his way around a ballad, and “The Boxer” is just one of many stunning examples. This folk rock ballad still gets picked apart lyrically by fans today, but fans in 1969 definitely recognized its brilliance from the get-go. “The Boxer” peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart.
“Can’t Find My Way Home” by Blind Faith from ‘Blind Faith’
Remember this little folk rock gem from Blind Faith? That supergroup was made up of rock greats Steve Winwood (Traffic), Eric Clapton (Cream), Ric Grech (Family), and Ginger Baker (Cream). “Can’t Find My Way Home” is one of their most noteworthy songs. The nostalgic tune wasn’t a big chart-topper, but it has become a bit of a retrospective favorite among fans.
“Arizona” by Mark Lindsay from ‘Arizona’
Alright, this isn’t 100% a ballad. It has its soft moments, but that anthemic chorus takes the song out of pure “ballad” territory. Still, I just had to include this song on our list of rock ballads from 1969. Even though “Arizona” is about a girl named Arizona and not the actual state, Mark Lindsay’s pop-rock delight has become something of a state song in the Southwest. And listeners at the time loved it, considering “Arizona” made it to No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart.
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