“Venus In Furs” is the surprise for me. I’m not very familiar with that track or album and clearly should be. Otherwise it’s pretty much what I already knew you loved!

I suppose I see it as, if the Beatles are the foundation of modern pop music, and the Stones probably the same for rock music, then the Velvet Underground are alternative music’s equivalent.

Great start to this and will be very interested to follow of course!

I thought Be My Baby would be your number 1, and it's a great choice - one of the best examples of the wall of sound and beautiful, heartfelt vocals. I did indeed think Here Comes the Sun would be your Beatles pick, but as good as that is, I'm very pleased to see Tomorrow Never Knows as that is in my top 5 my favourites from them as well, I'm stunned by how ahead of it's time even now and with so many innovative instruments and experiments. I'd have Eleanor Rigby as my favourite, but it's close.

3-9 are all classic songs all of which I love so I haven't got a lot to add to what you've already said, though I didn't think Stand By Me would feature here but pleased to see, the instrumental break is really beautiful and always gets me quite emotional too.

It's close between the underrated She's a Rainbow and Paint It, Black for my favourite Stones song, but the latter is rightfully acclaimed as one of their best chart toppers and the dark atmospheric tone and experimental instruments are still striking. I've always liked God Only Knows since I was young, but did appreciate it so much more in the context of the Pet Sounds album where the innovative instrumental techniques and immersive soundscape really stand out.

I'm not actually sure I've heard Venus in Furs, though I did hear a number of their songs when I did my 1001 songs to hear before you die challenge and I liked what I heard, their album is on my second album bucket list, maybe this thread can help me find some motivation to finish that x

A Whiter Shade of Pale is of course wonderful, and I'd hate to ruin it for you, but I do have to plug this as well:

I have to say I’m really jealous of some of you getting to explore the Velvet Underground back catalogue for the first time. I’d say their debut is the most consistent but all their albums are fantastic (even the live one) but in very different ways, and they all have at least one or two of my absolute favourites on them. I think my streaming figures will show I’ve listened more to them than even the Beatles in recent years. Maybe I should have sent some of their more obscure stuff into contests on BJ?!

All great songs in your top 4 that I already knew were favourites of yours. I'd initially missed where you'd written there would only be one appearance per artist, so then I was thinking it must be 'Here Comes The Sun' representing The Beatles, but I'm actually glad to see 'Tomorrow Never Knows', a mind-blowing closer to a fantastic album, which is also think is their best work. However 'California Dreamin' is my favourite of the top 4 - I first heard it when it went Top 10 in 1997 and those wonderful harmonies sounded a world away from everything else.

I've made a quick attempt at what my own top 10 for the 60s might be, again limited to one song per artist - I'm sure there are a few I've overlooked unintentionally:

1 The Beatles - Any Your Bird Can Sing [although 'Eleanor Rigby' would be very close behind]

2 Leonard Cohen - Suzanne

3 The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love

4 Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound Of Silence

5 Dionne Warwick - Walk On By

6 The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations

7 Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone

8 The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash

9 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tracks Of My Tears

10 Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

...although if that means these artists can't appear in the equivalent list for the 70s, I'd certainly take out Marvin and possibly S&G and the Stones as well, in which case 'California Dreamin' would be one of the songs to come in!

I did a top 40 of ‘60s top 40 hits when I came to the end of reviewing them all, more than 2 years ago now gah! I imagine some of my preferences will have changed slightly since.

1 Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues

2 God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

3 Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles

4 Telstar - The Tornadoes

5 I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten - Dusty Springfield

6 Theme From 'A Summer Place'- Percy Faith

7 Stand By Me - Ben E King

8 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

9 In Dreams - Roy Orbison

10 I Say A Little Prayer For You - Aretha Franklin

 

11 Something / Come Together - The Beatles

12 Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out - The Beatles

13 The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel

14 These Boots Were Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra

15 Downtown - Petula Clark

16 Only The Lonely - Roy Orbison

17 California Dreamin’ - The Mamas And The Papas

18 Space Oddity - David Bowie

19 (Sitting On )The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

20 Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto

 

21 The Carnival Is Over - The Seekers

22 Reach Out I’ll Be There - The Four Tops

23 You Really Got Me - The Kinks

24 Runaway - Del Shannon

25 Wonderful Land - The Shadows

26 Daydream Believer - The Monkees

27 End Of The World - Skeeter Davis

28 Be My Baby - The Ronettes

29 Paint It, Black - The Rolling Stones

30 Nut Rocker - B Bumble And The Stingers

 

31 Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

32 All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience

33 It’s Over - Roy Orbison

34 True Love Ways - Buddy Holly

35 Dedicated To The One I Love - The Mamas And The Papas

36 I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself - Dusty Springfield

37 Wonderful World - Sam Cooke

38 Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet

39 Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles

40 You Can’t Hurry Love - The Supremes

I think this would be my own top 10 of the 60s, but it could change on a different day:

01; The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby

02; Rolling Stones - She's a Rainbow

03; The Beach Boys - God Only Knows

04; Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

05; Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World

06; The Ronettes - Be My Baby

07; The Monkees - Daydream Believer

08; The Doors - Light My Fire

09; Otis Redding - (Sitting On) The Dock of a Bay

10; The Animals - House of the Rising Sun

Looking through my all time top 1000 chart, these were the highest placed songs from the 60s, limited to one per artist:

1. Excerpt From A Teenage Opera - Keith West

2. Watching And Waiting - The Moody Blues

3. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

4. MacArthur Park - Richard Harris

5. A Day In The Life - The Beatles

6. A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Procol Harum

7. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell

8. Blackberry Way - The Move

9. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers

10. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - The Walker Brothers

Gathering all your brilliant choices into a ‘best of the 60s’ playlist, that I’ve been wanting to motivate myself to do for ages!

1 hour ago, King Rollo said:

Looking through my all time top 1000 chart, these were the highest placed songs from the 60s, limited to one per artist:

1. Excerpt From A Teenage Opera - Keith West

Oh, the ‘Grocer Jack’ song, I haven’t heard that in years. Great choice!

Thanks so much for the comments TheSnake, Rollo, Jaz, Julian_, Chez and Jim - they're much appreciated 😊 glad these sixties picks have generally gone down well.

On 02/09/2026 at 18:55, TheSnake said:

Glad 'Stand By Me' eventually got to #1.

Me too, a #27 peak would've been criminal for this! I'm happy the public later rectified the original non-top 20 peak of 'California Dreamin' as well.

On 02/09/2026 at 19:03, King Rollo said:

That's a great top 10. My favourites from those would be 'Be My Baby', 'California Dreamin', 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' and 'God Only Knows' although I would pick 'Good Vibrations' as my favourite Beach Boys song. I wasn't sure if I knew 'Venus In Furs' but I did recognise it when I played it.

I did think you would approve of 'A White Shade Of Pale' being here! Great to see my #1 pick also amongst your highlights.

Thanks for later posting your own top 10 as well. Love the Keith West and Walker Brothers book-ends of that list!

On 02/09/2026 at 20:58, Jaz13music said:

I’ve been quickly trying to think what else might go in my favourite 60s songs, aside from the brilliant songs and artists you’ve already highlighted.

I think I’d include Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks, Itchycoo Park - The Small Faces, Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan, These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ - Nancy Sinatra, His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley, Moon River - Danny Williams, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling- Righteous Brothers, Mr Tambourine Man - Byrds, I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher, I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye, The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore - Walker Brothers, Daydream Believer - Monkeys, Baby Love - Supremes, The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

Sorry it’s such a long list, so many great songs and I got a bit carried away. I feel a playlist coming on!

Go for it, I think "I feel a playlist coming on" is my life motto!

One of my favourite playlists I've curated is a 'chilled 1960s' one and some of those songs you mentioned are on it, namely: 'Waterloo Sunset' (it pains me that I didn't have enough room for The Kinks in this countdown), 'Mr. Tambourine Man', 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore', 'Baby Love' and '(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay' 🤩

22 hours ago, Chez Wombat said:

Great start to this and will be very interested to follow of course!

I thought Be My Baby would be your number 1, and it's a great choice - one of the best examples of the wall of sound and beautiful, heartfelt vocals. I did indeed think Here Comes the Sun would be your Beatles pick, but as good as that is, I'm very pleased to see Tomorrow Never Knows as that is in my top 5 my favourites from them as well, I'm stunned by how ahead of it's time even now and with so many innovative instruments and experiments. I'd have Eleanor Rigby as my favourite, but it's close.

3-9 are all classic songs all of which I love so I haven't got a lot to add to what you've already said, though I didn't think Stand By Me would feature here but pleased to see, the instrumental break is really beautiful and always gets me quite emotional too.

It's close between the underrated She's a Rainbow and Paint It, Black for my favourite Stones song, but the latter is rightfully acclaimed as one of their best chart toppers and the dark atmospheric tone and experimental instruments are still striking. I've always liked God Only Knows since I was young, but did appreciate it so much more in the context of the Pet Sounds album where the innovative instrumental techniques and immersive soundscape really stand out.

I'm not actually sure I've heard Venus in Furs, though I did hear a number of their songs when I did my 1001 songs to hear before you die challenge and I liked what I heard, their album is on my second album bucket list, maybe this thread can help me find some motivation to finish that x

A Whiter Shade of Pale is of course wonderful, and I'd hate to ruin it for you, but I do have to plug this as well:

I'm pleased this thread has given me the opportunity to be louder about my love for 'Stand By Me'! I did place it 2nd when Jester ranked the 1987 #1s but it was a weird one to rank as it stuck out like a sore thumb against the rest of those '80s songs. That instrumental break really is a thing of beauty. 🥹

If I've tracked down the right 1001 list then it looks like 'Venus In Furs' was on there, so the curator has taste. 🤩

That video is gold

Thanks for later sharing your top 10 also! Great to see The Ronettes in there for you too. Otis Redding is my favourite of those that didn't quite make my own top 10 <3

13 hours ago, jimwatts said:

All great songs in your top 4 that I already knew were favourites of yours. I'd initially missed where you'd written there would only be one appearance per artist, so then I was thinking it must be 'Here Comes The Sun' representing The Beatles, but I'm actually glad to see 'Tomorrow Never Knows', a mind-blowing closer to a fantastic album, which is also think is their best work. However 'California Dreamin' is my favourite of the top 4 - I first heard it when it went Top 10 in 1997 and those wonderful harmonies sounded a world away from everything else.

I've made a quick attempt at what my own top 10 for the 60s might be, again limited to one song per artist - I'm sure there are a few I've overlooked unintentionally:

1 The Beatles - Any Your Bird Can Sing [although 'Eleanor Rigby' would be very close behind]

2 Leonard Cohen - Suzanne

3 The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love

4 Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound Of Silence

5 Dionne Warwick - Walk On By

6 The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations

7 Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone

8 The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash

9 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tracks Of My Tears

10 Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

...although if that means these artists can't appear in the equivalent list for the 70s, I'd certainly take out Marvin and possibly S&G and the Stones as well, in which case 'California Dreamin' would be one of the songs to come in!

Thanks for sharing your own list, love that you rate Revolver so much in general 'And Your Bird Can Sing' is one of many gems.

Good to see 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' getting a couple of shoutouts in these replies as that wasn't too far off making my own top 10.

I love 'Suzanne' as well and have you to thank for introducing it to me.

3 hours ago, Julian_ said:

I did a top 40 of ‘60s top 40 hits when I came to the end of reviewing them all, more than 2 years ago now gah! I imagine some of my preferences will have changed slightly since.

1 Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues

2 God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

3 Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles

4 Telstar - The Tornadoes

5 I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten - Dusty Springfield

6 Theme From 'A Summer Place'- Percy Faith

7 Stand By Me - Ben E King

8 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

9 In Dreams - Roy Orbison

10 I Say A Little Prayer For You - Aretha Franklin

 

11 Something / Come Together - The Beatles

12 Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out - The Beatles

13 The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel

14 These Boots Were Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra

15 Downtown - Petula Clark

16 Only The Lonely - Roy Orbison

17 California Dreamin’ - The Mamas And The Papas

18 Space Oddity - David Bowie

19 (Sitting On )The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

20 Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto

 

21 The Carnival Is Over - The Seekers

22 Reach Out I’ll Be There - The Four Tops

23 You Really Got Me - The Kinks

24 Runaway - Del Shannon

25 Wonderful Land - The Shadows

26 Daydream Believer - The Monkees

27 End Of The World - Skeeter Davis

28 Be My Baby - The Ronettes

29 Paint It, Black - The Rolling Stones

30 Nut Rocker - B Bumble And The Stingers

 

31 Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

32 All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience

33 It’s Over - Roy Orbison

34 True Love Ways - Buddy Holly

35 Dedicated To The One I Love - The Mamas And The Papas

36 I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself - Dusty Springfield

37 Wonderful World - Sam Cooke

38 Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet

39 Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles

40 You Can’t Hurry Love - The Supremes

Thanks for the reminder of your list - 'Nights In White Satin' is a fab favourite, not enough room for me but I really rate both that and 'Melancholy Man' by them.

Love the instrumental representation in your list with 'Telstar' and 'Theme From 'A Summer Place' both being top 10 😍 the latter is the very first song I loved when listening to 1960s charts from the beginning. 'Sukiyaki' some awesome non-English language representation too, which my own '60s list lacked, but may be present in other time periods...

I feel like I was a bit late to the party with 'Downtown' (maybe I needed to shake off knowing the Emma Bunton version first) but it has crept up on me so much over the years, great song.

'Space Oddity' is genius and one of my favourite Bowie songs but his appearance will have to wait for a different decade!

1970s

Next up it's time for the seventies! My dad was born this decade so I'm a step closer to existing.

The 1970s generally starts off well for me as there is some psychedelic sixties hangover. The number one hit 'Woodstock' by Matthews Southern Comfort springs to mind as an example. My interest in the chart toppers this decade begins to wane during the middle part of it, which is usually a slog during a #1s marathon. However, there is vast improvement, as the later part of the 1970s is by far my favourite portion of this time period in general. The invasion of genres such as disco and punk shakes things up well. But most of all, I like that the later years are laying a lot of ground-work for the synth-tastic '80s.

My favourite film of the 1970s is another Stanley Kubrick title, A Clockwork Orange. It is deeply disturbing yet fascinating to me from a film-making and psychological perspective. Musically, the moog synth soundtrack by Wendy Carlos feels insanely ahead of its time for 1971. Other pioneers in this field will emerge too, from Yellow Magic Orchestra to Kraftwerk. So, although this decade doesn't have my heart as much as the sixties on the whole, there's still plenty to get excited about...

#10 Blue Öyster Cult - '(Don’t Fear) The Reaper' (1976)

#09 Serge Gainsbourg - 'Cargo culte' (1971)

I gushed over the later 1970s years in that blurb but am actually starting off with tracks from the middle and early period! Cult and culte, no less. Rest assured there is still plenty from 1977-79 on the way.

American rock band Blue Öyster Cult released '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' as the lead single from their fourth album Agents of Fortune. The track was written and sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma and explores themes of eternal love, in addition to the inevitability of death. Dharma was inspired to write this after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, as he thought he might not live much longer. Instead, he is still with us today, currently 78 years old!

The romantic side of the song is trying to convey the message that love transcends death, using Romeo and Juliet as a metaphor. The storyline of the track was wrongly interpreted by some as a suicide pact but Dharma fiercely denies this. There are some intriguing lines in this song, such as the "40,000 men and women everyday" part, which has been theorised as a representation of how many people were dying daily at the time. However, this would've only been accurate for the period if the intention of repeating 40,000 three times in that verse is because it equals 120,000, as that was roughly the correct figure.

Away from the interesting lyrics, I also enjoy the production, especially the classic guitar riff and quirky cowbell addition. There are two instrumental bridges and I love the darker mood of the second one, as if the reaper has now arrived. I also enjoy the calm delivery of the vocals as they match up well with the writer's acceptance of death.

This song is a firm favourite on my Halloween playlist.

Blue Öyster Cult remain one hit wonders on the U.K. singles chart as this is their sole entry, peaking at #16.

•••

As aforementioned, Wendy Carlos was working her futuristic magic in 1971, but there was another ahead of their time musical genius who also put out an influential body of work that year.

Serge Gainsbourg had already brought a touch of the future to the Eurovision Song Contest when he wrote France Gall's 1965 winner 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son', which sounded decidedly more edgy than your average entry. Then, in 1969, he along with Jane Birkin (at the time Serge's girlfriend and later his wife) shocked yet intrigued the British public - as their steamy duet 'Je t'aime... moi non plus' was banned by the BBC, but still went to #1. I was seriously considering that for my 1960s list but decided to keep Gainsbourg for this decade instead. In 1971, he released a controversial but important body of work that would go on to inspire many well-loved artists, from Jarvis Cocker to Portishead.

This project in question was a concept album called Histoire de Melody Nelson. Like A Clockwork Orange, it's a disturbing yet intriguing piece of art. Perhaps fellow Kubrick film Lolita is a better comparison, as the story of Histoire de Melody Nelson follows a messed up tale of the middle-aged narrator's illicit romance with a 14-year-old girl called Melody Nelson, albeit portrayed by an adult Jane Birkin on the cover art and promotional films. She looks unrecognisable with her dark wig and also has rolled down jeans on to help cover up early stages of pregnancy. Perhaps it's for the best that I'm not fluent in French so I can have some disconnect from the heavy themes, as this is the first non-English language track to appear in the countdown. Never has "I can't speak French so I let the funky music do the talking" resonated so hard. Still, even without translating the lyrics, the intense delivery of Gainsbourg's spoken word vocals helps to effectively convey the darkness of the narrator's twisted mind.

This concept album follows a similar template the whole way through but the sprawling, almost 8 minute long closer 'Cargo culte' commanded my attention the most. The track is a particularly dark end to the project as Melody dies in a plane crash, so the mood is very intense, as the narrator is lamenting her death. The spoken word vocals might be an acquired taste but I find Gainsbourg's delivery captivating. Jane Birkin also turns up for a chilling line or two in character as Melody beyond the grave.

I adore the instrumental which was produced by Jean-Claude Desmarty. The ghostly choral parts and strings are incredible and so haunting. I think the bass and electric guitars shine through as well. Overall, this is remarkably ahead of its time for 1971 and feels like a precursor to trip-hop music.

I was not aware of this project until I did a deep dive into the music side of Jane Birkin's career, following her death. A particularly fun piece of information I found out when listening through everything is that her song 'Je m'appelle Jane' is sampled in the Pussycat Dolls hit 'Whatcha Think About That'. I stumbled across the Melody Nelson album while diving into her work with Serge and my mind was blown. It is revered critically and was influential for many musicians but doesn't feel that widely discussed, possibly because it's a French language project, on top of the controversial subject matter.

I sent 'Cargo culte' to the 1970s rock edition of The Best Song Contest in the World.....Ever! on this forum in 2023 and it only finished 11th out of 15 participants, but did receive points from some of the posters in this thread so far, so I shouldn't be totally alone with my appreciation of this.

I love (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. Jangly guitars and driving rhythm, it sounds like a modern indie song, very ahead of its time.

I’ve never heard Cargo Culte before, I’m afraid I wasn’t around the forum in 2023 😔, but it’s a great new discovery for me, thanks. Really atmospheric and almost sinister in sound, I’m wondering should I look up a lyric translation or is it not advisable given the subject matter?!😆

27 minutes ago, Jaz13music said:

I love (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. Jangly guitars and driving rhythm, it sounds like a modern indie song, very ahead of its time.

I’ve never heard Cargo Culte before, I’m afraid I wasn’t around the forum in 2023 😔, but it’s a great new discovery for me, thanks. Really atmospheric and almost sinister in sound, I’m wondering should I look up a lyric translation or is it not advisable given the subject matter?!😆

I forgot to mention that I was shocked when I first discovered '(Don’t Fear) The Reaper' was from 1976, I initially presumed it was an '80s song - ahead of its time for sure!

Glad 'Cargo culte' was a good discovery for you 🖤 I'd say the final line elicits an internal "eek" as one of the words translates to "minor", but overall it isn't too bad, as it's more about the plane crash element of the story.

Have just listened through your 60s picks - most of them I knew well enough anyway but for shame I'm not sure I've actually ever heard any song by The Velvet Underground before (unless they've been played at SyncTube sessions but none of their song titles really ring a bell), absolutely loved 'Venus In Furs' on first listen though so thanks for finally dragging me to check out at least one song from them in the big 2026 x The psychedelic 60s sound in general feels really timeless and a lot of these songs sound like they could come out and still feel fresh and get critical acclaim even now in a way that I'm not sure will be true for songs from the next couple of decades (although I'm sure you'll pick some good stuff so we'll see). Could easily imagine 'Venus In Furs' being on a Lankum album for example.

I'd probably go with 'I Get Around' as my favourite song from The Beach Boys but 'God Only Knows' a close second (and who could forget it providing Lorde with a top 20 appearance via her ~7 words on the BBC Music/Various Artists charity version of it xo). Agreed on 'Paint It, Black' being The Rolling Stones' best though! That along with several others on there has a real grandiose and kind of ominous vibe to it.

I think I've always loved 'Stand By Me' (wild that it charted so low originally, I wonder if it would have faded into obscurity if it wasn't revived decades later) but 'California Dreamin'' is also one for me that I think I always kind of liked but have definitely grown to appreciate more over time, excellent use of background vocals/harmonies.

Definitely a surprise to see The Beatles both not being #1 here and having a song other than 'Here Comes The Sun' - although knowing the rest of your taste 'Tomorrow Never Knows' being your favourite does actually make more sense really! I remember being amazed at how ahead of its time that sounded the first time I heard it (possibly because it's so similar to the much more contemporary 'Setting Sun' but still).

In all honesty 'Be My Baby' is probably my least favourite of these 10 songs but not to say I don't like it (obviously much love for the wall of sound production style), it just doesn't stand out as a song I might consider myself if I were to ever attempt to make a list like this, it's more like a pretty good radio / background noise song compared to everything else on there which I feel command more attention. 'Sleigh Ride' is one of my all time favourite Christmas songs though x

Shocked that 'Telstar' didn't make your top 10!

46 minutes ago, Bror said:

Have just listened through your 60s picks - most of them I knew well enough anyway but for shame I'm not sure I've actually ever heard any song by The Velvet Underground before (unless they've been played at SyncTube sessions but none of their song titles really ring a bell), absolutely loved 'Venus In Furs' on first listen though so thanks for finally dragging me to check out at least one song from them in the big 2026 x The psychedelic 60s sound in general feels really timeless and a lot of these songs sound like they could come out and still feel fresh and get critical acclaim even now in a way that I'm not sure will be true for songs from the next couple of decades (although I'm sure you'll pick some good stuff so we'll see). Could easily imagine 'Venus In Furs' being on a Lankum album for example.

I'd probably go with 'I Get Around' as my favourite song from The Beach Boys but 'God Only Knows' a close second (and who could forget it providing Lorde with a top 20 appearance via her ~7 words on the BBC Music/Various Artists charity version of it xo). Agreed on 'Paint It, Black' being The Rolling Stones' best though! That along with several others on there has a real grandiose and kind of ominous vibe to it.

I think I've always loved 'Stand By Me' (wild that it charted so low originally, I wonder if it would have faded into obscurity if it wasn't revived decades later) but 'California Dreamin'' is also one for me that I think I always kind of liked but have definitely grown to appreciate more over time, excellent use of background vocals/harmonies.

Definitely a surprise to see The Beatles both not being #1 here and having a song other than 'Here Comes The Sun' - although knowing the rest of your taste 'Tomorrow Never Knows' being your favourite does actually make more sense really! I remember being amazed at how ahead of its time that sounded the first time I heard it (possibly because it's so similar to the much more contemporary 'Setting Sun' but still).

In all honesty 'Be My Baby' is probably my least favourite of these 10 songs but not to say I don't like it (obviously much love for the wall of sound production style), it just doesn't stand out as a song I might consider myself if I were to ever attempt to make a list like this, it's more like a pretty good radio / background noise song compared to everything else on there which I feel command more attention. 'Sleigh Ride' is one of my all time favourite Christmas songs though x

Shocked that 'Telstar' didn't make your top 10!

Thanks Bré for the belated '60s thoughts! I'm over the moon that you made a good discovery out of 'Venus in Furs' 🖤 funny you should bring up Lankum when they're in the current BJSC.

'I Get Around' feels correct as your Beach Boys favourite just based on the "I'm making real good bread" lyric alone tbh 🍞

Poor brave 'Be My Baby' though even if you do still like it :'( hopefully you'll be more into some of my other #1 picks.

I'd say 'Je t'aime moi non plus' and 'Telstar' are my favourite sixties U.K. #1s that didn't quite make the top 10 - those cuts were brutal.

1970s

#08 Pink Floyd - 'Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2' (1979)

#07 Blondie - 'Heart of Glass' (1978)

Pink Floyd were not a singles band but 'Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2' was an undeniable smash, so they made their only '70s appearance on the singles chart with this, right at the end of the decade.

Floyd's eleventh studio album The Wall is a rock opera experience that follows a protagonist named Pink. 'Another Brick in the Wall' is a three part composition on the record and was written by bassist Roger Waters, using some of his own personal experiences as inspiration. Part 1 involves Pink building a metaphorical wall around himself, following the death of his father. Waters lost his own dad to war when he was just five months old. In part 2, Pink experiences trauma through his overprotective mother and abusive schoolteachers - who become bricks in this wall. These lyrics were inspired by the harsh methods used by teachers during Waters' time at Cambridgeshire High School for Boys, when he was 12. Finally, part 3 rounds off with a violent breakdown, where Pink now dismisses everyone he knows as bricks in the wall. Part 2 is the most commercial section of the composition and was cut as a single towards the end of 1979.

Producer Bob Ezrin suggested the group should incorporate disco sounds of the time into 'Another Brick in the Wall'. The band were hesitant, but ultimately agreed that the end product still sounded like a Pink Floyd song. Ezrin also wanted a children's choir on the track. He had previously produced 'School's Out' by Alice Cooper so had some experience in the field. Several children from Islington Green School, near Pink Floyd's studio, were recruited for this. The head of music at the school was enthusiastic about the idea but wasn't sure how the headteacher would feel, so initially hid the lyrics from her. In the end, all agreed it was a rich musical education for the children. The kids received Pink Floyd concert tickets, an album and single, but royalties for them were not arranged at the time. However, they successfully lodged a claim with Performing Artists' Media Rights Association as adults, in 2004. I particularly like the headline "Payout after Pink Floyd leaves them kids alone" from the media coverage at the time.

The anti-corporal punishment lyrics produced several iconic, hard-hitting rebellious lines such as: "teacher, leave them kids alone" and "we don't need no education". That use of language, with the double negative, is notable as the children are rejecting "proper" English but their message is still crystal clear and powerful. Lyrically, I really like the vivid "no dark sarcasm in the classroom" line as well.

Children's choirs can be hit or miss for me, but I think using their voices to sing about the education system is highly effective here. Elsewhere, Roger Waters and David Gilmour provide an equally haunting lead vocal performance. The instrumentation is also interesting - with steady, unsettling drums throughout and a fantastic guitar solo from Gilmour towards the end, ahead of Waters imitating a Scottish head teacher. The song ends with the ringing of a phone, perhaps as Pink tries to distance himself from his school struggles.

The visuals for the music video are pretty unforgettable, especially the uncanny use of hammers to represent conformity. 'Another Brick In The Wall' is also used in the acclaimed Pink Floyd - The Wall film and features equally memorable and harrowing scenes of masked children walking towards a meat grinder.

My first run in with this song was when Eric Prydz sampled it for 'Proper Education', a #2 hit in 2007. I enjoyed that dance iteration at the time and still do but the original is definitely my version of choice now. It has a more foreboding presentation yet is catchy enough to be a hit single.

'Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2' was an idiosyncratic choice of Christmas #1 for the most festive time of the year, but the British Public spoke. This was the final chart-topper of the 1970s and first of the 1980s as it spent 5 weeks at #1. This is the only Pink Floyd single to top the chart both here and in the United States.

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Blondie are one of my favourite groups, as illustrated by my choice to use them in BuzzJack's Pop Factor competition earlier this year, where they were sadly booted out earlier than hoped after 'One Way Or Another' was paired against Nelly Furtado's 'Maneater'. Then 'Call Me' couldn't do enough as their last chance song. So, as you can imagine, I had so many options for them here! But ultimately, sad banger 'Heart of Glass' was the song that first got me into them and still remains my favourite to this day...

This song was written by Blondie members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein but originally existed as a track called 'Once I Had a Love', also known as 'The Disco Song'. It was first recorded as a demo in 1975 and later re-recorded in 1978 with a heavier pop influence. The band had attempted the song in many different guises, such as a ballad or a reggae track, but nothing quite worked until they met with producer Mike Chapman to put together their classic Parallel Lines album. He loved the song and started to pull it into focus. 'Heart of Glass' still has the spirit of Blondie's earlier new wave roots but was ultimately packaged with a disco sound. The group were initially accused of selling out despite covering disco songs like Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' during their live sets.

The song's final title 'Heart of Glass' was apparently not influenced by the film of the same name by German filmmaker Werner Herzog. The group were into fellow German talents Kraftwerk though and had them in mind when evolving the song's initially more basic production into what it became.

The use of the Roland CR-78 drum machine for 'Heart of Glass' was one of its first outings in popular music. The band effectively fused their rock-meets-dance visions as they used real drums in addition to the electronic sounds present on the song, which was quite unusual at the time. The track also incorporates separate synth sounds by using Roland SH-5 and Minimoog synthesisers. They recorded three different parts on these synthesisers due to the lack of music sequencers at the time. I love the dreamy, rhythmic groove of these components and the guitars throughout.

Debbie Harry said 'Heart of Glass', along with 'Rapture', is the song she's most proud of writing. Harry claims the lyrics weren't about anyone in particular but instead just a "plaintive moan about lost love". Much like the group's mix of sounds, I also enjoy the duality of the vocals and messaging. Debbie Harry's higher register sounds playful and charismatic yet she also has this laidback style going on in the song. The lyrics are both funny and laced with heartbreak. I particularly enjoy the Spanglish mix of "mucho mistrust" as I sometimes slip into that kind of writing myself on here. Overall it's an utterly charming package.

I distinctly remember falling in love with this song when playing one of those Just Dance Wii games with my friends. Moving along to 'Heart of Glass' was a dopamine hit and it has remained a pick-me-up song ever since!

'Heart of Glass' was a huge hit for Blondie and became their first number 1 on both the U.K. Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100. It existed since 1978 on the Parallel Lines album but impacted the U.K. as the album's third single in early 1979, where it became the second best-selling song of the year here. They spent four weeks at the top of the U.K. singles chart.

Oh 2 of my absolute favourites here! I’m thinking they would both be there or thereabouts in my favourite 10 of the 70s.

Another Brick.. proof that Pink Floyd could write a pop song, though as you say, not a typical one given the lyrics and video. The British public suddenly discovering good taste at Christmas, who’d have thought?!

Heart Of Glass is my favourite Blondie song, mixing disco and new wave in an intoxicating way. I’ve heard some claiming it as the first US new wave number one, but they then proceeded to make the arguably the first reggae (Tide Is High ) and the first rap (Rapture) US number ones too. Unbelievable!

I also want to highlight the involvement of the late great Clem Burke in everything they did (especially Dreaming) my favourite ever drummer!

6 minutes ago, Jaz13music said:

I also want to highlight the involvement of the late great Clem Burke in everything they did (especially Dreaming) my favourite ever drummer!

His drumming is particularly sensational on 'Dreaming' indeed that song is right up there as well but nice that we have a snap favourite!

p.s. here are some Blondie bits from my retro Smash Hits magazine collection 🤩

The band on the cover of the first ever issue (25p!!!) plus specific 'Heart Of Glass' lyrics and advertisment from a couple of different 1979 magazines :)