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5 Singles of the 60s and 70s

soundplunge_test’s Pick: 5 Singles of the 60s and 70s That Set the ‘Indie’ In Music

Warning: This list may not fit within your sensibilities of ‘top songs of the 60s-70s era’. We’re just trying to broadly compress an entire generation into 5 songs. Silly right? But we’re still doing it because these songs, by and large, have had such a deep impact in that era that they set the ball rolling for the music to come for years and years. In all likelihood, this list could’ve had 100 songs and you’d still hear a grunt that went you-don’t-know-squat-about-music-because-you’ve-not-mentioned-that-song. Regardless, safe to say you would’ve heard a varnished edition of these songs in some advertisement, film or elevator at the very least.

The Beatles: Strawberry Fields Forever

A song that is known for its inventiveness and which was released as a tribute to the Lennon-McCartney song-writing partnership, “Strawberry Fields Forever”, talks about John Lennon’s fond childhood memories of playing in the garden of Strawberry Field – a Salvation Army children’s home in Liverpool. As a most recent feat, this song went into the Rolling Stone magazine’s wall of fame titled “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. Rolling Stone magazine could not have run out of tracks to feature on this list. We’re sure they chose Strawberry Fields, to make it last Forever.

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Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

DHL, the courier service, in a tie up with Manchester United football club, most recently used a retooled version of the original pop-soul song “Aint No Mountain High Enough” for their advertisement. That speaks volumes of audience-breaking, time-crushing presence of the track, which, even when produced first in 1967, went on to enter the top 20 hits of the 60s. What’s more is, this Gaye-Terrell version swiftly climbed its way into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and has ever since garnered a laurel of “most important record” to be ever released by the American record company Motown.

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Eric Clapton: Layla

Written originally as a collaborative effort between Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, the blues song was released as part of their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. It would come as a surprise to many an Indian audience that “Layla” was inspired by a Persian poet’s piece of writing titled The Story of Layla and Majnun. Also, the unplugged version went on to soar as high as the original amongst lovers of the acoustic beat (Listen here). Testimony to that is its presence as number 23 on the Rolling Stone list of The Greatest Songs of All Time.

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Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody

Freddie Mercury is currently being debated in Hollywood studios regarding a biopic on his life and times. A BIOPIC! When does one get a biopic to their name? Closer home, imagine Milkha Singh and you’ll get your answers. “Bohemian Rhapsody”, whose song structure comprises elements of hard rock, opera, a guitar solo and a ballad segment, sends you on a sinusoidal journey. Over a drunk conversation, if you mention the band Queen to a not-so-musically inclined person, he’d probably blurt out “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, to his misfortune if it plays, he will adlib “Mama…” which will be followed by gibberish and supposedly drunken head bobbing.

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Deep Purple: Smoke on the Water

From school to college bands, including amateur guitarists and keyboardists, there has not been one soul who hasn’t attempted the initial riff of British rock band Deep Purple’s classic song “Smoke on the Water”. From a general array of tracks known for their guitar sets, “Smoke on the Water” definitely features in the top 10 all-time favourites. From Two and Half Men’s topic of discussion in one of its episodes to PS2’s Guitar Hero, the song has made itself ubiquitous in many a place since its time on parallel spheres.

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To read about the indie music that prevailed during the 60s and 70s in India, click here.

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