A rare departure from our diverse hodgepodge of generation-spanning rock music takes you down my personal musical memory lane. Turning 65 made me wax nostalgic about the songs that helped shape my musical tastes in my formative years. Here’s a sampling of songs that resonated with me from toddler to tween to teenager in the years from 1961 through 1979. Click here to access the stream.
- HOT BUTTER Popcorn
- REUNION Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)
- THE BEATLES She Loves You
- BOBBY LEWIS Tossin’ and Turnin’
- THE BEACH BOYS Barbara Ann
- LOU CHRISTIE Lightning Strikes
- THE ARCHIES Sugar Sugar
- THE BOX TOPS The Letter
- THE DRIFTERS On Broadway
- BEN E. KING Spanish Harlem
- THE O’JAYS Back Stabbers
- OTIS REDDING (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay
- THE BYRDS Turn! Turn! Turn!
- THE ROLLING STONES Mother’s Little Helper
- SIMON & GARFUNKEL Mrs. Robinson
- JEFFERSON AIRPLANE White Rabbit
- BOB DYLAN Lay Lady Lady
- CREAM White Room
- JIMI HENDRIX Purple Haze
- THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN Something in the Air
- EDWIN STARR War
- RAIDERS Indian Reservation
- ELVIS PRESLEY Burning Love
- ELTON JOHN Crocodile Rock
- THREE DOG NIGHT Joy to the World
- CHUCK BERRY My Ding-A-Ling
- NEW YORK DOLLS Personality Crisis
- THE WHO The Real Me
- LED ZEPPELIN Heartbreaker / Living Loving Maid
- BLACK SABBATH Paranoid
- ALICE COOPER No More Mr. Nice Guy
- CHEAP TRICK Surrender (Live)
- KISS Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)
- VAN HALEN You Really Got Me
- BLONDIE One Way or Another
- JOE JACKSON Is She Really Going Out With Him?
- RAMONES I Wanna Be Sedated
- MOTT THE HOOPLE All the Young Dudes
- THE ROLLING STONES In the Stars
- JETHRO TULL Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die (coda)