Pitchfork's The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s

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Listen to the first chords of the first song in this playlist - Sunny Afternoon by Kinks - and you will soon realize a great truth about the 60s: that decade was different. There was a kind of magic - something brighter, something lighter, something mightier, something younger - something that pop music was able to express in a way it probably never managed again, and never will be.

In August 2006, Pitchfork published this fantastic chart. 200 songs, along with comments, infos and terrific even-if-tiny-sized pictures. Reading it is a good way to spend your spring sunny afternoons. Even a greater way, maybe, if you do it while listening to this playlist. :o)

Most of the original tracks (about 90%) are available on Spotify. As I did yesterday with a Book Notes playlist, I chose to feature also non-original tracks. It has been a hard take. On one side, I love collections made only by original songs. On the other side, without even a little hint of Beatles, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, this playlist would have sounded hopelessly flawed. How can you listen to the 60s without Beatles, Floyd or Zeppelin?

So, welcome to covers, especially if aesthetically close to that 60s special flavour. And welcome to live versions played by artists directly connected with the original tracks (Gilmour for Pink Floyd, McCartney for Beatles...). Jump on the time machine and enjoy!

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The Playlist
179 tracks out of 200, 89,5%, about 12 hours
(UPDATED 31/10/2010: changes in bold)

200. The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon
199. Nina Simone – Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair (live)
198. Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
197. Charles Mingus - Solo Dancer
196. Irma Thomas – Time Is On My Side
195. James Brown – Night Train (live at the Apollo)
194. The Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup
193. Johnny and June Carter Cash – Jackson
192. Alton Ellis – I'm Still In Love
191. Cannonball Adderley – Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
190. Leonard Cohen – So Long, Marianne
189. Sonics - Strychnine
188. T. Rex – Debora (live)
187. Walker Brothers – The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore
186. The Hollies – Bus Stop
185. The Temptations – Get Ready
184. James Brown – Mother Popcorn
183. Bobby Darin – Beyond The Sea
182. Patsy Cline – She's Got You
181. France Gall - Laisse Tomber Les Filles
180. The Barbarians - Moulty
179. Bembeya Jazz National - Armée Guinéenne
178. Otis Redding – I've Been Loving You Too Long
177. The Tammys - Egyptian Shumba
176. MC5 – Kick Out the Jams
175. Loretta Lynn – Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
174. Darlene Love – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
173. Phil Ochs – I Ain't Marching Anymore
172. Archie Bell and The Drells – Here I Go Again
171. Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
170. Françoise Hardy – Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles
169. Stevie Wonder – Uptight (Everything's Alright)
168. Albert Ayler – Ghosts
167. Stone Poneys – Different Drum
166. The Flirtations – Nothing But A Heartache
165. The Monks - Monk Time
164. Frank Sinatra – It Was A Very Good Year
163. Cromagnon - Caledonia
162. The Who – I Can See For Miles
161. The Zombies – She's Not There
160. Os Mutantes – She's My Shoo Shoo (A Minha Menina)
159. Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine
158. P.P. Arnold – The First Cut Is The Deepest
157. Aretha Franklin – Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
156. Loretta Lynn – Fist City
155. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising
154. The Kingsmen – Louie Louie
153. Lorraine Ellison – Stay With Me
152. The Association – Never My Love
151. David Axelrod – The Human Abstract
150. Bob Dylan – It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
149. Archie Bell and The Drells – Tighten Up
148. The Velvet Underground – Sister Ray
147. Nina Simone – Sinnerman
146. Terry Riley – In C
145. Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man
144. Bobbie Gentry – Ode To Billie Joe
143. Scott Walker – Big Louise
142. Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade Of Pale
141. The Supremes – Baby Love
140. Donovan – Season Of The Witch
139. The Impressions – People Get Ready
138. Righteous Brothers – Unchained Melody
137. The Dixie Cups – Iko Iko
136. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
135. The Kinks – Shangri-La
134. Brian Wilson – Surf's Up
133. The Monkees – I'm A Believer
132. Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
131. The Byrds – I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
130. John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
129. Harry Nilsson – Everybody's Talkin'
128. Buffalo Springfield – For What It's Worth
127. George Jones – She Thinks I Still Care
126. Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be
125. Miles Davis – Shhh/Peaceful
124. The Velvet Underground – Venus In Furs
123. The Supremes – I Hear A Symphony
122. Patsy Cline – I Fall To Pieces
121. Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman
120. ? and The Mysterians – 96 Tears
119. Silver Apples - Oscillations
118. The Bobby Fuller Four – I Fought The Law
117. Ben E. King – Stand By Me
116. Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit
115. The Kinks – Victoria
114. Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
113. The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind
112. Steve Reich - It's Gonna Rain (part I and II)
111. Stevie Wonder – I Was Made To Love Her
110. Four Tops – It's The Same Old Song
109. The Byrds – Eight Miles High
108. Harry Nilsson – One
107. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna
106. Desmond Dekker – 007 (Shanty Town)
105. Simon & Garfunkel – America
104. King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
103. Merle Haggard – Mama Tried
102. Sly & The Family Stone – Everyday People
101. Pink Floyd - See Emily Play
100. The Isley Brothers – It's Your Thing
99. Jimi Hendrix Experience – All Along The Watchtower
98. The Zombies – Care of Cell 44
97. Toots & The Maytals – Pressure Drop - Original
96. The Shangri-Las – Give Him A Great Big Kiss
95. Sam Cooke – Cupid
94. Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
93. Can – You Doo Right
92. Nick Drake – River Man
91. The Who – Substitute
90. The Angels – My Boyfriend's Back
89. The Stooges – 1969
88. The Kinks – You Really Got Me
87. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – The Tracks Of My Tears
86. The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee
85. Roy Orbison – Crying
84. The Rolling Stones – You Can't Always Get What You Want
83. Neil Young – Down By The River
82. Elvis Presley – Suspicious Minds
81. Sam & Dave – Hold On I'm Coming
80. Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues
79. Gal Costa – Baby
78. Sly & The Family Stone – I Want To Take You Higher
77. Nico – Heroin - Album Version
76. Various Artists – Doctor Who
75. Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer
74. James Brown – Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - Extended Version
73. Bob Dylan – Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
72. Van Morrison – Sweet Thing
71. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Manic Depression
70. Patsy Cline – Crazy
69. Dick Dale and His Del-Tones – Miserlou
68. The Shirelles – Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
67. Neil Young – Cinnamon Girl
66. The Paragons – The Tide Is High
65. The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin'
64. Del Shannon – Runaway
63. Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto/Antonio Carlos Jobim – The Girl From Ipanema
62. The Rolling Stones – Street Fighting Man
61. The Supremes – You Keep Me Hangin' On
60. Sly & The Family Stone – Hot Fun In The Summertime
59. The Velvet Underground – Sunday Morning
58. The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand
57. Tommy James & The Shondells – Crimson And Clover
56. Brigitte Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg – Bonnie And Clyde
55. Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
54. The Monkees – Daydream Believer
53. Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
52. Ray Charles – Georgia On My Mind
51. Ike & Tina Turner – River Deep Mountain High
50. Love – Alone Again Or
49. Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood – Some Velvet Morning
48. David Bowie – Space Oddity
47. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
46. The Creation – Making Time
45. Dusty Springfield – Son Of A Preacher Man
44. The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go
43. Vince Guaraldi Trio – Linus & Lucy
42. Band – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
41. Leonard Cohen – Suzanne
40. The Zombies – This Will Be Our Year
39. The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil
38. The Meters – Cissy Strut
37. Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound Of Silence
36. The 13th Floor Elevators – You're Gonna Miss Me
35. Johnny Cash – Ring Of Fire
34. The Who – The Kids Are Alright
33. James Brown & the Famous Flames – It's A Man's Man's Man's World (live)
32. Ennio Morricone – Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly)
31. Nico – These Days
30. The Shangri-Las – Leader Of The Pack
29. The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset
28. Otis Redding – [Sittin' On] The Dock Of The Bay
27. The Velvet Underground – I'm Waiting For The Man
26. The Beatles - I Am the Walrus
25. The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black
24. The Supremes – You Can't Hurry Love
23. Etta James – At Last
22. Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine
21. The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations
20. The Shangri-Las – Out In The Streets
19. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
18. The Crystals – And Then He Kissed Me
17. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son
16. The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
15. Aretha Franklin – Think
14. The Beach Boys – Don't Worry Baby
13. Band – The Weight
12. The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
11. Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused
10. Desmond Dekker – Israelites
9. The Who – I Can't Explain
8. Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues (live)
7. The Beach Boys – Wouldn't It Be Nice
6. The Ronettes – Be My Baby
5. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
4. Bob Dylan – Like A Rolling Stone
3. Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come
2. Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
1. The Beach Boys – God Only Knows

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP Link, URI. (SR00136)