1965 Reflection

     If 1964 was just about perfect in terms of #1 hits, 1965 was even better. We had some of the best material from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Byrds. There were also quite a few standalone classics such as "My Girl" and "Help Me Rhonda". 

     However, there were still a number of songs that hit #1 in 1965 that I don't consider to be the cream of the crop. While there were no really bad songs, there were quite a few that were either disappointing or a bit too fluffy. 1965 had a large number of classic songs and artists that I probably never got to even talk about due to their presence not being on the top of the charts. For example, The Who recorded some of their best early work in 1965 and this fact is posthumously recognized. However, if you asked an American circa 1965 what their favorite Who song was, they'd say, "Who?"

     It was very difficult for me to pick a best song out of this fine bunch, and since my rule is to never do a tie, I had to deeply examine each classic. Still, I've managed to pick two songs that are outstanding for the year. One of which is one of the best songs of all time, and one of which you're probably not likely to want to hear again - 

Best #1 Song Of 1965 - "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones. 

     I had an even harder time deciding the winner of this category than I did for 1964. The closest runner up was "Yesterday" by The Beatles. Both songs are outstanding classics, which can easily be placed among the best songs of all history. "Yesterday" wins in the lyrical and vocal department, while "Satisfaction" wins in terms of instrumentation and resonance. 

     So what made me decide on "Satisfaction?" Simple, it was the best song The Stones released in '65. As much as I love "Yesterday", I consider "Michelle" and "In My Life" to be even better. It boils down to the third best song of the year by The Beatles versus the best of the year by The Stones, and I, eventually, chose the latter. 

Weakest #1 Song Of 1965 - "I'm Telling You Now" - Freddie & The Dreamers.

     The weakest song category came down to "I'm Telling You Now" and "Game Of Love". The latter song disappointed me due to its rather poor lyrics, and occasional out of tune vocals. However, the band has recorded better material over the decade, and one of their members, (Eric Stewart), went on to write some of the finest songs with 10cc. 

     Freddie & The Dreamers, on the other hand, have many songs that are even weaker than "I'm Telling You Now". Plus, I find the lyrics and overall tone to be a bit too sugar heavy. I appreciate the band's optimistic and humorous tone, but when it comes down to picking the best and worst songs of 1965, they don't stand the test of time like other artists have. Thus, "I'm Telling You Now" is, in my opinion, the weakest #1 hit song of 1965. 



     So stick with me as we re-examine 1966, one of the best years of rock and pop music. A year when some of the finest early psychedelic music was recorded, a year when the counterculture started to truly emerge, and a year that brought us some of the best songs ever recorded. And I for one, can't wait!

                           Coming Up Next - 1966 Overview. 

                 Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, see you in '66!