00:00Listen to the music of the traffic in the city
00:03Think you're on the sidewalk weather
00:06The old signs are pretty
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks
00:11for the great songs from the 1960s
00:14that have flown under the radar in recent years
00:17Number 10. Aquarius
00:25Let the sun shine in
00:27The fifth dimension
00:28This one goes out to all the astrology nerds
00:37The fifth dimension's biggest hit is actually a medley
00:40of two songs from the musical Hair
00:42and it sounds just as theatrical as you'd expect
00:46With elements of psychedelic soul, sunshine pop, gospel
00:54and show tunes
00:55Aquarius Let the Sun Shine In covers nearly all of the bases of the 60s music scene
01:02Teasing an upcoming age of spiritual enlightenment, the song was a hopeful anthem for the decade's hippie movement
01:17It might be a little early for the mostly 70s soundtrack, but its campy sci-fi lyrics practically scream for inclusion in a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel
01:27Number 9. Something in the Air
01:38Thunderclap Newman
01:39The Beatles weren't the only 60s band calling for revolution
01:43Thunderclap Newman's only hit, Something in the Air, was a metaphor for the changing cultural landscape
01:50Although peace, love, and flower power were all the rage throughout the decade, they weren't
02:01necessarily getting protesters anywhere in the way of social change. Instead, the edgy song advocated
02:08for more dramatic measures of organizing against issues like the Vietnam War, including violence
02:22Even if you haven't heard of Thunderclap Newman, you'll almost certainly recognize a familiar face
02:27Guitarist Pete Townsend first formed the band as a side project from The Who
02:32Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right
02:39Number 8. Georgie Girl
02:41The Seekers
02:50Besides offering serious political anthems, the music of the 60s could also be light and breezy
02:57One of the best examples is The Seekers' Georgie Girl, which instantly begins with one of pop's
03:04catchiest hooks. From its opening whistle, the Australian folk-pop hit glides effortlessly
03:10between cheery and wistful throughout its runtime
03:13But never stopping to bite
03:16So shed those dowdy feathers and fly
03:21The story of a frumpy young woman who comes out of her shell following a makeover, it was written
03:27as the theme song for a movie of the same name
03:30Life is a reality
03:32You can't always run away
03:35Despite being a happy tune, it has little in common with today's empowerment anthems
03:41encouraging the subject to change her style for male attention
03:45Either way, some distance from the 60s' attitudes towards women has made it just as enjoyable
03:51Come on you Georgie Girl
03:53Come on Georgie Girl
03:54Come on Georgie Girl
03:55Come on Georgie Girl
03:56Come on Georgie Girl
03:57Wake up Georgie Girl
03:58Come on Georgie Girl
03:59Come on Georgie Girl
04:00Number 7. Build Me Up Buttercup
04:02The Foundations
04:04Why do you build me up? Buttercup baby just to let me down
04:10The subject of their biggest hits might have them taken for granted, but The Foundations remain
04:15a 60s soul staple. Much soul music of the time was about a man mistreating a man
04:20But the group turned gender roles on their head for a song about the exact opposite
04:26Hey hey hey
04:27Baby make me try to find
04:30Hey hey hey
04:31I've been tired
04:32And I'll make you happy
04:34Hey hey hey
04:35On Build Me Up Buttercup, they also followed in the footsteps of Motown groups like The Temptations
04:40and The Four Tops with an added British twist
04:43Not only were they one of the first successful mixed-race groups in the UK, but their vocals on this track
04:49are equally harmonious. The song's timeless sound continues to resonate with listeners even though the Foundations would disband shortly after in 1971.
05:11Number 6. Daydream Believer, The Monkees
05:17Oh I could hide, meet the wings of the bluebird as she sings
05:25Decades later, people are still going bananas for The Monkees' signature hits. While The Beatles had long moved on to trippier pastures, the made-for-TV boy band was leaning into their teen-pop sound more than ever.
05:38On Daydream Believer, they sang to a homecoming queen over a whimsical bubblegum backdrop. As the group's last number one hits, it feels slightly bittersweet with an underlying theme of fading youth.
05:58Thankfully, lead singer Davy Jones would later reintroduce the song to a whole new audience, creating one of the best gags in SpongeBob history.
06:14Daydream Believer proved that The Monkees were more than just a manufactured copy of the Fab Four.
06:30Number 5. A Wider Shade of Pale, Procol Harum
06:42It's about time this song makes a comeback. If you want to know what the biggest baroque composer would sound like with lyrics and rock-era instruments, look no further than A Wider Shade of Pale.
06:54Even though Procol Harum is obviously paying homage to Bach's air on the G-string, the organ-heavy arrangement is still original enough to stand on its own.
07:11A Wider Shade of Pale became one of the biggest hits of 1967's Summer of Love, showcasing a subdued side of the psychedelic genre amid wilder offerings from Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix.
07:32First, just go sleep, turn the wind up, shade of pale.
07:41Over 50 years after its release, the song was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as part of their very first round of singles.
07:51Number 4. Happy Together, The Turtles
07:55Slow and steady wins the race, or at least gets the Turtles fourth place.
08:09The verses of Happy Together may seem humble and unassuming, but they quietly build to one of the biggest pop choruses of the 60s.
08:18Once the minor key turns to major, the song suddenly explodes into a wave of pop ecstasy.
08:24However, according to lead singer Howard Kalin, several artists perplexingly passed on it prior to the Turtles.
08:39Thankfully, the band was able to recognize the song's staying power in and outside of the 60s decade and claim it for themselves.
08:47No matter how you toss the dice, Happy Together will go down in history as one of pop's greatest love songs.
09:02Number 3.
09:03The House of the Rising Sun
09:05The Animals
09:06Okay, this one technically isn't from the 60s.
09:18The House of the Rising Sun is a folk song whose exact origins are unknown, passed down through generations and cultures until landing in the animal's lap.
09:29The band's version, widely considered the definitive one, deals with a narrator down on his luck after getting caught up in gambling in New Orleans.
09:44The lyrics never say for sure what happened in the title house, but based on the song's ominous organ, it clearly wasn't anything good.
09:52Tell your children not to do what I have done.
10:00Further adding to its mystique, historians still aren't in agreement over whether the house was a jail, brothel, or even existed at all.
10:10Despite telling a cautionary tale, being bad has never sounded so tempting.
10:15Imagine you all is so well and while all it takes
10:22Number 2.
10:24Downtown
10:25Petula Clark
10:26When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown
10:34Forget all your troubles, forget all your cares.
10:38That's the exact effect of listening to downtown.
10:41Full of hope and wonder, Petula Clark's biggest hit stateside sounds ripped from a Broadway musical.
10:47The lights are much brighter there, you can't forget all your troubles, forget all your cares.
10:55Rather than staying inside and moping on a bad day, the British singer suggests immersing yourself in the lights and sounds of the nearest busy city.
11:03Even pulling off a key change without feeling gimmicky.
11:07It's nearly impossible not to crack a smile during downtown's three-minute runtime.
11:20Numerous artists have since been inspired by the song's message of escapism, with the likes of Dally Parton and even Baby Spice Emma Bunton releasing their own cover versions.
11:30But Clark's stage-ready vocals have yet to be topped.
11:40Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:43Blackberry Way.
11:45The move.
11:46Future ELO members combine psychedelic and classical.
11:50Psychotic Reaction.
11:51Count five.
11:52A garage rock staple later covered by Tom Petty.
12:04On a carousel.
12:05The Hollies.
12:06The beat band's poppiest hour.
12:08It's only yet so far.
12:13On a carousel.
12:14The Hollies.
12:15The beat band's poppiest hour.
12:17It's only yet so far.
12:19On a carousel.
12:211.
12:43Time of the Season Just like the creatures that inspired
12:55the band's name, this song refuses to die.
12:59Contrary to its title suggesting a passing fad, Time of the Season is one of the most
13:04enduring songs of the 60s, surprisingly smooth and sensual.
13:18The Zombies cult classic marks a turning point for popular music getting less prudish.
13:23Between the breathy sound effects and iconic organ solo, Time of the Season conjures an
13:28atmosphere equally steamy and seedy.
13:39Lyrics of the 1960s have rarely been more explicit than here either.
13:51Rhyming pleasured hands with promised lands, the Zombies don't even try to hide what the
13:57song is about, decades after its release.
14:01Time of the Season has held on for a reason.
14:10What are your favorite hidden gems from the 60s decade?
14:14Let us know down in the comments.
14:24Let us know down in the comments.
14:30OK, let us know down in the comments.
14:32Let us know.
14:34We'll see you next time.
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