Greetings,
Well, the year will soon be coming to a close, and, before I do my annual Best/Worst Songs of this year list, I figured I should do one about another random year. I haven't in a long time, so it just feels right. And this time, I put it to a vote. On social media and in the real world, I asked what year I should do, giving three choices, and 1966 is the year that won, obviously. It was tough to choose songs for this list, as this was a fantastic time in music, but I did it. And, holy crap, were there some terrible songs to choose from. But that's a conversation for another day. Now, we're going to talk about my favorites from the year 1966
#10. "Cryin' Time" Ray Charles - There's just nothing sadder than being with someone you love and knowing that it's only a matter of time before they leave. Thanks's a lot, Ray Charles. You made me cry. Then again, since this song is called "Cryin' Time"...Mission Accomplished!
#9. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" Dusty Springfield - Did you know this song was originally written in Italian and in a very operatic fashion? So, naturally, who else could handle it but Ms. Dusty? That woman had so much soul to her voice, and I'm not sure she always gets the proper recognition she deserves. Well, this is me, just trying to do my part to help put that to an end.
#8. "Love is a Hurtin' Thing" Lou Rawls - Is there anything that Lou Rawls can sing that won't sound good? No. The answer is no. And he's so great on this song about how love can break your heart. Gee, that's depressing. But he's so awesome. Oh, and as I am writing this list in October, I should remind everyone to watch the Garfield Halloween special to hear more singing from Lou Rawls. A bit off topic, but necessary.
#7. "I Am a Rock" Simon and Garfunkel - I may have mentioned on this blog before that I am kind of a loner. Sometimes by choice; other times, not so much. But it's always nice to have a song that can describe pretty well how you feel. This is one of those songs.
#6. "Paperback Writer" The Beatles - What a shocker. I put a song by The Beatles on here. And it's the one about a writer. Again, shocking, coming from me. But I have always wondered, did people specifically aim to be paperback writers back in the day? I mean, I was always told that the hardcovers held more prestige. Or am I over-analyzing this. Oh, well. That aside, I do love the harmonies on this one. I love good harmonies in general. More on that later.
#5. "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" Jimmy Ruffin - That's a good question, sir. I may have also mentioned in this blog that I've dealt with one or two broken hearts. So, I can't really tell if this song is depressing or uplifting. I suppose it can be neither or both, depending on how you decide to handle said broken heart. Either way, it's sounds so nice.
#4. "Good Vibrations" The Beach Boys - Hey, remember a minute ago when I said I loved good harmonies? Well, here you go. As many people know, this song is one of the best representations of a troubled yet extremely creative time for Brian Wilson. It's still feels groundbreaking, even today, and that is the sign of a legendary song from a legendary artist.
#3. "California Dreamin'" The Mamas & The Papas - Again with the harmonies! Now I know that in the past few years, we've heard some very bad stories about one of the members of this group...which was just added on to the rest, but I'm here to talk about the music, so...Hey, did you know that Mama Michelle Phillips got half of the publishing rights just for writing down this song? Not writing it; writing it down. Fun fact? Okay, talking about this group can make us all a little uncomfortable now, but it's still a great song.
#2. "Reach Out I'll Be There" The Four Tops - There are few groups that can put a smile on my face every single time I listen to them. The Four Tops are certainly one of those groups, and this is one of my favorite songs of theirs. It might even be my most favorite. Well, there's another list I can work on. Point is, they were amazing performers and it all shines through in songs like this.
#1. "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" The Righteous Brothers - You know, a while back, when I did my Worst of 1961 list, I had to include a song by Barry Mann on it. What? I have to be honest. But I am happy to say that he redeemed himself with this song. I love the way The Righteous Brothers sound and, with a fantastic song like this, everything falls perfectly into place. Thus, making it my favorite of the year.
And there are my Top Ten Best Songs from 1966. I know many were predictable, but tune in tomorrow. It's the not so great songs that people have forgotten. And, frankly, I can't blame them.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
