Your Favorite Singles From 1965

Rather than list a bunch that others have already listed, I'll just mention one or two that might be relatively unknown, or otherwise overlooked.

First up - this one was written by Roger Miller but was a huge hit for Australian duo Bobby and Laurie, who I think nailed the song far better than Roger did:

 

Never heard that one before. That was pretty darn good!

 

The ladies were big in 1965; Dionne Warwick was going great guns with the help of the Bacharach and David, and in the UK her counterpart was Petula Clark, supported by the husband and wife songwriting team of Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch.

 

Let's Hang On! - The Four Seasons

IMO the best song of their whole career.

 

Yeah! That's a really good song!

 

I would have immediately listed this one, except I always think of it as belonging to 1966, but you are right, it was released in December 1965.
There is a fascinating story behind this single which I love retelling. Bob Lind recorded four songs at the recording session: Cheryl's Going Home, Elusive Butterfly and two others. When the time came to decide which song was to be the single, Lind said he was OK with any of them except Butterfly, because he considered that the worst. The company agreed, and so they picked Cheryl for the A-side - but then decided to put Butterfly on the B-side so that they still had the other two available for release as a follow-up single if they wanted to use them.

Cheryl was a minor hit, but then some DJ - I think it was in Florida - decided to play the flip side, whereupon the station was deluged with requests for the song. The rest, as they say, is history.

Under "one hit wonder" in the encyclopaedia there is a picture of Bob Lind. EB was a massive hit, topping the charts in many places including Australia. Never again, with any single or album, did Bob Lind trouble the music charts anywhere.

 

Great story! I love old stories about the single being flipped over by some DJ and subsequently becoming a big hit. Unfortunately those days are well in the past.

 

I know right? After years of hearing this on a 1966 compilation, it's hard getting used to it being from 1965. Same with California Dreamin'. I do believe it was in Florida when the single was flipped. EB is such a good song and it sounded very commercial. Don't know why Bob and the record company decided it was the worst of the bunch and decided to stick it on a B-side, but I;m glad they did.

 

“Run, Baby Run” by The Newbeats

 

A million great ones I'm still listening to:

Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
My Girl - The Temptations
Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson
I Can't Help Myself - The 4 Tops
I've Been Loving You Too Long - Otis Redding
Nowhere to Run - Martha & the Vandellas
Shotgun - Jr. Walker
We Gotta Get Out of This Place - The Animals
Uptight - Stevie Wonder
I've Got a Tiger by the Tail - Buck Owens
California Girls/Let Him Run Wild - Beach Boys
The Race Is On - George Jones
Positively 4th Street - Bob Dylan
Ooh Baby Baby - Smokey Robinson
In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
People Get Ready - Impressions
Ticket to Ride- Beatles
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper - Beatles

But if there were just one single I had to pick from 1965, and maybe just one record I had to pick from '65 and one I both adore, and as a titanic, important, influential one it would be this:

 

But if, as per the OP, singles of late '64 that had chart life in '65 count, this one was released in Dec. '64, two weeks after Cooke's death but had it's chart success in '65 (though it barely cracked the top 40 on the pop charts):

 

The Who I Can't Explain
The Who My Generation
The Who Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
The Pretty Things Midnight to Six Man
The Pretty Things Come See Me
The Pretty Things Cry to Me
The Hollies Look Through Any Window
The Hollies I'm Alive
The Dave Clark Five Catch Us If You Can
The Yardbirds For Your Love
The Yardbirds Heart Full of Soul
The Animals Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
The Animals We Gotta Get Out of This Place
The Animals It's My Life
The Beatles Day Tripper
The Beatles Ticket to Ride
The Beatles Eight Days a Week
The Kinks Till the End of the Day
The Kinks Tired of Waiting
The Beach Boys California Girls
The Byrds Turn Turn Turn
The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man
Simon & Garfunkel The Sound of Silence
The Miracles The Tracks of My Tears
Them Gloria
The Zombies Tell Her No
The Turtles It Ain't Me Babe
The Lovin' Spoonful You Didn't Have to Be So Nice

 

Great list! I would insert Dean Martin’s “Houston” somewhere near the middle......

 

This might be a good time to point out that pop music of the mid-60s was much more than about the Beatles, even if you restrict the discussion to UK artists.These lists provide evidence.

 

Elusive Butterfly is my wife's favorite.

Mine would be

 

Of those I've seen listed my short list would be:

• Elusive butterfly
• California Girls
• The Sound of Silence

 

Just A Little Bit Better - Herman's
You Were On My Mind - We Five
New York's a Lonely Town - Tradewinds
Roses and Rainbows - Danny Hutton
Treat Her Right - Roy Head
The Gants - Roadrunner
Pretty Things - Judgment Day
Ronny & the Daytonas - Sandy
Eddy Holman - This Can't Be True
Ted Cassidy - The Lurch
Gary Lewis & Playboys - Little Miss Go Go
The Ikettes - Peaches n Cream
Charlie Rich - Mohair Sam
Wilson Pickett - Don't Fight It
Contours - First I Look At the Purse
Mouse - A Public Execution
Jr Walker - Shake & Fingerpop
Barbarians - Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl
Link Wray - Ace Of Spades
The Leaves - Too Many People
Sonny & Cher - Baby Don't Go
Bob Kuban - The Cheater
Hedgehoppers Anonymous - It's Good News Week
Strangeloves - Night Time
The McCoys - Sorrow
Young Rascals - Aint Gonna Eat My Heart Out
Remains - Why Do I Cry
Sir Douglas - She's About A Mover
Sonics - Psycho
Lou Christie - Lightning Strikes
Slim Harpo - Baby Scratch My Back
Lee Dorsey - Ride Your Pony
Manfred Mann - My Little Red Book
Nightcrawlers - Little Black Egg
Glen Campbell - Guess I'm Dumb
Beach Boys - Little Girl I Once Knew
Howlin Wolf - Killing Floor
Castaways - Liar Liar
The Eyes - When the Night Falls
Spencer Davis Group - Keep On Running
Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here

 

I was just going to post "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag"....thank you! Absolutely one of the most important songs of the year...and what a great year it was.

 

Another great one from 1965, although I didn't discover it until 1979...Billy Stewart's "I Do Love You".

 

Wow! You all are coming up with some great tunes! Apparently 1965 was a great year for singles!

 

My fave Newbeats cut, from early in the year:

 

My favorite Eyes single is "Man With Money" (the definitive version) backed with "You're Too Much"

But that's from '66.

 

Again - One of the BEST years ever for music.

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – The Animals
We Gotta Get Out of This Place – The Animals
It’s My Life – The Animals
Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey
Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys
California Girls – The Beach Boys
Eight Days a Week – The Beatles
Ticket to Ride – The Beatles
Help! – The Beatles
Yesterday – The Beatles
We Can Work it Out – The Beatles
Day Tripper – The Beatles
Laugh Laugh – The Beau Brummels
Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better - The Byrds
Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds
A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
Iko Iko – The Dixie Cups
Catch the Wind – Donovan
Colours – Donovan
Universal Soldier – Donovan
Subterranean Homesick Blues – Bob Dylan
Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Positively 4th Street – Bob Dylan
I Can’t Help Myself – The Four Tops
Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey – Gerry and the Pacemakers
Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter – Herman’s Hermits
This Diamond Ring – Gary Lewis and the Playboys
Do You Believe in Magic – The Lovin’ Spoonful
Eve of Destruction – Barry McGuire
King of the Road – Roger Miller
The Tracks of My Tears – The Miracles
In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
The Last Time – The Rolling Stones
Play with Fire – The Rolling Stones
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
Get Off of My Cloud – The Rolling Stones
Wooly Bully – Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
I’ll Never Find Another You – The Seekers
The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
I Got You Babe – Sonny and Cher
Stop! In the Name of Love – The Supremes
My Girl – The Temptations
It Ain’t Me Babe – The Turtles
For Your Love – The Yardbirds

Some of these were released in 1964, but did not chart on my local radio station, WLS, until 1965.

 

Yup. 1965, 1966 and 1967 were the highlights of the 60's for me.

 

Sitting In The Park is another good one by Billy. I believe it charted just a little bit higher on the Hot 100 than I Do Love You, although I'm having trouble finding a great sounding, not cut-out or damaged label 45 of In The Park. Had it go much easier doing that with I Do Love You.