Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1965.
For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral. He was honoured with a state funeral. They are usually only reserved for a monarch. Churchill was the last non-monarch to receive a state funeral.
In 1965, twin brother Ronnie & Reggie Kray are arrested on suspicion of running a protection racket in London, Sir Winston Churchill dies at the age of 90 and thousands attend his state funeral in London, The Gambia becomes independent from the UK, a Royal Air Force plane crashes in Oxfordshire just after take off from RAF Abingdon killing all 41 men on board, Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs escapes Wandsworth prison and flees to Brazil, Ian Brady and his girlfriend Myra Hindley are arrested and charged with the Moors Murders, the Magic Roundabout premiers on British TV, Mary Quant introduces the miniskirt from her shop on Kings Road, London, PizzaExpress opens its first restaurant in London, race riots break out in Watts, California leaving much of the city burnt and looted and 34 dead, the Voting Rights Act (allowing African Americans to vote) in the US becomes law, Rhodesia declares Unilateral Independence from the UK and becomes Zimbabwe, Malcom X is shot and killed in New York and the films Doctor Zhivago, the Sound of Music, Thunderbolt, the Ipcress File and Help! are all released.
I heart the 60s so much, I could almost cry just thinking about how good the music is from this era. In case you’re wondering how I come up with my list of top tens, I partly use my brain and what music knowledge it contains and I also do a thorough research into what songs were released in that year. I then do a “long list”, which I eventually and painstakingly (especially for the 60s), narrow the long list down to 10 songs. I’m telling you this because any of the songs in my long list for 1965 could’ve easily made my top ten. I did get there eventually though. Here they are, in no particular order.
1. My Generation by The Who
2. Help! by The Beatles
3. Stop! In The Name of Love by the Supremes
4. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag by James Brown
5. Uptight by Stevie Wonder
6. I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher
7. California Dreamin’ by the Mamas & the Papas
8. We Gotta Get Out of This Place by the Animals
9. I Put a Spell on You by Nina Simone
10. Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
I recently told someone that I wasn’t much of a fan of Bob Dylan yet here he is for second time appearing in my top tens. What the fuck do I know?
Yet another week, where I am finding it near impossible to pick a favourite, but it’s between The Beatles, Sonny & Cher, The Supremes and The Who….and I think it’s going to have to be The Who as My Generation is such an authoritative example of British music from that (excuse the pun) generation.
See you next week for 1966!
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
The year I was born—so many great tunes!
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What an excellent year to be born!
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For the first time in your “top tunes” posts, I legit know every single song on this list! Such a shame I wasn’t born for another 22 years haha
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Woo-hoo! Yay! Fantastic. I think that says a lot about how great the 60s were.
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Hehe it really does!
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Very hard not to love the 60s! I cannot believe it took the U.S as long as it did to pass the Voting Rights Act. Sheesh. No excuse for that. I have a whole new appreciation for Churchill after watching The Crown. A flawed man, to be sure, but a great and interesting one.
And my favorite is Nina!
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It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? That for our parents’ generation African Americans could not vote. When I watched Selma, the most shocking thing was that it all happened not that long ago. Yes Churchill, is a fascinating character. Whilst by no means perfect, he did a lot for this country. I absolutely adored John Lithgow’s performance as Churchill by the way. He was very brave, being an American taking on such a pivotal British historical figure- we don’t tend to like Americans playing British figures (which is a tad hypocritical as many Brits have played American historical figures. See Selma for starters), but he absolutely got away with it as he was perfect as Churchill. I’m going off on one (is that a British phrase?!). If you get a chance to watch that Nina video- do. It is an amazing performance of what is essentially a very dark (but wonderful) song.
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I wondered if John Lithgow managed to convince British audiences. I thought he was awesome. His portrayal, whether it’s like the real man I don’t know, but it definitely showed a man with ego for a million miles, but who still had humanity. I think ego ruins many a great person if they let it.
I will definitely watch that video– I love the idea of beauty and darkness.
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Such a damn fine year for music I can’t pick so will say who I rate the least : James Brown, Stevie Wonder and The Supreemes.
You left out my faves the Yardbirds.
As for not being keen on Bob Dylan… You don’t have to like his voice to appreciate his lyrics 💜
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This is weird now, yet again the Yardbirds were there just sitting outside this top 10 for me. But like I said, anyone that made my long list could’ve been the top ten this week. Mr Tambourine Man is a lovely tune.
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I love the many versions of Hey Mr Tambourine Man.
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I remember watching Churchill’s funeral on the television. I also went to see Sound of Music and Help! in the cinema.
Listening to the playlist, I’m amazed (again), by the number of songs I wasn’t aware of then. The ones that I was aware of were Help!, I Got You, Babe, and We’ve Got to Get Out of This Place. I think Help! is my favourite, but I know the lyrics of most of these songs.
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I’m kind of in awe of everything you mentioned in your first paragraph. Oh and Help! is one of my all time favourite Beatles songs. It’s a perfect pop tune.
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I can’t think of any other pop song that’s recognisable from the first chord.
When I was a child films didn’t come to your local cinema once, but many times. I saw films made before I was born in the cinema – The Wizard of Oz, Dumbo, Fantasia and many others. I think I’d seen The Sound of Music ten times before it was on the TV. My mum and her sister loved it and we all went to see it every time it was on.
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For that intro alone it has to be The Animals but this is a strong selection 😁
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Awesome intro, isn’t it? Love the Animals 🐅🐘🦍🦘🦒🐄🐑🐖🦌🐈🐩
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I’ve always had a soft spot for the Mamas and the Papas, so my favourite this time is California Dreamin’ 🙂
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Ah yes. The Mamas & Papas was such a lovely sound.
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Another amazing year for music. I’m inclined to agree with you again Hayley and go with my Generation.
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The 60s just get better and better, don’t they? And it has to be the Who- such a pinnacle song of that generation.
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Absolutely!!
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The year I was born. I hadn’t realised it was the year Winston Churchill died. Also, I hadn’t realised Brady and Hindley were caught, always thought it was later, (thank god they were caught!). My dad loved the Beatles. 🙂
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It’s really interesting reading about the events that took place the year you were born, isn’t it? And I learned that I was born in the middle of a heat wave- my poor mum!
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Ooo yes that must’ve been hard
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