Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1969.
For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 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
In 1969, the Space Hopper toy and the Raleigh Chopper bike were introduced to the UK, the Beatles perform for the final time on the rooftop of Apple Records, the very first flight of Concorde takes place, Ronnie & Reggie Kray are imprisoned for life, John Lennon & Yoko Ono marry, Paul McCartney marries Linda, Lulu representing the UK came joint first in the Eurovision Song Contest, the voting age is lowered from 21 to 18, rioting takes place in Derry, Northern Ireland, Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired it’s first episode on the BBC and Sesame Street also airs for the first time, regular colour television is broadcast on the BBC and ITV, the first man- Neil Armstrong- lands on the moon (or did he?), the music festival Woodstock takes place, the Beatles record their final album Abbey Road together, members of a cult led by Charles Manson kill 5 people, Richard Nixon becomes President of the US, former Rolling Stones guitarist Brain Jones is found drowned in his swimming pool and the films Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Midnight Cowboy, Easy Rider, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Italian Job, Hello Dolly!, Kes and Sweet Charity are all released.
Times are a’changing. You can really see a shift in music style now as we reach the end of the 60s (sniff). We also see a baby David Bowie for the first time and miraculously there’s the Rolling Stones this week! Here’s my favourites from 1969, in no particular order.
1. I Want You Back by The Jackson 5 (this video will make you happy- I promise)
2. Wonderful World, Beautiful People by Jimmy Cliff
3. My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder
4. Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
5. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
6. Come Together by the Beatles
7. The Israelites by Desmond Dekker
8. Spinning Wheel by Peggy Lee
9. Space Oddity by David Bowie
10. My Way by Frank Sinatra (this recording of Frank was done a little after 1969, but I thought you’d appreciate it anyway)
It’s almost a 4 way tie between The Beatles, Peggy Lee, The Jackson 5 and Bowie this week, but I’m going to pick Bowie as my favourite.
See you next week for 1970!
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
…do I need more coffee (it’s a real possibility right now) or did you tease us and not give a favourite? Lol
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Hahaha. So I haven’t! I’ll correct that in just a bit. Thank you!!
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lol glad I wasn’t missing it! I’m in a “fending off a cold and not getting enough sleep” fog right now and thought I had just misread it lol
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Me too, which is probably why I missed it ha! x
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I am honestly shocked that Stevie Wonder goes as far back as the 60s! I feel dumb now. Which, you know, happens. I’m picking Stevie this week, though Bowie is super awesome. What kinds of books were out there in 1969? I feel like I should know that, but I don’t.
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I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings! That’s one that came out in 1969. I occasionally mention books that are released in the news section, but I do think I should have done it every week (year). Stevie’s first single was released in 1962- he was only a baby though (12 years old).
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Led Zeppelin. All hail the gods of rock! I love the Beatles and Stevie too.
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It’s the end of the 60s, Cherie. I am bereft! On to the 70s next and there’s a good chance Led Zeppelin might appear again…
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It does hurt my heart to leave the 60’s….but I do LOVE Led Zeppelin.
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I remember Monty Python. I’m sure my parents wouldn’t have let me watch it if they’d known. To me it didn’t seem very different from Do Not Adjust Your Set, a children’s programme in which half of the Pythons appeared. I also remember the moon landing – very exciting.
I think I was only aware of Space Oddity at the time and it’s my favourite from the list by a long way.
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I love Monty Python! I wish I had Do Not Adjust Your Set to watch when I was a kid. Instead, I had Noel Edmonds…am very glad you’re a Space Oddity fan too.
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Do Not Adjust Your Set was very special.
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I had no idea Bowie had such curly hair! Love him, then the Stones next:-)
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I know! It’s nice to know he was a fellow curly like me 👍🏻👍🏻
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Love Stevie!!!
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Aah you gotta love our Stevie 😍
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You gotta!!
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Gimme Shelter wins this one for me, closely followed by the Beatles 😀
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Both of them very commendable choices 👍🏻
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My Way is probably my favourite from this year!
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Tuuuunnnnne!
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I agree with you – Bowie is my fave this time, too
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We have great taste 🙂
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