Time for the second part of 1965!
The one hundred and seventy-sixth song: Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Another big name comes in - and how timely, with the supposed Nobel prize snub. This is, of course, a famous and familiar song, especially as Bob Dylan seems to have his own sound that stands out in the era - part of the singer-songwriter thing, the distinct sound works even with how biting it gets. There's a protest in this, and as the opposite of a love song, it works to capture a mood more than anything else.
The one hundred and seventy-seventh song: People Get Ready - The Impressions
From there, we smoothly slide into this soul song, a gospel-influenced song with socially concious imagery, religion delivering them from a bad fate (there are slavery images in there). It mostly sounds good and smooth, with nice sounding harmonies and some interesting imagery in the lyrics.
The one hundred and seventy-eighth song: Who Do You Love - The Preachers
What is a song like this doing on the list? The Preachers don't come across as the most polished musicians, this sounding raw and harsh. It's early punk, garage rock from the US that came up around the same time as (for example) the Rolling Stones, but from that a trend that didn't take quite as well in part because it just wants to go loud. That makes it difficult to get into, and makes this a song that isn't here because it's amongst the best, but because it's a representation of an early strand of music that was different. Here it's certainly taken in a direction I feel would be interesting with more polish, but falls flat here.
The one hundred and seventy-ninth song: The Carnival Is Over - The Seekers
Time to go to something more middle of the road then. This is a simpler pop song, slow and sad but also a bit inoffensive. That's not really a bad thing here, the group sounds really good together as well as sounding evocative. It draws you in into the melancholy. You can see why this would have been popular, but for me it never quite soared and lifted itself up far enough.
The one hundred and eightieth song: Psycho - The Sonics
This is more polished garage rock, a raw sound that doesn't just go for volume (even if there's plenty of that in here) sounding really good. It's pretty simple, lyrics and music, but that works for them here to create a song that is a bit easier to tap along to. It's an improvement on The Preachers for me, while still having an edge to it.
The one hundred and eighty-first song: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (to Stop Now) - Otis Redding
This is a simple R&B ballad. The music is very simple, relying more on Otis Redding's vocals to portray emotion and to take you through the song. It helps, as it builds loneliness and a slight sad challenge. It brings out the more primal emotions, which is what makes this work well.
The one hundred and eighty-second song: Stop! In The Name of Love - The Supremes
Now for one of those songs that is probably as famous for its signature dance move as it is for the song itself. It's a supremely well produced song, a catchy refrain that sticks with you with simple, but effective lyrics. It has its hooks and despite its not quite as upbeat of a message, is danceable and fun nevertheless.
The one hundred and eighty-third song: Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
Again, Bob Dylan leads off with his characteristic sound that I feel we haven't really come across in this year. It's a clear protest song that, in that sense, belongs in the sixties, but one that has appeal even today. Both socially and musically, it feels like it's trying to push things forward, and while not everything is kept there, the latter certainly partially seems to have happened after this song.
The one hundred and eighty-fourth song: The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
The first line, with its guitar line, sounds so familiar. Simon & Garfunkel is another duo that I wasn't expecting yet, but made a big impact during their career, especially when together. It sounds simple and sweet, but that's part of what works. It's about the silence, and has a hint of loneliness, the desire for it and appreciation. I think it resonates because of that even now, as it's about an isolation that can be difficult to find these days.
The one hundred and eighty-fifth song: My Generation - The Who
And here's another big rock song. It's loud and aggressive, an anthem fighting against the establishment, and probably partially still known because every younger generation feels this way (rightfully so or not), similar to how the older generation always complains about the "kids these days" (something that dates back to at least Roman times). The stuttering helps here, not really masking rude words that would have gotten it bleeped or banned on the radio. Here it gets away with just implying. There's still more polish to it than the earlier garage rock, which means the volume doesn't overwhelm the message - instead it strenghtens it in an amazing way.
The one hundred and eighty-sixth song: Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
I'm sorry, but ending on this for the year feels like a bit of a letdown. Vanilla as it is a sweet love song that oculd have been recorded ten years earlier. It's inoffensive, mainstream, and so, so slow in comparison. It's well sung, don't get me wrong, but it misses the hints of counter culture that so clearly defined the great songs of this year. The Wall of Sound included here doesn't help, as it makes it sound showy and threatens at times to overshadow great vocals. Bobby Hatfield sounds good, introducing some melancholy into a song that wants to be a production, but isn't quite allowed to get there.