3 Classic Rock Ballads From 1966 That Never Get Old for 60s Kids

The 1960s were a fantastic decade for soothing ballads, particularly early classic rock ballads in 1966. If you were a 60s kid, I bet the following tender tunes from 1966 still make you feel a certain way after all these years.

“Lady Jane” by The Rolling Stones from ‘Aftermath’

Back in 1966, The Rolling Stones were transitioning from their bluesy pop-rock sound toward something a little harder and more risque. “Lady Jane” off Aftermath is a lovely blend of the then-becoming-popular baroque rock stylings of the time with a touch of very English folk music. For many a Stones fan, “Lady Jane” was the song that made them realize just how amazing Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were as a songwriting duo. And the song went all the way to No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966.

“Walk Away Renée” by The Left Banke from ‘Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina’

As I mentioned earlier, baroque pop and rock were starting to become the next hot trend in popular music in 1966. The Left Banke capitalized on that with this unique baroque pop tune, complete with pop-rock energy and orchestral elements that make the song sound huge. The beautiful ballad “Walk Away Renée” still gets an emotional reaction out of listeners after all these years, and listeners in 1966 certainly had a reaction to it. The song made it all the way to No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart in the US.

“A Hazy Shade Of Winter” by Simon & Garfunkel

I wasn’t about to leave one of the world’s most famous ballad-crooning duos off our list of memorable classic rock ballads from 1966. I also wouldn’t necessarily call “A Hazy Shade Of Winter” a “deep cut,” considering it did so well commercially. But compared to a few other tunes by the duo that dominated the charts around that time (ever heard of a little tune called “The Sound Of Silence”?), “A Hazy Shade Of Winter” often gets forgotten.

It really shouldn’t. This folk rock ballad is a stunning piece of work about hopelessness and being unsure of one’s life achievements. The track went all the way to No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 1966.

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