Not all of the songs from the 1960s can still be sung word for word. But there are some rock songs from that era that are so timeless, fans still know all of the words by heart, including these three songs, which were all released in 1966.
“Reach Out I’ll Be There” by The Four Tops
On The Four Tops’ Reach Out album is “Reach Out I’ll Be There”. Written by songwriting trio Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” became a multi-week No. 1 hit for The Four Tops.
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“Reach Out I’ll Be There” says, “When you feel lost and about to give up / ‘Cause your best just ain’t good enough / And you feel the world has grown cold / And you’re drifting out all on your own / And you need a hand to hold / Darling, reach out, come on girl, reach out for me / Reach out, reach out for me / I’ll be there, to love and comfort you / And I’ll be there, to cherish and care for you / I’ll be there, with a love that will see you through / I’ll be there to love and comfort you.”
Diana Ross and Gloria Gaynor are among the artists who have also covered “Reach Out I’ll Be There”.
“You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes
“You Can’t Hurry Love” is on The Supremes’ third studio album, The Supremes A’ Go-Go. Written by the same three writers who wrote “Reach Out I’ll Be There”, the song is one of The Supremes’ biggest hits of their career.
“You Can’t Hurry Love” says, “You can’t hurry love / No, you just have to wait / She said love don’t come easy / It’s a game of give and take / You can’t hurry love / No, you just have to wait / You got to trust, give it time / No matter how long it takes.”
The catchy song has been recorded by several other artists since 1966. Phil Collins released his own version of “You Can’t Hurry Love” in 1982, which became a multi-platinum hit for him.
“When A Man Loves A Woman” by Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge’s debut single and his only No. 1 hit, “When A Man Loves A Woman” is the title track of his freshman record. The song, written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright, gave Sledge his first two Grammy nominations.
“When A Man Loves A Woman” says, “When a man loves a woman / He’ll spend his very last dime / Tryin’ to hold on to what he needs / He’d give up all his comforts / And sleep out in the rain / If she said that’s the way / It ought to be.”
In 1991, Michael Bolton released a version of the song, which became a No. 1 single for him.
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