The 1960s were really the best years for folk and singer-songwriters. So much genre-bending music came out during that era, coming to a peak in 1969. Let’s take a look at a few singer-songwriter favorites from 1969 that continue to inspire modern-day musicians!
“Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan
When Nashville Skyline dropped, it was clear that Bob Dylan was blazing new (western) trails with his music. For at least a little while, the very folkish sound of Dylan had given way to more country-inspired music. One standout song from that album and era is “Lay Lady Lay”, a gorgeous low-vocal country rock jam that really sounded different from just about everything else Dylan had done up until that point. Today, “Lay Lady Lay” is considered a country standard and a signature tune of Dylan’s. It has been covered by everyone from The Byrds to Duran Duran to Ministry.
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“Chelsea Morning” by Joni Mitchell
Years before the groundbreaking albums Blue and The Hissing Of Summer Lawns dropped, Joni Mitchell released her second beloved (though somewhat underrated) album, Clouds. On that very album is “Chelsea Morning”, a beautiful example of what a singer-songwriter can do with visual imagery. It’s one of her most poetic career songs, and it’s a shame that it didn’t really chart upon its release. Considering “Big Yellow Taxi” was her follow-up single and the first in her career to make it to the Top 20 on numerous charts, I can see why “Chelsea Morning” got a bit left behind. Still, retrospectively, it has become an influential song among singer-songwriters today.
“Give Peace A Chance” by John Lennon
John Lennon had already proved his songwriting mastery through his tenure in The Beatles. The 1969 song “Give Peace A Chance”, however, was one of his first songs to really establish the former Beatle as a solid singer-songwriter all on his own. Though, this song was originally credited to Lennon–McCartney, despite being written by Lennon alone and first performed by Lennon and Yoko Ono (and a whole room of people, honestly) during their bed-in honeymoon in Canada. Today, this folky track from 1969 is still considered a beloved rallying cry for anti-war sentiments. And even more protest music would come from Lennon in the following years.
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