Every baby boomer alive has had a front-row seat to the birth and evolution of rock ‘n’ roll, and that includes these four classic rock jams from 1962. And while they might sound worlds away from the rock ‘n’ roll we know today, that modern style has the early 1960s to thank for its entire existence. The jangly electric guitars, driving drums, and powerful vocals introduced in the early 60s inspired countless sub-genres in the decades that followed.
Without songs like these from 1962, rock ‘n’ roll might have sounded completely different. Just ask a baby boomer.
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“Love Me Do” The Beatles
The Beatles released their debut single “Love Me Do” in October 1962. From there, the band continued to catapult to the top of rock ‘n’ roll stardom until their likeness and music were recognizable worldwide. Something about the way John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s voices rubbed up against one another, the hot harmonica, the shuffling rock beat: all of it scratched an itch in every baby boomer’s brain.
“Green Onions” by Booker T. & The MGs
Some of the best classic rock jams have no words getting in the way of the music, and Booker T. & The MGs’ 1962 instrumental “Green Onions” is certainly no exception. This iconic blues number features Booker T. Jones on Hammond M3 organ. Steve Cropper is also featured on guitar. Even with no lyrics to remember, the indelible groove makes this song one of the more memorable offerings of the early 1960s.
“Twist And Shout” by Isley Brothers
One year before The Beatles put out their version of “Twist And Shout”, The Isley Brothers released their single on an album of the same name. The song broke into the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles. This 1962 classic rock hit had people twisting and shouting on dancefloors everywhere, and it still has that effect today.
“Misirlou” by Dick Dale And The Del-Tones
Closing out this list of 1962 classic rock jams every baby boomer will know is another instantly recognizable instrumental: “Misirlou” by Dick Dale And The Del-Tones. The melody appeared in Arabic, Greek, and Jewish musical communities as early as the 1920s, and it certainly has that age-old, timeless quality. Dale and his band infused “Misirlou” with buzzing, driving electric guitar, giving the song a whole new energy and power.
Photo by Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty Images
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