Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Classic Rock Jams From 1964

The classic rock tunes of 1964 were on another level, and many a baby boomer got to enjoy some seriously groundbreaking music when those songs first dropped. What a privilege. If you were around in 1964 to hear these rockin’ tunes hit the airwaves, there’s no way you’ve forgotten about them. Let’s take a brief walk through music history, shall we?

“Time Is On My Side” by The Rolling Stones from ‘The Rolling Stones No. 2’

This Rolling Stones hit from the band’s early days is actually a cover of an R&B tune by Kai Winding, released just one year prior. Irma Thomas also recorded the song before The Stones got their hands on it and turned it into a hit. “Time Is On My Side” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a fast rock anthem for the decade.

“The House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals from ‘The Animals’

Another famous cover, “The House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals was originally an old traditional folk song recorded by countless musicians from Woody Guthrie to Nina Simone to Lead Belly to Joan Baez. The Animals, however, had a serious hit on their hands with their version. “The House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals peaked at No. 1 in the US, UK, Canada, and elsewhere. And few alive today don’t at least recognize it.

“You Really Got Me” by The Kinks from ‘Kinks’

This song was basically proto-everything. “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks was a garage rock classic, one that was considered proto-punk and proto-metal years before either genre was really born. And it’s still such a killer song after all these years. “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks peaked at No. 1 in the UK. It also reached No. 7 in the US back in 1964.

“Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley

This classic rock and roll jam has been covered by many. But the vast majority of people out there likely remember Elvis Presley’s version. “Viva Las Vegas” makes it to our list of baby boomer classic rock tunes from 1964 because it has become such an enduring hit. Oddly enough, when it was first released, it wasn’t that big of a smash. Presley’s version of “Viva Las Vegas” peaked at No. 17 in the UK and No. 29 in the US.

(Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)