Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Must-Hear Classic Rock Ballads From 1965

Remember all the gorgeous classic rock ballads that dropped in 1965, especially if you were a baby boomer old enough to really appreciate them? The following four tracks might just transport you back in time.

“Yesterday” by The Beatles from ‘Help!’

There’s no way I could put together a list of ballads from 1965 without including the ballad of 1965. Not only was “Yesterday” one of the biggest songs of the year, but it’s still one of the band’s most well-aged and deeply beloved songs among fans after all these years. Originally, many a listener thought this ballad was more melancholic and about a breakup. Paul McCartney, the only Beatle on the track, later said that at least one line was inspired by a childhood memory. So, who knows what the song is really about? Either way, “Yesterday” by The Beatles was a No. 1 hit in the US.

“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers from ‘Just Once In My Life’

This ballad leans a little more toward blue-eyed soul than classic rock, but it’s still very worthy of a spot on this list. Originally, this song was a 1955 tune penned for a prison film titled Unchained. It’s been covered many times over the years, but The Righteous Brothers turned it into a particularly noteworthy hit in 1965. Their version, complete with Bobby Hatfield’s solo, became a No. 4 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” by The Byrds from ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’

The Byrds dropped this folky power pop ballad back in 1965, and I’m still shocked that it was originally just a B-side to “All I Really Want To Do”. This Gene Clark-penned track is quite beautiful, and it’s been covered by quite a few musicians over the years. The band’s version, despite being a B-side, charted just shy of making it to the Hot 100.

“As Tears Go By” by The Rolling Stones

You might remember this song from Marianne Faithfull’s original baroque pop version from 1964. That ballad was such a big success that The Rolling Stones would later cover “As Tears Go By” with a more baroque rock, folky edge the following year. It was one of the best rock ballads of 1965, and many a baby boomer probably still remembers it. The Stones’ version of “As Tears Go By” peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart.

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