The Top 15 Songs of 1962 sans Bob Dylan

It’s sad that there’s not one good rock ‘n roll song from the year 1962.  The good side of that is that it is evolving.  I found my first funk song, and country music is surprisingly where it’s at.  Dance craze songs are also starting to get even more annoying following in Chubby Checker’s footsteps. 

15.  Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker (1962) – (Blues)

14.  Mr. Lonesome – Johnny Cash (1962) – (Country)

Remastering really makes it hard sometimes to see an artist either progressing or degressing … (degressing isn’t a word, but should be).  This recording sounds like it came from 1918 or something, it’s awful, but otherwise a pretty good ballad. 

13.  Funny How Time Slips Away – Willie Nelson (1962) – (Country)

12.  The Loco-Motion – Little Eva (1962) – (Pop)

11.  Do You Love Me – The Countours (1962) – (Pop)

Record executives have found this perfect combo of rhythm and blues and rock ‘n roll with a twist of a catch phrase and make it danceable, and in essence you have pop music of the early 1960s. 

10.  Love Me Do – The Beatles (1962) – (Pop)

I know I should be all “BEATLES FIRST SONG!” here, but it’s a pop song and I’ve never really loved this song.  It’s good and everything, but the British Invasion still is not here in 1962. 

9.  Delia’s Gone – Johnny Cash (1962) – (Country)

8.  Green Onions – Booker T. and the MGs (1962) – (Blues)

It’s nice that the blues have come such a long way, that they can now be in instrumental form. 

7.  Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock (1962) – (Jazz)

I’m starting to assemble a nice jazz collection, like jazz 101 for rockers or something.  It’s nice. 

6.  She’s Got You – Patsy Cline (1962) – (Country)

5.  Night Train – James Brown (1962) – (Funk)

I’m going to call this the first funk song.  It’s still got some rock ‘n roll elements going on, but rock ‘n roll is dead, and there’s not really any words to this so … JB is bringin’ the funk!  You know how I know this is funk, it’s groovy and James Brown is making wild sounds randomly.  If that doesn’t define funk, I don’t know what does. 

4.  Crazy – Willie Nelson (1962) – (Country)

What would a long writing list be without a retraction?  I already had Patsy Cline’s cover of this song listed in 1960, so that was obviously an incorrect date as it’s pretty hard to cover a song that hasn’t been written yet. 

3.  You Belong To Me – Patsy Cline (1962) – (Country)

I first heard this song covered by Bob Dylan on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack.  This version is a million times better.  One of my favorite Patsy Cline songs. 

2.  Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles – Francoise Hardy (1962) – (Pop)

I don’t like calling this a pop song, but for American culture, it is. 

1.  She Thinks I Still Care – George Jones (1962) – (Country)

Apparently country is the “it” music of 1962.  Patsy is still alive, Willie Nelson is good, Johnny Cash is doing well.  It’s a good time for country music.