Allan:
There a couple other years that I think are amazing but when I look at the sheer depth of quality of 1967, no other year really challenges. This is what you would have heard crackle out of the dashboard of your $2000 Barracuda that year and these are only hit singles. Keep in mind I’ve missed a few and this doesn’t count anything that wasn’t a hit .45 so Sgt. Pepper isn’t included. For the love of God, this is the year Johnny and June did Jackson and pretty much no one noticed or remembers. Jackson. Johnny Cash. That’s how good music was in 1967.
More Love-Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
San Franciscan Night-Animals
Higher and Higher-Jackie Wilson
The Letter-Box Tops
Gimme Little Sign-Brenton Wood
Knock on Wood-Otis and Carla
Never My Love-Association
Purple Haze-Jimi Hendrix
Expressway to Ypr Heart-Soul Survivors
Get Together-Youngbloods
Brown-Eyed Girl-Van Morrison
How Can I Be Sure-Young Rascals
Your Precious Love-Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Baby, I Love You-Aretha Franklin
To Sir With Love-Lulu
Hey, Baby-Buckinghams
People Are Strange-Doors
Reflections-Supremes
Soul Man-Sam & Dave
A Natural Woman-Aretha Franklin
Incense and Peppermint-Strawberry Alarm Clock
The Rain, the Park, and Other Things-Cowsills
I Can See for Miles-The Who
Lazy Day-Spanky and our Gang
I Heard It Through the Grapevine-Gladys Knight and the Pips
I Say a Little Prayer-Dionne Warwick
By the TimeI Get to Phoenix
For Once in My Life-Tony Bennett
I Second That Emotion-Smoky Robinson & the Miracles
Massachusetts-Bee Gees
Different Drum-Linda Ronstadt & Stone Panies
Everlasting Love-Robert Knight
Daydream Believer-Monkees
Judy in Disguise-John Fred and His Playboy Band
Summer Rain-Johnny Rivers
Hello Goodbye-Beatles
Bend Me, Shape Me-American Breed
I Am the Walrus-Beatles
Chain of Fools-Aretha Franklin
Love Me Two Times-Doors
Nobody But Me-Human Beinz
Green Tambourine-Lemon Pipers
I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight-Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
Foxey Lady-Jimi Hendrix
Spooky-Classic IV
She’s a Rainbow-Rolling Stones
Signed: Ken Lewis
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Allan:
I have fond memories of 1967 pop music when I was 13 years old, and many of the songs listed by Ken Lewis in his answer to this question.
I would like to add the following, which were all hits in the U.K. in the first two-thirds of the year, up to mid-August 1967 :-
Green Green Grass of Home - Tom Jones
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Experience
Morning Town Ride - The Seekers
This is My Song - Petula Clark
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Puppet on a String - Sandie Shaw
Detroit City - Tom Jones
Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings - Tom Jones
I was Kaiser Bill’s Batman - Whistling Jack Smith
I Can Hear The Grass Grow - The Move
Ha Ha Said The Clown - Manfred Mann
Silence is Golden - The Tremeloes
Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
Then I Kissed Her - The Beach Boys
The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix Experience
Carrie Anne - The Hollies
Okay - Dave Dee, Dozy Beaky, Mick and Tich
Paper Sun - Traffic
Death of a Clown - Dave Davies
She’d Rather Be With Me - The Turtles
I’ll Never Fall in Love Again - Tom Jones
See Emily Play - Pink Floyd
I used to listen to all of these not on a record player but on my Ekco transistor radio exactly like the one pictured below. I always took this radio with me whenever I was with my friends in our village, going off for bicycle rides or playing football and cricket in a field owned by my friend’s father, who was a farmer.
I was listening to the pirate stations in this golden age of offshore pirate radio around the shores of the U.K., when listening to the radio was never as much fun before that or since. It all began in March 1964 when Radio Caroline started broadcasting and continued for three and a half years, with stations broadcasting from ships anchored at sea around British shores or from forts in the Thames Estuary.
But Monday, 14th August 1967 was “the day the music died” when nearly all of the pirate stations were forced off the air by the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, which was hurriedly passed at the time by the Labour Government and made it a criminal offence for British persons and companies to have anything to do with these stations.
Jim Blair
