top of page

Woven through the book is an ongoing narrative about some of the music happening at the time, a soundtrack for the story. Below is a playlist of the songs and artists in the order in which they’re mentioned in the text, nearly 200 tunes. The dates refer to the timeline of the book, which was usually but not always when the record was released or the song performed. Scroll down and CLICK on a song title to hear (and in some cases to watch) a full-length clip on YouTube.

 

Dedicated to the One I Love / The “5” Royales

 

1961

Quarter to Three / Gary U.S. Bonds

Tossin' and Turnin' / Bobby Lewis

Running Scared / Roy Orbison

Hand Clappin' / Red Prysock

   (Alan Freed “Rock ‘n’ Roll Party” opening theme)

Travelin' Man / Ricky Nelson

El Condor Pasa / Los Incas (original instrumental version)

El Condor Pasa / Simon & Garfunkel

Those Oldies But Goodies / Little Caesar and The Romans

Little Sister / Elvis Presley

(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame / Elvis Presley

School Is Out / Gary U.S. Bonds

Rock Around The Clock / Bill Haley & His Comets

Puff, The Magic Dragon / Peter, Paul and Mary

Oh! Suzy-Q / Dale Hawkins

What'd I Say / Ray Charles

Money (That's What I Want) / Barrett Strong

Shout! / The Isley Brothers

1962

The Twist / Chubby Checker

The Peppermint Twist - Part 1 / Joey Dee & The Starliters (video)

Runaround Sue / Dion

I Left My Heart In San Francisco / Tony Bennett

The Wah-Watusi / The Orlons

Mashed Potato Time / Dee Dee Sharp

The Loco-Motion / Little Eva

Roll Over Beethoven / Chuck Berry

If I Had a Hammer / Peter Paul & Mary

Monster Mash / Bobby “Boris” Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers

 

1963

Pretty Boy Floyd / Joan Baez

Masters of War / Bob Dylan (at 13:17)

Route 66 / Nat King Cole (video)

Route 66 / Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

Route 66 / Chuck Berry

Surfin' / The Beach Boys

Surfin' Safari / The Beach Boys (video)

409 / The Beach Boys

Surfin' USA / The Beach Boys

Surf City / Jan & Dean

Surfer Girl / The Beach Boys

Blowin' in the Wind / Peter, Paul and Mary

Heat Wave / Martha & The Vandellas

Then He Kissed Me / The Crystals

Be My Baby / The Ronettes

1964

All My Loving / The Beatles (video)

Money (That's What I Want) / The Beatles

I Want To Hold Your Hand / The Beatles (video)

Can't Buy Me Love / The Beatles (video)

Twist And Shout / The Beatles (video)

Route 66 / The Rolling Stones

Dominique / The Singing Nun

I Just Want To Make Love To You / The Rolling Stones (video)

Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying / Gerry and The Pacemakers

Memphis / Johnny Rivers

I Get Around / The Beach Boys (video)

The Leader of the Pack / The Shangri-Las

Time Is On My Side / The Rolling Stones (video)

You Really Got Me / The Kinks

Blue Christmas / Elvis Presley

 

1965

Eight Days A Week / The Beatles

Ticket To Ride / The Beatles (video)

Help Me, Rhonda / The Beach Boys (video)

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction / The Rolling Stones (video)

Mr. Tambourine Man / The Byrds (video)

Crying in the Chapel / Elvis Presley

Help! / The Beatles (video)

Like A Rolling Stone / Bob Dylan

Subterranean Homesick Blues / Bob Dylan (video)

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag / James Brown

 

1966

Just Like A Woman / Bob Dylan (alternate take)

Paint It Black / The Rolling Stones

It's Not Easy / The Rolling Stones

Goin' Home / The Rolling Stones

The Train Kept A-Rollin' / The Yardbirds (with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck)

The Train Kept A-Rollin' / The Yardbirds (video)

   (scene from Blow-Up with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck)

Mellow Yellow / Donovan

Good Vibrations / The Beach Boys

You Keep Me Hangin' On / The Supremes

1967

(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I / Elvis Presley

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place / The Animals

Tomorrow Never Knows / The Beatles

Ruby Tuesday / The Rolling Stones

Eight Miles High / The Byrds

Break On Through (To The Other Side) / The Doors

Run Run Run / The Velvet Underground & Nico

Hoochie Coochie Man / Muddy Waters

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer / John Lee Hooker

(When You See) Those Flying Saucers / The Charles River Valley Boys

Washington At Valley Forge / Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band

I Got My Mojo Working / The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

The Gasman Won't Buy Your Love / David Blue

I'm Waiting For The Man / The Velvet Underground

With A Little Help From My Friends / The Beatles

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) / Scott McKenzie (video)

Somebody to Love / Jefferson Airplane

White Rabbit / Jefferson Arplane

Groovin' / The Young Rascals

Respect / Aretha Franklin

Light My Fire / The Doors (video) (short version)

All You Need Is Love / The Beatles

Purple Haze / The Jimi Hendrix Experience (video)

Rock 'n' Roll / The Velvet Underground

I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die / Country Joe and The Fish

Going Up The Country / Canned Heat

(Ballad of) The Hip Death Goddess / Ultimate Spinach

The Funky Broadway / Dyke & The Blazers

On The Road Again / Canned Heat

Let's Go Where Nectar Flows / Baul Singers of West Bengal (video)

Voice of Space / Sun Ra

Handsome Johnny / Richie Havens (video)

L-O-V-E (Ask For it By Name) / Lothar and The Hand People

Black Roses / Clear Light

Egyptian Gardens / The Kaleidoscope

When I Needed You / Chain Reaction (with Steven Tyler/Tallarico)

1968

Everybody's Been Talkin' / The Mugwumps

I Can't Find The Time To Tell You / Orpheus

Pamela / Ultimate Spinach

Mystic Mourning / The Beacon Street Union

The Sound of Silence / Simon & Garfunkel (original acoustic version)

The Sound of Silence / Simon & Garfunkel (overdubbed rock version)

Soul Man / The Bagatelle

High Flyin' Bird / Ill Wind

Turn Turn Turn / Judy Collins (video)

I Feel Free / Cream

The Garden of Earthly Delights / The United States of America

The Happening / The Supremes (video) (American Bandstand dancers)

White Light/White Heat / The Velvet Underground

I Heard Her Call My Name / The Velvet Underground

Train Fare Home Blues / Muddy Waters (video)

Journey to the Center of the Mind / The Amboy Dukes

I Can't Stand Myself / James Brown (video) (at Boston Garden)

Thus Spake Zarathustra / 2001: A Space Odyssey (video) (opening title)

Dazed and Confused / The Yardbirds (video) (with Jimmy Page)

The Train Kept A-Rollin' / The Yardbirds (video) (with Jimmy Page)

Lucille / B.B. King

Children of the Future / The Steve Miller Band

Home of the Brave / Earth Opera (with Peter Rowan and David Grisman)

A Whiter Shade of Pale / Procol Harum (Scopitone film)

Dear Mr. Fantasy / Traffic

Summertime Blues / Blue Cheer

Smokestack Lightnin' / Howlin’ Wolf

Sister Ray / The Velvet Underground

Boom Boom Boom / John Lee Hooker (video)

Brown Eyed Girl / Van Morrison

Toad / Cream (Live at The Fillmore, 1968)

Pride of Man / Quicksilver Messenger Service

I Ain't Superstitious / The Jeff Beck Group

I Can See For Miles / The Who

Cross Road Blues / Robert Johnson

I'll Keep It With Mine / Fairport Convention

London Blues / The New Yardbirds (Led Zeppelin)

Fresh Garbage / Spirit

Spoonful / Cream (live, one month before final show in R.I.)

Kick Out The Jams / MC5

Heroin / The Velvet Underground

I'm Set Free / The Velvet Underground

 

1969

Tulsa County / The Byrds (live at The Boston Tea Party, 2/22/69)

Hard Drivin' Man / The J. Geils Band

Pale Blue Eyes / The Velvet Underground

The Shape I'm In / FAT

Factory (Version 3) / Bold

Astral Weeks / Van Morrison

Apart of Me / Country Funk

What Goes On / The Velvet Underground

Brandenburg / The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble

Early in the Morning / Charlie Musselwhite

Sweet Home Chicago / Magic Sam

Homework / The J. Geils Band

It's Gonna Work Out Fine / Ike & Tina Turner

Midnight Rambler / The Rolling Stones (live November 1969)

Whipping Post / The Allman Brothers Band

Wang Dang Doodle / Love Sculpture

I'm A Good Woman / Cold Blood

 

1970

Foggy Notion / The Modern Lovers (with Jonathan Richman)

Beginning To See The Light / The Velvet Underground

Whammer Jammer / The J. Geils Band

Mama Get Down Those Rock 'n' Roll Shoes / NRBQ

Sister Anne / MC5

I Wanna Be Your Dog / The Stooges

Let's Twist Again / Chubby Checker

Into The Mystic / Van Morrison

Johnny B. Goode / Chuck Berry

Up On Cripple Creek / The Band

Sweet Jane / The Velvet Underground

New Age / The Velvet Underground

Serves You Right To Suffer / The J. Geils Band

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl / Ten Years After (video)

Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) / The Temptations

Spill The Wine / Eric Burdon and War

War / Edwin Starr

The Long And Winding Road / The Beatles

You Can't Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones

bottom of page