The Best Songs of 1964 – Nos. 20 to 16

Sorry it took so long to get a new post out. I have just spent the last week celebrating my tenth wedding anniversary camping out amongst the redwood trees of Northern California. It was a tremendous experience and I highly recommend it for everyone. Anyway, on with the list…


20. All Day and All of the Night – The Kinks (All Day and All of the Night)

The Kinks made it to number seven on the US charts and number two on the UK charts with their fourth single, All Day and All of the Night. Ray Davies sang with abandon and Dave Davies shredded his guitar with one of the finest guitar solos of the year. Those Kinks got fairly introspective in their later work, but in their early days they rocked with a savagery rarely seen till the days of punk.

19. Do Wah Diddy Diddy – Manfred Mann (The Manfred Mann Album)

Manfred Mann made it to number one on both sides of the Atlantic with this amazingly catchy number. It had a great call and repeat cadence that was perfect for its early eighties revival in the classic Bill Murray comedy Stripes. Manfred Mann had a really interesting keyboard playing style and Paul Jones had a strong, soulful voice.

18. Remember (Walking in the Sand) – The Shangri-Las (Remember (Walking in the Sand))

This was the debut single by the incredibly influential girl group, The Shangri-Las. It rose to number five on the charts. Mary Weiss sang with a toughness and attitude that belied her years. The eerie atmosphere and unusual production by Shadow Morton made this song into a strange foreshadowing of gothier chicks in the far future.

17. Pain in My Heart – Otis Redding (Pain in My Heart)

This classic soul ballad from Otis Redding only made it to number sixty-one on the charts, but it really should have done better. Otis gives another amazing vocal performance. He always sang about heartbreak with such passion. Otis was setting a new standard for soul singers for generations to come.

16. It’s Over – Roy Orbison (It’s Over)

Another operatic beauty from Roy Orbison, it went to number nine on the US charts and number one in the UK. This story of lost love begins very softly but builds and builds into such a phenomenal crescendo that you can hardly imagine it can hold itself together.


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