5 Rock Songs from 1963 that Still Sound Cool – Grunge

For those who were there at the time, the rock sound of 1963 is especially easy to remember. Before the dawn of Beatlemania, and after a lull in rock music at the beginning of the decade, 1963 saw an explosion of surf rock outfits, the rise of the Beach Boys, and continued R&B influence on many of the biggest rock tracks of the time.

Much of the music created that year was fun, exciting, and focused on having a good time. And, thankfully for those returning for nostalgia or exploring the music of 1963 for the first time, much of what was recorded that year still has the power to captivate, more than 60 years after it was first waxed. Here are five great tracks that provide insight into the rock landscape in 1963 and still deliver performances that will make casual listeners stop and take notice.

The early 1960s were the dawn of surf rock, and several bands set the template that would make the Beach Boys famous in the mid-decade. But before Brian Wilson et al. The genre was full of sweet harmonies, and surf rock was known for its stomping instrumentals. And the classic single “Wipe Out” by Californian band Surfaris is one of those songs that epitomizes all things surf rock.

The track is based on a 12-bar blues structure and employs a driving drum beat and intricate wave-like guitar parts played by 15-year-old Ron Wilson, creating the ultimate soundtrack of wipeouts and crashing waves. The song’s high point is undoubtedly when Wilson’s rolling drums take center stage in his solo, with the occasional guitar and bass chiming in to build tension as the lead guitar part returns.

This track made Surfaris a popular act, but like many American surf outfits, they were abandoned with the arrival of the British Invasion. But even though the original remains one of the pinnacles of instrumental surf rock, along with Dick Dale’s “Missillou” and the Chantays’ “Pipeline,” the song has gone on to become a huge success, being regularly sampled in a variety of media and widely covered.

The Beatles’ career didn’t begin when the band landed in America in 1964. Previously, the Fab Four were a respected live act in the UK and Germany, releasing several singles in both markets. “Money (That’s What I Want)” was released in the UK in 1963 and helped cement the Beatles’ reputation as a rock phenomenon.

The song is a cover of a 1959 hit by Tamla Motown artist Barrett Strong, and gives an insight into the raw energy the band’s early live shows would have had. Like other classic Beatles covers such as “Twist and Shout,” “Money” features John Lennon on lead vocals, and like the better-known song, John Lennon is in full-voiced rock’n’roller mode, with Paul McCartney and George Harrison providing bright, tight backing. The song begins with a catchy piano riff performed by influential Beatles producer and collaborator George Martin. Meanwhile, Ringo Starr’s shuffling drumbeat shows why he replaced Pete Best in the band in 1962. “Money” had already been dropped from live sets in November 1964, when the Beatles’ own songs began to take precedence, but thanks to the Fab Four’s popularization of the song, it has since been performed by countless artists, including versions by Bruno Mars, The Doors, and Bryan Adams.

Although it may not be remembered as a big rock instrumental from the early 1960s, Indiana-born guitar virtuoso Ronnie Mack’s “Memphis” is an instrumental version of Chuck Berry’s 1959 song “Memphis, Tennessee,” and it’s an absolutely historic song. The song, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1963, features intricate lead guitar work that surpasses other heroes of the era and ushered the way for the next generation of guitarists to follow in his footsteps.

A pioneering blues-rock recording, the song finds Mac using a Gibson Flying V and Magnatone 460 amplifier to achieve his extraordinary guitar tone, which allows him to achieve whamming, bending, and almost unheard-of tremolo effects. While some early rock instrumentals can seem old-fashioned over the years, “Memphis” still amazes with Mac’s virtuosity and the unexpected twists and turns of his playing throughout the track.

Some songs from 1963 still sound cool because they sound dated. The Riviera’s cover of Jo Jones’ “California Sun” is one such song, and the primitive playing style and production values, “We don’t make music like this anymore,” give today’s recordings a pleasant warmth and rawness.

The Rivieras turns R&B material into surf-friendly rockers. The opening drums are very similar to those on the Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird,” a familiar surf rock track also released in 1963. But while Trashmen’s tracks tend toward the manic, “California Sun” manages to balance its upbeat rhythm with a garage aesthetic, with a pop-heavy chord progression and vocalist Marty Fortson’s melodic delivery. I want you to listen to that enthusiastic organ.

There may be more popular surf-rock offerings, but “California Sun” has the widest appeal in its surf-R&B-garage crossover status. It has also been covered by the Ramones and the Dictators, and is known as a classic punk song.

They weren’t called Ramblers for nothing. As evidenced by their 1963 song “Boss,” this teenage band from Southern California had a talent for stomping through instrumentals spanning R&B and surf rock genres to deliver something cool and unique.

“Boss” culminates in a rousing guitar and thumping bassline competing with wild saxophone passages that are sure to pack out dance floors even today. While some of the more famous instrumentals of the time pushed the tempo to extremes to excite the listener, “Boss” shows that even a steady, moderate pace is enough to get the hips shaking.

This was a precursor to later garage and surf rock influenced groups like the Cramps, establishing a dynamic of playfulness and menace that gave such bands an edge. The Ramblers were short-lived as a band, as guitarist Johnny Kirkland was drafted into the military two years after the release of “The Boss,” essentially ending the band’s career, but the song remains one of the most enjoyable instrumentals of the early 1960s.