Stand Out Songs By Year (SOSBY)

Posting the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack the other day got me to thinking if it would be possible to select one definitive track for each year since 1963. Why 1963? Well 1963 was when music changed forever with the coming of The Beatles, Stones and the rest of the British Invasion. Very few pre 1963 chart toppers hit the charts again after 1963. Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Dylan and The Four Seasons are notable exceptions.  
For me, the definitive track might be the biggest hit of the year or it might be a piece of music that many readily identify with that year. A Christmas hit or a charitable "We Are The World" fall into this latter category. I recognise this is an entirely subjective (and self indulgent?) exercise but it is my blog!! With each year's selection I will post a link to a list of the most popular tracks of that year. If you don't like my choice check the list and let me know what your choice would be.
1963 
I hope all years won't be as tough as 63. To see what I mean take a look at my short list:

• Cliff Richard - Summer Holiday
• Chiffons - He's So fine
• Ronettes - Be My baby
• Patsy Kline - Crazy
• Bob Dylan - Blowin' In The Wind
• Crystals - Then He Kissed Me
• Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle
• Lesley Gore - It's My Party
• Beach Boys - Surfin' USA
• Beatles - (Any 1 from 7)
• Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone
• Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki

Common sense would suggest I chose a Beatles track as they were the main instigators of change in 1963.

But then what about Gerry and The Pacemakers, "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the 1945 hit musical Carousel. A UK No 1 hit, a hit for half a dozen other artists and still an anthem over 40 years later in soccer grounds all around Britain.

None of the above. My choice is Bob Dylan's maybe protest song, "Blowin' In The Wind". The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1999 and was ranked #14 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". This makes it the highest ranking song from 1963 in the list so who am I to argue.

Go to SOSBY 1963 for a list of the most popular tracks.

Note: The release years I'm showing for tracks may differ from your records. Might be due to differing US, UK release dates or I might just be wrong.......