Category 1960s

“It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)” (Henry Mancini/Fran Jeffries)

The Pink Panther soundtrack, Henry Mancini

Wrapping up our week of movie music, today’s classic movie song of the day comes from the original 1964 version of The Pink Panther. No, we’re not talking about that recognizable do do-do, do-do do-do do-do instrumental theme song, but rather a song with lyrics that’s performed in its entirety within the movie. The song is “It Had Better Be…

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“Mrs. Robinson” (Simon & Garfunkel)

Mrs. Robinson, Simon & Garfunkel

This week we’re featuring songs used in movies, and today’s classic movie song of the day is “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel. This one was heavily featured in the legendary film The Graduate—even though Paul Simon hadn’t finished writing it when the movie was being made! That’s right, “Mrs. Robinson” wasn’t yet finished when director Mike Nichols decided to…

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“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (B.J. Thomas)

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, B.J. Thomas

Continuing our weeklong spotlight on songs from the cinema, today’s classic movie song of the day is “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as performed by singer B.J. Thomas. Released as a single in October of 1969, this track was a major hit worldwide, hitting #1 in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Norway,…

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“Spooky” (Classics IV/Atlanta Rhythm Section/Dusty Springfield)

Spooky, Classics IV

Today’s classic song of the day was a hit for three different artists over the course of a decade or so. The song is “Spooky,” and it was written by Mike Sharpe (under his given name, Mike Shapiro), Harry Middlebrooks Jr., James Cobb, and Buddy Buie. Sharpe and Middlebrooks wrote “Spooky” as an instrumental, and Mike Sharpe’s original recording of…

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“Wipe Out” (The Surfaris)

Wipe Out, Surfaris

Following on yesterday’s surf instrumental, the Ventures’ “Walk, Don’t Run,” today’s classic instrumental song of the day is another surf-flavored track, “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris. The single, first released in January of 1963, went all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100—and became a staple for almost every garage…

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