The two main influences in the music of the Class of ‘65’s senior year were the “British Invasion” and Motown.  Both were present as our junior year came to an end in August of ’64 and both would grow in influence as the year progressed.  The pounding beat of “Where Did Our Love Go” by The Supremes was still filling the airwaves when we re-entered the halls of LHS in September of ’64 and “Baby Love” would soon be climbing the charts (it would reach #1 by Halloween).  Motown had been around since 1959 and had been a significant contributor of hit records, but during our senior year, the label’s success mushroomed.  The Supremes themselves would have four number ones:  “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop, In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again.”  We first heard of The Four Tops in October when “Baby, I Need Your Lovin’” reached #11 and “I Can’t Help Myself” would be climbing towards number one as we graduated.  Marvin Gaye had been a consistent hit maker for Motown and “How Sweet It Is” reached #6 in January.  Martha & The Vandellas came close to the top spot in October with “Dancing in the Street,” while The Temptations had their first number one in March with “My Girl.”  The Miracles had first recorded in 1960 (as “The Miracles featuring Bill Smokey Robinson”) and lead singer, Smokey Robinson had written many of the label’s senior year hit songs, including The Four Tops’ “Baby I Need Your Loving,” and “It’s Growing” and “My Girl” by The Temptations.  The classic “Ooo Baby Baby” by The Miracles topped out at #16 (sadly) in May.  With their studio musicians known collectively as “The Funk Brothers” and song writing teams such as Holland, Dozier & Holland, Motown’s sound continued its recording success to the end of the decade, putting 79 songs in the top ten between 1960 and 1970.

The “British Invasion” had of course begun with The Beatles in January of 1964.  In the “Top 40 Billboard Power Rating” of our senior year, over one quarter of the records would be imports from the United Kingdom.  Naturally, The Beatles led the way with seven top twenty records and three number ones:  “I Feel Fine,” “Eight Days a Week,” and “Ticket To Ride.” The rest of the invasion ranged from the continued success of The Dave Clark Five with four in the top twenty (“Because” the highest at #3), to the new British hit maker, Herman’s Hermits with five top twenty records (“Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” #1).  After their #1, “House of the Rising Sun,” The Animals would have limited future success, while The Moody Blues (“Go Now,” #10) would chart even bigger in 1972 with “Nights in White Satin” (#2).  While the British bands were the major force (Decca had told The Beatles in 1962 that bands were out and the new trend was male vocalists), female vocalist Petula Clark rode the “invasion” to a number one record with “Downtown” in January.  Other British groups with marked success were:  The Kinks, The Zombies, Freddie & The Dreamers, Peter and Gordon, Chad and Jeremy, Manfred Mann, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Rolling Stones, and The Yardbirds.  Some groups found success by feigning British background.  The Strangeloves were actually a New York based group (“I Want Candy”) and Doug Sahm gave his Texas based group a British sounding name when releasing “She’s About A Mover” – The Sir Douglas Quintet.  The San Francisco group, The Beau Brummels had a British look and sound.

Some American pop standbys did manage to survive the “invasion,” most prominent being The Beach Boys who would place five records in the top twenty.  One of the reasons for The Beach Boys continued success was that they mirrored part of The Beatles appeal:  they were a band that played their own instruments in live performances and wrote their own songs.  Roy Orbison had been scoring top ten records since 1960 and would have his second number one when “Oh Pretty Woman” arrived at the top spot in September.  Orbison also wrote his own songs, and when performing “Oh Pretty Woman” he played his guitar and was backed by a band who’s composition reflected a Beatles influence.  “Oh Pretty Woman” was the top Billboard power ranked song of our senior year and was listed by Billboard as the #4 record of 1964.  Surprisingly, Elvis Presley still had some success in 1964.  “Such a Night” reached #16. In 2001, it was featured in the movie, “3000 Miles to Graceland." And for the more traditional sound of American pop music, Bobby Vinton could still find his way to number one – “Mr. Lonely” reached the top spot in April.

Of all the recording acts the Class of ’65 first met in our senior year, The Rolling Stones proved to be the most enduring.  Perhaps also, the lyrics of Mick Jagger resonate the loudest.  As we walked out of Lincoln High School for the last time, the rock anthem “Satisfaction” first hit the airwaves.  As we moved away from our high school years, the song’s expression of alienation would become more and more a part of our generation.  But in June of 1965, an earlier Stones recording perhaps best expressed where we were at the time …. “Time, time, time, is on my side, yes it is.”