Car song
Encyclopedia
In the 1960s
, the popularity of muscle car
s spawned numerous songs about the craze.
had a hit with Rocket 88
, tributing the Oldsmobile Rocket 88
. Chuck Berry
had a song entitled Jaguar and Thunderbird. As the song was released in 1960, the Jaguar in question would most likely be the XK line while the Thunderbird could be any model made prior to the "Bullet Bird" of the early sixties.
, brought several cars referencing performance cars.
1960s in music
For music from a year in the 1960s, go to 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1960s....
, the popularity of muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
s spawned numerous songs about the craze.
Fifties
Cars had already been tributed starting in the fifties. Jackie BrenstonJackie Brenston
Jackie Brenston was an African American R&B singer and saxophonist, who recorded, with Ike Turner's band, the first version of the proto-rock and roll song "Rocket 88".-Biography:...
had a hit with Rocket 88
Rocket 88
"Rocket 88" is a rhythm and blues song that was first recorded at Sam Phillips' recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on 3 March or 5 March 1951...
, tributing the Oldsmobile Rocket 88
Oldsmobile V8 engine
The Oldsmobile Rocket V8 was the first post-war OHV V8 at General Motors. Production started in 1949, with a new generation introduced in 1964. Like Pontiac, Olds continued building its own V8 engine family for decades, finally adopting the corporate Chevrolet 350 small-block and Cadillac Northstar...
. Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
had a song entitled Jaguar and Thunderbird. As the song was released in 1960, the Jaguar in question would most likely be the XK line while the Thunderbird could be any model made prior to the "Bullet Bird" of the early sixties.
Sixties
The muscle car craze, as well as the surge of interest in sports car racingSports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
, brought several cars referencing performance cars.
- Little GTO by Ronny and the Daytonas is a song about the Pontiac GTOPontiac GTOThe Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is considered an innovative, and now classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s...
, considered to be the first muscle car. - Mustang SallyMustang SallyMustang Sally can refer to*Mustang Sally , written by Mack Rice and recorded by Wilson Pickett*Mustang Sally , a 2006 horror movie*Salvatore "Mustang Sally" Intile, a minor character on The Sopranos...
by Wilson PickettWilson PickettWilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
talks about a woman who drives a Ford MustangFord MustangThe Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A... - Dead Man's CurveDead Man's Curve"Dead Man's Curve" is the unofficial but commonly used name given to hazardous curves on Interstate Highways and other roads in the United States that have claimed lives because of accidents.-Cleveland Innerbelt:...
by Jan and DeanJan and DeanJan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
references a JaguarJaguarThe jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
, most likely a Jaguar E-TypeJaguar E-typeThe Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring... - Hey Little Cobra by the Rip Chords, is a tribute to the revolutionary Shelby Cobra, and is about the car going up against Corvette Stingrays and Jaguar XKEs.
- The SurfarisThe SurfarisThe Surfaris were an American surf rock band formed in Glendora, California in 1962. They are best known for two songs that hit the charts in the Los Angeles, California area, and nationally by May 1963: "Surfer Joe" on the A-side and "Wipe Out" on the B-side of a 45 RPM single.-Career:The original...
did a song entitled Boss Barracuda, about the Plymouth BarracudaPlymouth BarracudaThe Plymouth Barracuda is a 2-door car that was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1964-1974.The first-generation Barracuda, a fastback A-body coupe based on the Plymouth Valiant, had a distinctive wraparound back glass and was available from 1964-1966.The... - 409409 (song)"409" is a song written by Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Gary Usher for the American rock and roll band, The Beach Boys. The song features Mike Love singing lead vocals. It was originally released as the b-side of the "Surfin' Safari" single...
by The Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
is a song about the Chevrolet 409. It features Gary Usher's 348 providing engine sounds. - Paul Revere and the Raiders did a song about the SS 396