3 Rock Songs From 1962 That Every 60s Kid Can Still Sing by Heart Today

The music of the 1960s will always be considered its own style. With that in mind, these are three of the best rock songs from 1962, songs that every 60s kid can likely still sing by heart today.

“Big Girls Don’t Cry” by The Four Seasons

Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, The Four Seasons include “Big Girls Don’t Cry” on their debut album, Sherry & 11 Others. It is The Four Seasons’ second No. 1 single.

“Big Girls Don’t Cry” says, “(Silly boy) Told my girl we had to break up / (Silly boy) Hoped that she would call my bluff / (Silly boy) When she said to my surprise  / Big girls don’t cry’ / Big girls don’t cry (They don’t cry) / Big girls don’t cry (Who said they don’t cry?).”

“Big Girls Don’t Cry” became a No. 1 rock and R&B hit. The line is taken from a 1955 Western film, Tennessee’s Partner.

“Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)” by Ernie Maresca

Ernie Maresca’s only No. 1 single, “Shout! Shout! Knock Yourself Out” is the title track of his only studio album. It is written by Maresca and Thomas F. Bogdany.

“Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)” says, “Shout Shout knock yourself out / Come on yell yell loud and swell / You gotta scream scream, you know what I mean / Put another dime in the record machine / Hey we’re having a party now it’s just begun / We’re all over here and we’re having fun / Joe’s all alone and he wants to be kissed / While Mary’s in the corner and she’s doing the twist / So let’s shout shout knock yourself out.”

This may be Maresca’s only hit single as an artist. Still, he had plenty of success in music. Maresca is the songwriter behind several songs by Dion, including both “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer”. 

“Twist And Shout” by The Isley Brothers

One of the most popular songs of the 60s, “Twist And Shout” was first released by The Top Notes in 1961. But it wasn’t until The Isley Brothers released “Twist And Shout” one year later that it became a hit. Their first Top 5 single, it remains one of The Isley Brothers’ most successful songs.

Phil Medley and Bert Berns are the writers of “Twist And Shout”. The uptempo song says, “Well, shake it up baby now / Twist and shout / Come on, come on, come, come on baby now / Come on and work it on out / You know you twist, little girl / You know you twist so fine / Come on and twist a little closer now / And let me know that you’re mine, woo.”

Although The Isley Brothers’ version remains among the most notable, it isn’t the only successful version of “Twist And Shout”. In 1963, The Beatles also had a hit single with this song.

Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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