The Year is 1969 and the Month is January

Looking back to January 1969 with Vietnam going at full force with over 550,000 troops serving in the southeast Asian country, my most vivid memory was the Rose Bowl game played on January 1st.  The grand daddy of all bowl games featured #1 Ohio State against #2 University of Southern Cal with running back O.J, Simpson.  The Ohio State Buckeyes had Rex Kern at quarterback, a graduate from Lancaster High School of Lancaster, Ohio.  When the dust had settled the Trojans had five turnovers, two by Simpson, as the Buckeyes rolled over the Trojans 27-16.  Kern was named player of the game. 

On January 12, Super Bowl III was played and quarterback Joe Namath, predicted his Jets would defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.  Namath lived up to his prediction as the Jets stunned the odds makers and the Colts 16-7.

The Top Ten TV shows for the 68-69 season were;

1. Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In

2. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

3. Bonanza

4. Mayberry R.F.D.

5. Family Affair

6. Gunsmoke

7. Julia

8. The Dean Martin Show

9. Here's Lucy

10. The Beverly Hillbillies

 

The #1 song for the entire month of January 1969 was Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine. This great song with one of the best voices in Motown history actually spent 7 weeks at #1.  It peaked on December 14, 1968 and remained there throughout the remainder of December and  the month of January.

 

Other great songs from the month of January were:  Crimson and Clover/Tommy James & The Shondells, I'm Gonna Make you Love Me/Diana Ross & Supremes & The Temptations, B.J. Thomas' singing Hooked on a Feeling, Brooklyn Bridge's Worst that Could Happen and Elvis with If I Could Dream plus so many more outstanding sounds from the month of January 1969

 

On The 60s Official Site, on our monthly show  Soundtrack of the 60s, DJ Neal Stevens plays the popular songs from this month January 1969.  These are the songs you listened to on the radio back then.  You can listen to it now by clicking here.  This popular show and great music will remain on the website until February 1 when we will zoom back to another year with a featured month of February.

1969, The End of a Decade

Where have the 60s gone? 1969 ended one of the most remarkable decades in history. Many historians agree that the 60s were one of the most innovative, turbulent, and rebellious decade in modern history but a great era to have lived.

At The 60s Official Site we are looking back to the year 1969 all month. During the year 1969, the news headlines were loaded with Vietnam War details including the My Lai massacre. The big story of the year was man setting foot on the moon and of course Woodstock. Also plastered across the front page of most newspapers was the murder of Sharon Tate and six others by Charles Manson and his cult. Protests against the war were seen across the TV screen each and every night as the news anchors covered the war. Yes indeed the year 1969 ended as it started turbulent and rebellious.

The sixties decade produced some of the best music in rock history and the year 1969 was no exception. Artists such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Temptations, were all over the Billboard Charts.

Coming Friday August 21, 2009, a special presentation by DJ Larry Ravenswood who will countdown the top 100 hits of 1969. This countdown can only be heard on The 60s Official Site. Larry will take us from number 100 to number 1 based on the Billboard charts. In fact, you will feel the energy of the year 1969 by listening to this broadcast. DJ Larry Ravenswood will make you believe that 1969 just ended a day or so ago and he is counting down the biggest hits of the previous year. You don't want to miss this so book mark us and check out The 60s Official Site on Friday August 21, 2009 as we review the top 100 hits of 1969.

We bring the 60s back to life.