Beyond Space and Time: Five songs from the 1960s a decade ahead of their time
For many reasons, the 1960s remains one of the best decades in music history. Not only did it birth timeless outfits like The Beatles, but it also carried an energy and essence that’s hard to find in today’s landscape. Perhaps this is because the entire decade felt on the cusp of a revolution or because the influx of diverse talent suddenly made the world feel much bigger. Either way, it became central to a movement of innovation.
The entirety of the 1960s was defined by immense progression across all major industries. In many ways, the music industry became simultaneously a mirror and a challenger of these developments, with artists using their platforms and creative visions to criticise and celebrate different facets of society. This was occurring at all corners, from the pop-rock sounds of the Fab Four to the more diverse charge of Motown.
However, this also paved the way for innovators to create sounds and structures that felt somewhat otherworldly, even if they resonated entirely within the moment they came from. For instance, many of David Bowie’s compositions during this decade felt like they existed everywhere and nowhere, compounded by their cultural relevance though timeless in execution.
Similarly, pioneers of genre-blending hinted at the major sonic progression that would sweep through the 1970s, laying the groundwork for others to explore the foundations they had consciously established. In many ways, this is what made the 1960s so great—not just the dominance of energetic groups, but the perseverance and prominence of artists proving the power of great music in a world far from perfect.
Five 1960s songs ahead of their time:
‘California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and The Papas
In the mid-1960s, genre-blending was best left to the seasoned professionals. If done poorly, it often sounded like artist were struggling to establish their identity, instead settling for something more akin to loose experimentalism than real innovation. However, The Mamas and The Papas always felt ahead of their time on this front, with songs that could have easily slid into the 1970s remit as when they emerged.
‘California Dreamin’ wasn’t just forward-thinking because it celebrated everything great about what the band epitomised at this particular juncture; it also reflected the kind of disillusionment and dissatisfaction that blended into the following decade, when the counterculture movement was long gone and in its place remained an uncertain, cold abyss.
‘Waterloo Sunset’ – The Kinks
Unpacking the legacy of The Kinks sometimes feels like finding a needle in a haystack. This isn’t necessarily because their direction is unclear; it’s more a byproduct of the convoluted nature of Ray Davies’ mind during a time when the world felt more like the weathered edges of lost identity than a reflection of society’s shortcomings. Through their music, he proved that this disillusionment could stem from both, with each being starkly connected to the other.
‘Waterloo Sunset’ feels just as relevant now as it did then. By crafting sonic compositions blended with immensely layered storytelling and hinging its themes on the current shackles of society, the song felt slightly more sophisticated than it was probably appreciated for at the time, regarding serenity with an almost detached edge. In a way, it felt more like the bliss of suspending disbelief than anything else, reflecting the desire for fleeting escape that defined the following years.
‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ – The Beatles
Throughout the 1960s, it felt like the only band that could truly get away with utilising various genres and technologies while still creating great music was The Beatles. While countless others pursued the same vision, the Fab Four did so with a level of accomplishment that made it seem like they had been in the game for years longer than they actually had.
‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ is a swirling concoction of technological innovation, with the band blending reversed guitar licks and psychedelic sounds to produce the kind of electronic-infused rock track that would have felt entirely out of place in the 1960s were it not for the band’s globally respected impact.
‘These Days’ – Nico
In many ways, Nico never truly belonged to any decade or any place. With her otherworldly charm, foreign appeal, and innate darkness, she naturally commanded any room she entered—an essence that bled into her art. Throughout her career, Nico managed to infuse her inexplicable artistic beauty into her music, leaving behind ambiguous traces of her past, present, and bleak future.
‘These Days’ feels somewhat separate from most of her other popular songs. For starters, it’s a more tender affair, one that speaks more to Nico’s inherent nostalgia than her overt melancholy. It also lingers with you, almost as if it’s entirely bespoke—a glimpse into the people we once were and struggle to hold onto as we grow and change with the tides.
‘Space Oddity’ – David Bowie
In almost every way imaginable, David Bowie was about as futuristic as it got. Not only did he master the art of creative innovation decades earlier than most other musical legends did, but he also knew how to use scientific and technological advancements to his advantage, creating art that felt like it somehow held the secrets to the universe.
The success of ‘Space Oddity’ might have hinged on one of the biggest cultural moments in history, but it also reinstated the power of great art and its ability to achieve the seemingly impossible. Aside from being a great song, it set the standard for cultural resonance, establishing Bowie as a genius mastermind who somehow effortlessly existed above and beyond anybody else.
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