5 Rock Songs From 1966 That Sound Even Cooler Today

The middle of the 1960s birthed countless now-classic rock 'n' roll sounds, from folk rock to psychedelic rock to soft rock. Each of these subgenres, and everything in between, cultivated memorable sounds that would define the future of rock music, as well as establishing artists who would remain for decades. But it can be easy to forget just how special some of these songs were. Something many capture, an essential trait of this mid-'60s era, is a defining coolness, a swagger — an altogether undeniable feeling.

Thanks to their driving rhythms and groovy guitars, their tasty vocals and moving lyrics, these classic tracks from 1966 were appreciated at the time but have only grown in cool since their release. The likes of Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys were experts in delivering these sounds, as were some other artists you're sure to recognize. Whether it's time itself separating them from the pack, themes and instrumentals that were ahead of their time, or any other factor that delivers that indisputable feeling, the songs on this list took the musical seeds planted in 1966 to a whole other level, and are still tracks we're playing on repeat to this day.

When it comes to the '60s, it just doesn't get cooler than Bob Dylan's album "Blonde on Blonde." Written and recorded at the peak of Dylan's coolness, songs like "Visions of Johanna" had a suave rock 'n' roll sound to them, and this song in particular has aged without blemish. The undeniable guitar-driven groove propels this seven-minute song, which doesn't feel its length at all. Sonically, "Visions of Johanna" is built for a sunny, windows-down drive, but the story within the song, though less joyous, enhances the experience.

Dylan tells a story of longing for someone and thinking about them even in the company of other lovers, in a dramatic but polished fashion. At times he distances himself from the situation with third person to emphasize the dissociation: "Just Louise and her lover so entwined / And these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind." The sonics used by Dylan here are impossible not to like, and "Visions of Johanna" finds his voice at its most groovy and confident, perfectly in the pocket so the music surrounding him can swell impeccably. It's a track that feels more in style with each passing day.

"Pet Sounds," the 1966 record from California rockers the Beach Boys, was and is revered immensely, and it's filled with vocals and melodies that feel ahead of its time. On it are hits like "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and quality deep cuts like "Let's Go Away for Awhile," but without a doubt the most timelessly cool track on the album, and one of the coolest of the year, is the excellent, infectious "God Only Knows," a rock 'n' roll classic that somehow never made it to No. 1. 

This soft rock, harmonically driven track is filled with gorgeous vocals and an overall uplifting feel. It's nearly larger than life, and its cinematic soundscape paired with its excellent, gentle lyrics — "If you should ever leave me / Well, life would still go on, believe me / The world could show nothing to me / So what good would living do me? / God only knows what I'd be without you" — are so strong that Paul McCartney declared "God Only Knows" the best song ever written. Its drama and the sincere love it expresses are indeed a testament to great songwriting, and "God Only Knows" is a tough track to ever say no to, as it will always leave us feeling better than before we listened to it.

The Beatles' album "Revolver" met with high praise in 1966, and it further solidified the incredible string of albums the bestselling English band put together in the late '60s. Though filled with memorable hits like "Eleanor Rigby" and "Yellow Submarine," the album ends with "Tomorrow Never Knows," which strays further from the band's breakthrough pop sound than any other track.

A hazy, psychedelic song full of gritty vocals and electronic sounds as well as innovative uses of reversed and compressed tracks, "Tomorrow Never Knows" was a much more avant-garde album ending than likely expected by many fans, and time has only aged it well. Psychedelic themes are clear in both its sound and its lyrics: "Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream / It is not dying, it is not dying / Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void / It is shining, it is shining." With time to ripen, this strange, unconventional song carries an indisputable artistic swagger. It serves as a statement that the Beatles could make any kind of song they wanted, across any genre or style, and the quality would remain.

You wouldn't expect a song telling the story of a funeral to find a place among the coolest songs of the year, but the unstoppable songwriting chops of the Rolling Stones turned even this subject matter into a timeless hit. "Paint It, Black" even hit No. 1 in 1966, and its excellent guitars and built-up sections through its verses are incredibly memorable. It's only gotten better with time.

Simultaneously eerie and exhilarating, "Paint It, Black" captures an essential alternative feeling that swirled through the air of 1966. Its waltz-like tempo that fades back and forth with more classic rock sections is an addicting pendulum, with lines like "If I look hard enough into the setting sun / My love will laugh with me before the morning comes" landing perfectly with the swings of rhythm. Despite the lingering eeriness, "Paint It, Black" holds a staunch groove engineered by rock 'n' roll legends, and this juxtaposition — along with lyrics that still give us chills every time we listen  — makes it all the cooler, and a repeatable classic to this day.

Among the defining hits of the Byrds — who hit their stride in 1965 and '66 with hits including "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" — "Eight Miles High" is a song that focuses an alternative swagger through a unique, funky arrangement. The soft-rocking, psychedelic-influenced track, a sound that was clearly making waves in '66, is full of inspired guitar licks through all kinds of rhythms, which combine with mesmerizing, soft vocals for a hypnotic listen.

Its arrangement is complex and overlapping, but the chaos harmonizes well enough that "Eight Miles High" is an easy song to rock out to. Made up of only three short verses, the focus is primarily on the music, with the lyrics building an ambience rather than a coherent story: "Round the squares, huddled in storms / Some laughing, some just shapeless forms / Sidewalk scenes, and black limousines / Some living, some standing alone." The guitar harmonies alone set up "Eight Miles High" as the pinnacle of avant-garde '60s cool, and these innovative sounds are only more impressive to listen to now.