The Best '60s Girl-Group Hits That Still Put Boomers In A Great Mood

The boomer generation has a long list of songs to suit various moods: love songs for when they're feeling romantic, a slew of upbeat tunes if they'd like to hit the dance floor, and songs with a strong chorus if they feel like singing at the top of their lungs. For this go-around, we chose the best songs from '60s girl groups that will put boomers in a fantastic mood and bring elation.

We selected these songs because each one can lift a boomer's spirits in a different way. One cut, for example, can fill a person with that feeling of young, giddy love; another might turn a frown into a smile because it makes that person want to groove; and another might remind him or her of their nuptials. Either way, each of these songs is highly catchy, easy to digest, and highly fun to absorb, so at the very least, boomers can simply enjoy the memorable lyrics and sweet melodies to feel great.

Dancing is often the perfect medicine to lift someone out of a gloomy mood, and it can also be used as a preventative measure to keep a person in high spirits. So, Martha and the Vandellas' 1964 hit song, "Dancing in the Street," co-written by Marvin Gaye, is the perfect prescription for feeling good. The upbeat tune serves as a global invitation for people to move and groove during the warm summer months. "Callin' out around the world / Are you ready for a brand new beat / Summer's here and the time is right / For dancing in the street," sings Martha Reeves.

The lyrics paint an almost utopian picture of people coming together despite their differences just to boogie, as it's easy to envision folks from all backgrounds setting aside whatever disputes they may have to dance together outside. "The song is about love and feeling free enough to dance in the street," said Reeves in an interview with NPR. "You don't have to worry about cars hitting you. You don't have to worry about policemen coming and telling you you can't dance in the street." Having that mental image that the song provides will probably put anyone in a great mood, but especially boomers, since it could remind them of first hearing and dancing to the happy-sounding tune.

The Angels' hit song "My Boyfriend's Back" is really a song full of threats if you think about it, but that doesn't mean it can't put boomers in a cheery mood. That has plenty to do with the sweet, innocent-sounding vocal delivery that the women display, as well as the song's youthful energy. There's something about those "Hey-la-day-las" in the cut that can also give a boomer a bright and sunny disposition. The 1963 single is about a girl's beau being gone for some time, but he's now back in town and will fight for her honor since another fellow has been harassing her to go on a date with him.

Peggy Santiglia, who sings lead, describes the boyfriend as big and strong and lets the other guy know he should be worried because he spread some lies about her after being rejected. The song can easily lift the mood of a boomer by transporting that person back to a time when boyfriends, girlfriends, and dating lived at the center of their universe — long before jobs, bills, and responsibilities came tumbling into their lives. So, whether it's the nostalgic aspect of "My Boyfriend's Back" that puts a boomer in a delightful mood or just its overall sound, it's the perfect song to savor.

Considering that boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, most were far too young to walk down the aisle and give their I-dos when The Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love" was released, but it probably still resonated with them. The song's lyrics paint the picture of a couple on their wedding day, a day that's full of springtime romance. "Spring is here, the sky is blue / Birds all sing as if they knew / Today's the day we'll say I do / And we'll never be lonely anymore," sing sisters Rosa Lee and Barbara Ann Hawkins, along with their cousin Joan Johnson. 

A lot of boomers are probably reminded of their first love when hearing the song, and how they believed deep down they would marry that person on a sunny day filled with singing birds. Or, perhaps they played this song on their actual wedding day.

"Chapel of Love," which was The Dixie Cups' first single on Red Bird Records, went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, beating out The Fab Four. "The Beatles were out, and they had, at that time, their song was 'Love Me Do,'" Rosa Lee Hawkins told NPR in 2014. "But 'Chapel of Love,' it was released, it surpassed everybody on the chart, and it knocked the Beatles out of first place and kept first place for three weeks." That high chart position speaks to how much the song was adored back then, and it's pretty much guaranteed to brighten a boomer's spirit today.

The Crystals' 1963 track, "Then He Kissed Me," is a combination of a personal diary and a well-documented timeline. Lead singer Dolores "La La" Brooks, who was just 15 years old when she sang the lyrics, takes the listener from a girl's first kiss all the way to a marriage proposal. It's safe to assume that many a boomer, both girls and guys, dreamed of having the same experience, where someone approaches them, courts them, and shows interest in a serious relationship.

The sheer musicality of the Phil Spector-produced track can improve a boomer's mood as well, as it sounds lighthearted and youthful, matching the song's wholesomeness. Undoubtedly, "Then He Kissed Me" is a nice alternative to the high number of songs, whether old or new, that cover a bitter breakup or a love gone wrong, and boomers can find it refreshing to hear about a relationship that has a storybook ending.

There are few things in life that can pull someone into a great mood like the beauty of nature, which makes The Toys' 1965 song "A Lover's Concerto" ideal for putting a smile on people's faces, boomers included. The song is about the very moment a couple realizes that they're falling for each other, and they make that realization in gorgeous surroundings.

"How gentle is the rain that falls softly on the meadow? / Birds high up on the trees serenade the flowers with their melodies / Oh-oh-oh, see, there beyond the hill / The bright colors of the rainbow / Some magic from above / Made this day for us, just to fall in love," sings lead singer Barbara Harris. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went gold in the year it was released, which surprised the group, as they hadn't expected it to be a hit during the recording process.

"We were almost finished with the recording session, and they came in that morning and said, 'Girls, gather 'round the piano,' played the song down a few times," Harris told the site ClassicBands.com. "It was so easy we just went in there and recorded it ... We had no idea that that one would [be a hit], and I don't think they did either. I think they thought it was a good song, but when they mixed it and went through all the things they go through, I think they were surprised themselves the way it came out, you know?"