62 Years Ago Today: Legendary No. 1 Song That Defined the '60s Released
On June 19, 1964, one of the most iconic songs of the '60s was released.
Rock and pop began to take off in the '60s during the "British Invasion." Legendary groups like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Animals, the Searchers, Cream and Manfred Mann burst onto the music scene and never looked back.
Now, not every single prominent music group from the "British Invasion" would go on to enjoy a long list of future No. 1 hits and classics, like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. The Beatles, of course, went on to become the best-selling music group in history with more than 600 million records sold.
But as Eric Burdon and the Animals would quickly learn, it just took that one big hit song to reach legendary status. For the Animals, it would be their cover version of "The House of the Rising Sun", released in the United Kingdom 62 years ago today.
The roots and origins of "The House of the Rising Sun" are actually unknown. As Gold Radio noted, the song had been referenced as an oldie in a 1925 issue of the Adventure Magazine. Woody Guthrie released a version of the song in 1941, with Joan Baez and Bob Dylan releasing their own covers in 1960 and 1962, respectively.
Burdon and Animals walked into the De Lane Lea Studios in London on May 18, 1964, to record their version of the song. One month later, it would be released for the first time in the UK.
‘The House of the Rising Sun' Became a No. 1 Hit in the US and the UK
Less than two weeks after its release, "The House of the Rising Sun" climbed to No. 1 on the UK Singles chart. The song was released in the United States on Aug. 8. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Sept. 5, holding the top spot for three straight weeks.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 7:38 PM.