Throughout the boomer years of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, “like” was a word that showed up in popular music in many forms. Here are some songs that are particularly notable for use of the word, “like”:
Chantilly Lace, The Big Bopper (1958)
When J.P. Richardson, appearing as The Big Bopper for the first time on record, crooned, “You know what I like,” the song became an instant classic. In actuality, the song was originally earmarked as the B-side to a parody song called, The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor. DJs preferred the B-side, Chantilly Lace. They liked it enough to play it often, and it became a hit for the ages.
I Like It Like That
There were four songs with the phrase, “I like it like that,” appearing in the 1960s. The first was a New Orleans R&B romp, (The Name of the Place Is) I Like It Like That, by Chris Kenner and Allen Toussaint (1961). Next came the Dave Clark Five covering the same song with a rock beat, when (The Name of the Place Is) I Like It Like That (1965) became a hit for them as well. Smokey Robinson and Marv Tarplin penned a song with the title, I Like It Like That (1964), that was recorded by The Miracles. It was a completely different song than earlier compositions that used the phrase. And last, but hardly least, Pete Rodriguez had a hit with his, I Like It Like That (1967). This boogaloo Latin ditty has acquired a new following by recently being utilized in a hard seltzer commercial. Mister Boomer suspects many boomers, like him, knew the song the first time around. Mr. B felt it was a fun time to smugly remind today’s kids that this groove was from our time!
I Like It, Gerry and the Pacemakers (1963)
A straightforward pop song about teenagers in “like,” this second-single release by the group also became their second hit, reaching number one on the charts.
That’s the Way (I Like It), KC and the Sunshine Band (1975)
Nearly two decades after The Big Bopper told his girlfriend, “You know what I like,” KC and the Sunshine Band boosted the message to remind us all how they liked it.
Mister Boomer recalled them all, except the Smokey Robinson song didn’t immediately come into focus. But once he heard it playing, it all came back to him. In fact, it’s fair to say Mister B “liked” most of these, though he was never a big fan of the Gerry and the Pacemakers song, I Like It.
How about you, boomers? Are you ready to “like” these songs all over again?