Cruisin' Tunes

The 1960s was a pivotal decade in popular music.

- Diego Rosenberg

The Beatles shook up the North American establishment, with music evolving at an unprecedented rate the instant the Fab Four arrived on our shores in 1964. Detroit was poised to ride that metamorphic wave; the 1964½ Mustang fully embraced the emerging demographics and psychographics that were being transformed by the burgeoning Baby Boomer segment.

Despite being a low-compression kid, I enjoy both the music and the cars from the era. Having grown up with stellar Philly, Trenton, and NYC radio stations, plus access to a primo underground vinyl collection in my college radio show days, I am able to dig deep and create some unusual pairings (look the songs up on YouTube for a listen).

1966 Pontiac Bonneville

A Bonnie ragtop doesn’t inspire high performance pretensions, but throw in a 421 HO and four-speed and you’d have a cruiser par excellence. Imagine a scene that begins with a dose of fuzz and harmonica courtesy of Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction.” The driver’s door opens, followed by the protagonist’s fingers inserting a key in the ignition. The rhythm guitar kicks in as the segment cuts to the front of the garage opening to display the Tri-power rumble and a pair of stacked headlights. Hollywood, are you listening?

1967 Ford Custom