The Byrds must’ve made every band of the 1960s, regardless of fame, feel inadequate. Nobody could produce folk-rock melodies and harmonies that were quite as beautiful. And no other band looked quite as cool. But this was merely the starting point of a short but exciting history that turned The Byrds into one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

I love The Byrds. Their group’s sound, especially that of the early records, is one of the first ones for which I had massive affection. This is my loving tribute. And these are the 10 best songs by The Byrds.

10 Greatest Songs by The Byrds

10. “The Bells of Rhymney”

It was a quick, quick change from Beatle-wannabes to professional band and kings of American counterculture. The Byrds had, like The Monkees, been asked not to play on the group’s early singles.

But by the time that they recorded their debut album, 1965’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” they were good enough to play their own instruments and to dazzle the many actors and musicians who would come to watch them play.

“The Bells of Rhymney,” a Pete Seeger song, features the group’s trademark three-part vocal harmonies and that sweet jingle-jangle guitar sound. I think that it’s quite gorgeous.

9. “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better”

Yes, The Byrds built the group’s original reputation on beautiful cover versions of famous folk songs. But that didn’t sit entirely right with everyone in the band.

Gene Clark was a budding songwriter. And when The Byrds was formed, he was the group’s only quasi-professional musician.

“I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” was recorded for the debut album. The record label reluctantly included it. I’m sure that whoever approved this was, thereafter, happy with their choice. The song proves that The Byrds already had one of the best songwriters of the era in the group.

8. “So You Want to Be a Rock N’ Roll Star”

Many bands tried following The Beatles all the way up to the summit. Few managed the journey. The Byrds climbed all the way to the top, and like others, were disappointed with what they saw along the way.

“So You Want to Be a Rock N’ Roll Star” fuses folk and psychedelic-rock for one of the band’s most cynical songs. It reminds me of Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul” recorded with Buffalo Springfield. The hopefulness of old is gone, and replaced by wisdom and a newfound world-weariness.

7. “Set You Free This Time”

It’s strange to realize that the folk-rock era of The Byrds, for which they’re most famous, lasted for less than two years.

It’s also bizarre to come to terms with just what a great songwriter Gene Clark had become between the release of the first and second albums by the band.

“Set You Free This Time” was one of the finest songs produced by the band. However, it also caused irreparable tension within the group. Clark earned more money as the chief songwriter and was gone soon after the release of “Turn! Turn! Turn.”

6. “Ballad of Easy Rider”

The Byrds had been one of the most easily embraced groups by the counterculture upon its first releases. It’s no wonder then that McGuinn would’ve been keen to associate himself with the “Easy Rider” film, one of the staples of the 60s post-hippie era.

With some uncredited input from Bob Dylan, McGuinn delivers one of his finest compositions. “Ballad of Easy Rider” is an often overlooked gem of a song.

5. “Hickory Wind”

The story of The Byrds has about as many twists and turns as a detective novel. While they’d innovated folk-rock and psychedelic sounds in the mid-1960s, the band was taking a stab at an altogether less hip style by 1968 – country.

It was this pivot to C&W that launched a whole new, thriving musical scene. But, in particular, it’s Gram Parsons’s gorgeous, tortured “Hickory Wind” that is the best moment off of the legendary “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”

4. “Mr. Tambourine Man”

The Byrds have the distinction of having decided to cover this future Bob Dylan classic before it had even been released. It was all part of a sophisticated plan to get The Byrds, previously known as The Jet Set, to become the American version of The Beatles.

It worked! But it took professional musicians, The Wrecking Crew, to play on the actual recording of the single. The plan also required some excellent haircuts and nice pictures to make it happen.

The result, however, speaks for itself. The Byrds helped pioneer a jangly-guitar folk-rock sound. Soon, many would adopt the style. And even Dylan and The Beatles would pay notice.

3. “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)”

The hype was on! The Byrds arrived in Britain and were billed as America’s version of The Beatles. Critics and fans were, originally, a little suspicious.

It was the release of a Pete Seeger cover, “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” with its pristine vocal harmonies and Biblically inspired lyrics, that showed that the excitement was warranted.

“Turn! Turn! Turn!” is not just a great example of 1960s folk. It is one of the most pleasant-sounding recordings of all time.

2. “Eight Miles High”

Gene Clarke left the group in 1966, and The Byrds promptly opted to change their sound. Who’d take such a chance on a formula that had worked so well?

Well, in many ways, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby were too honest to hide who they’d become – daring psychedelic explorers.

There is no LSD-tinged song that is more famous or more accurately captures the experience as “Eight Miles High.” But, as the controversy has died down over the years, we can now safely admit that it’s also one of the best songs of the period.

1. “My Back Pages”

It’s ironic that “My Back Pages” was another cover of a Bob Dylan song featured on the album that announced The Byrds’ collective ability as songwriters. Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby finally found a way of successfully replacing Gene Clark’s tunes on “Younger Than Yesterday.”

But it was a familiar folk-rock jingle-jangle sound that was the album’s best moment. Yes, The Byrds are going back into their past for this one. But in doing so, they also remind fans of just what made them be dubbed “The American Beatles.”

“My Back Pages” is my favorite song by The Byrds and arguably their finest hour, and one of the best songs ever recorded.