I gotta have that "Hang on Sloopy."

You can never go wrong with The McCoys' 1965 chart-topper "Hang On Sloopy". To help track down the right sound for you, what part of it are you drawn to most: that upbeat mid-sixties garage-rock crunch, or the rolling rhythm-and-blues party groove underneath it?

That sweet spot where garage-rock fuzz meets a swinging rhythm-and-blues party groove is one of the most exhilarating corners of mid-sixties rock and roll. Here are three tracks that refuse to separate the two. Do any of these hit that balance of grit and bounce for you, or would you like to steer toward the wilder frat-rock stompers next?

Fair enough! If the radio staples are familiar terrain, let us dig deeper into the crates where that R&B swing meets raw teenage racket. Here are three rowdy garage cuts that capture that exact collision. Do any of these hit that rawer, unruly edge for you, or would you like to wander outside the US into mid-sixties UK freakbeat next?