Nancy Sinatra Songs: 10 of Her Grooviest '60s Pop Classics
Nancy Sinatra is so much more than just a musical icon's daughter. While her famous father, Frank, was known for his flawless standards, Nancy Sinatra rose to fame in the '60s with her sassy songs and powerful anthems. The younger Sinatra always be known for her 1965 hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," but she's hardly a one-hit wonder, with an eclectic selection of songs that include elements of pop, rock, country and even psychedelia.
Here are 10 essential Nancy Sinatra songs that show her range from pop sweetheart to edgy hipster.
1. "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1965) Nancy Sinatra songs
"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" was Nancy Sinatra's first big hit, and decades later it remains one of pop's ultimate kiss-offs.
The lyrics, which put a bad boyfriend in his place, established Nancy as a girl you don't want to mess with, and remain empowering in their proto-feminism, while the accompanying music video, featuring Nancy and her background dancers in micro-minidresses and go-go boots, embodied the swingin' style of the '60s.
2. "Sugar Town" (1966)
"Sugar Town" is an easy, breezy tune that topped Billboard's Easy Listening chart. While it sounds perfectly wholesome, it's actually surprisingly subversive, as the lyrics were rumored to be about the then-popular practice of tripping on LSD-laced sugar cubes. These winking psychedelic references made it the rare song that could be equally enjoyed by hippies and their parents.
3. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (1966)
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" was originally a 1966 hit for Cher, written by her husband and musical collaborator Sonny Bono.
The same year, Nancy Sinatra covered the haunting song, and while it wasn't a single, its popularity grew over time, and it was memorably featured in the opening scene of the 2003 film Kill Bill, introducing the singer to a new generation.
Related: Young Cher: See the Singer’s Fashion Transformation and Her Wildest Looks
4. "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" (1966)
"How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" may sound uncannily similar to "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'," but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Like her earlier hit, Sinatra dismisses a man (or as she memorably calls him, "a smart alec tomcat") who has done her wrong and defiantly shimmies off to better things with the line "This girl is leavin' you behind."
5. "Somethin' Stupid" (1967) Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra songs
Two generations of Sinatras joined forces for the 1967 smash hit "Somethin' Stupid." The ballad remains the first and only father-daughter duet to ever top the Billboard pop charts.
While the Nancy Sinatra-Frank Sinatra duet sounds inoffensive at first, if you listen to the lyrics, you may find it a little strange that a father and daughter are singing a song from the perspective of a couple. In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, Nancy joked, "Some people call that the Incest Song, which I think is, well, very sweet!"
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6. "Summer Wine" (1967) Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra songs
Lee Hazlewood was the mastermind who wrote and produced the majority of Sinatra's best-known songs. "Summer Wine," which sounds straight out of a classic Western, was the first of their many successful duets, and the combination of Hazlewood's cowboy swagger and Sinatra's femme fatale cool proved irresistible to listeners.
7. "Some Velvet Morning" (1967)
You gotta love the '60s — it was the only time when a psychedelic, eerie duet filled with references to the mythological Greek princess Phaedra could be a hit. Unlike many duets, the two parts of "Some Velvet Morning" intentionally don't quite go together, giving the song a singular, evocative sound that remains influential to this day.
In a 2023 Billboard interview, Sinatra admitted that when it came to the enigmatic lyrics, "I had no idea what it was about. I don’t know if Lee even had an idea either."
8. "Jackson" (1967) Nancy Sinatra songs
"Jackson" was originally made famous by the first couple of country music, Johnny and June Carter Cash. That same year, Sinatra and Hazlewood put their own spin on this duet about an unhappy marriage.
Rather than the trippy grandeur of "Some Velvet Morning," the song has a more of country saloon vibe, and the songwriter, Billy Edd Wheeler, said the marital drama was inspired by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Related: New June Carter Cash Documentary Brings the Icon Out of Johnny Cash’s Shadow
9. "You Only Live Twice" (1967) Nancy Sinatra songs
Sinatra's theme song for the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice is considered to be one of the best in the long-running franchise. The orchestral opening gives us instant chills, and the song makes the perfect accompaniment to the epic glamour and drama of the beloved Bond film.
10. "Tony Rome" (1967) Nancy Sinatra songs
The 1967 thriller Tony Rome starred Frank Sinatra as the titular ex-cop turned private investigator. While the film didn't make nearly as much of a splash as You Only Live Twice that same year, it too featured a theme song from Nancy, as it was the ideal opportunity to seize on both the Sinatra name and Nancy's knack for cinematic pop.
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The staying power of Nancy Sinatra songs
While the most popular Nancy Sinatra songs may have all come out in the '60s, she's still kicking at 83, and continued to release albums into the 2010s. The use of her songs in movies, TV shows and ads in the '00s helped introduce her to a new audience, as did recent reissues of her work, and she's been cited as an influence by everyone from indie rock icon Kim Gordon to country star Kacey Musgraves to retro-loving songstress Lana Del Rey.
Sinatra may be retired today, but her legacy of stylish, empowered pop is forever relevant.
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