1960 music sat right at the crossroads between the 1950s rock-and-roll era and the smoother pop, soul, dance, and teen-idol sounds of the early 1960s. Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Sam Cooke, The Drifters, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Bobby Rydell, Connie Francis, and The Everly Brothers helped define a year full of dance crazes, dramatic ballads, teen tragedy songs, instrumentals, country crossovers, and early soul classics.

This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 1960, then groups more 1960 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was a year when rock and roll was still young, teen idols were everywhere, soul was gaining force, and America was apparently very ready to twist.

Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 1960?

Popular music in 1960 included rock and roll, teen pop, doo-wop, early soul, country-pop, traditional pop, instrumentals, novelty records, and dance songs. Songs like The Twist, Beyond the Sea, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, I’m Sorry, Money (That’s What I Want), and Save the Last Dance for Me helped define the sound of 1960.

Top 10 Songs of 1960

1. The Twist – Chubby Checker
2. Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
3. Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley
4. Wild One – Bobby Rydell
5. Volare – Bobby Rydell
6. I’m Sorry – Brenda Lee
7. Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
8. This Magic Moment – The Drifters
9. It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
10. Wonderful World – Sam Cooke

More 1960 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 1960 music becomes more interesting when grouped by style. The year had early soul, doo-wop, rock and roll, country crossover, dramatic teen ballads, instrumentals, traditional pop, and novelty songs all sharing the same radio dial.

1960 Rock and Roll, Dance Crazes, and Teen Hits

Rock and roll was still young in 1960, but it had already changed popular music for good. Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Johnny Burnette, Hank Ballard, Gary U.S. Bonds, Freddie Cannon, and The Ventures helped keep the beat moving. This was the part of 1960 where the dance floor stopped being polite and started twisting.

The Twist – Chubby Checker
Wild One – Bobby Rydell
You’re Sixteen – Johnny Burnette
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop – Little Anthony & The Imperials
Swingin’ School – Bobby Rydell
New Orleans – Gary U.S. Bonds
Finger Poppin’ Time – Hank Ballard
Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
Walk, Don’t Run – The Ventures
Way Down Yonder in New Orleans – Freddie Cannon
The Twist – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
Dreamin’ – Johnny Burnette
Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Part II – Jessie Hill
Rockin’ Little Angel – Ray Smith

1960 Soul, R&B, Doo-Wop, and Vocal Group Hits

Soul, R&B, and doo-wop were major parts of 1960. Sam Cooke, The Drifters, The Platters, Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson, Dinah Washington, Brook Benton, The Zodiacs, and The Five Stairsteps helped give the year warmth, rhythm, and vocal drama. These songs helped bridge 1950s vocal-group traditions with the stronger soul sound that would define much of the 1960s.

Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
This Magic Moment – The Drifters
Wonderful World – Sam Cooke
Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles
Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
Save the Last Dance for Me – The Drifters
Harbor Lights – The Platters
Where or When – Dion & The Belmonts
Stay – Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
Doggin’ Around – Jackie Wilson
Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) – Dinah Washington & Brook Benton
Night – Jackie Wilson
A Thousand Stars – Kathy Young & The Innocents
Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino
Love You So – Ron Holden
My Girl Josephine – Fats Domino
Blue Angel – Roy Orbison
A Fool in Love – Ike & Tina Turner
You Got What It Takes – Marv Johnson
Sleep – Little Willie John
This Bitter Earth – Dinah Washington

1960 Teen Idol, Pop Ballads, and Heartbreak Songs

Teen pop and heartbreak ballads were everywhere in 1960. Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Bobby Vee, Paul Anka, Connie Francis, Johnny Tillotson, Mark Dinning, and Roy Orbison helped make the year emotional, dramatic, and very teenage. This was the era when heartbreak did not just hurt; it got a full orchestra and a tragic title.

Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley
I’m Sorry – Brenda Lee
It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
Cathy’s Clown – The Everly Brothers
Only the Lonely – Roy Orbison
Tell Laura I Love Her – Ray Peterson
Stuck on You – Elvis Presley
Teen Angel – Mark Dinning
Devil or Angel – Bobby Vee
Sweet Nothin’s – Brenda Lee
Lonely Teenager – Dion
Poetry in Motion – Johnny Tillotson
Puppy Love – Paul Anka
When Will I Be Loved? – The Everly Brothers
Mama – Connie Francis
Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool – Connie Francis
I Want to Be Wanted – Brenda Lee
My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own – Connie Francis
Sixteen Reasons – Connie Stevens
Stairway to Heaven – Neil Sedaka
Paper Roses – Anita Bryant
Mission Bell – Donnie Brooks
Image of a Girl – The Safaris
Am I That Easy to Forget – Debbie Reynolds
Pretty Blue Eyes – Steve Lawrence
Lucky Devil – Carl Dobkins Jr.
Anymore – Teresa Brewer
He’ll Have to Stay – Jeanne Black

1960 Traditional Pop, Standards, and Easy Listening Favorites

Traditional pop still had a strong place in 1960, even as rock and roll, soul, and teen pop were changing radio. Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Percy Faith, Ferrante & Teicher, Connie Francis, and The Brothers Four helped keep standards, orchestral pop, and polished vocals in the mix. This was the smoother side of 1960, where the arrangements wore a tie.

Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
Volare – Bobby Rydell
Theme from The Apartment – Ferrante & Teicher
Mack the Knife – Ella Fitzgerald
Waltzing Matilda – Jimmie Rodgers
Caravan – Santo & Johnny
Harlem Nocturne – The Viscounts
Nice ‘n’ Easy – Frank Sinatra
Theme from A Summer Place – Percy Faith
Greenfields – The Brothers Four
Last Date – Floyd Cramer
Never on Sunday – Don Costa
Because They’re Young – Duane Eddy

1960 Country, Country-Pop, and Story Songs

Country and country-pop were also part of the 1960 music story. Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton, Hank Locklin, Johnny Bond, Charlie Ryan, and Charlie Rich brought western ballads, story songs, and country crossover appeal to the charts. These songs added horses, highways, heartbreak, and at least one sinking battleship to the year’s jukebox.

Hot Rod Lincoln – Johnny Bond
He’ll Have to Go – Jim Reeves
El Paso – Marty Robbins
Sink the Bismarck – Johnny Horton
North to Alaska – Johnny Horton
Please Help Me, I’m Falling – Hank Locklin
Hot Rod Lincoln – Charlie Ryan
Lonely Weekends – Charlie Rich

1960 Instrumentals, Surf Guitar, and Movie Themes

Instrumentals were still powerful in 1960, especially through guitar records, movie themes, and easy-listening hits. Duane Eddy, The Ventures, Percy Faith, Floyd Cramer, Ferrante & Teicher, Santo & Johnny, and The Viscounts showed that a song did not always need lyrics to become memorable. Sometimes a guitar riff, piano line, or theme melody did the talking.

Peter Gunn – Duane Eddy
Theme from The Apartment – Ferrante & Teicher
Last Date – Floyd Cramer
Caravan – Santo & Johnny
Harlem Nocturne – The Viscounts
Walk, Don’t Run – The Ventures
Theme from A Summer Place – Percy Faith
Never on Sunday – Don Costa
Because They’re Young – Duane Eddy

1960 Novelty Songs, Dance Fads, and Pop Culture Curveballs

1960 had plenty of novelty records, dance fads, and pop culture curveballs. Chubby Checker turned The Twist into a phenomenon, Brian Hyland made swimwear chart-friendly, and Larry Verne brought old-fashioned silliness to the radio with Mr. Custer. This is the part of 1960 where music history loosened its collar and did something odd on purpose.

The Twist – Chubby Checker
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini – Brian Hyland
Alley-Oop – The Hollywood Argyles
Mr. Custer – Larry Verne
Brontosaurus Stomp – The Piltdown Men
Down by the Station – The Four Preps
You Talk Too Much – Joe Jones
(There Was A) Tall Oak Tree – Dorsey Burnette

1960 Popular Music Chart

1. The Twist – Chubby Checker
2. Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
3. Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley
4. Wild One – Bobby Rydell
5. Volare – Bobby Rydell
6. I’m Sorry – Brenda Lee
7. Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
8. This Magic Moment – The Drifters
9. It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
10. Wonderful World – Sam Cooke
11. You’re Sixteen – Johnny Burnette
12. Cathy’s Clown – The Everly Brothers
13. Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles
14. Only the Lonely – Roy Orbison
15. Hot Rod Lincoln – Johnny Bond
16. Tell Laura I Love Her – Ray Peterson
17. Harbor Lights – The Platters
18. Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop – Little Anthony & The Imperials
19. Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
20. Save the Last Dance for Me – The Drifters
21. Stuck on You – Elvis Presley
22. Where or When – Dion & The Belmonts
23. Teen Angel – Mark Dinning
24. Devil or Angel – Bobby Vee
25. Stay – Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
26. Swingin’ School – Bobby Rydell
27. New Orleans – Gary U.S. Bonds
28. Peter Gunn – Duane Eddy
29. Finger Poppin’ Time – Hank Ballard
30. Sweet Nothin’s – Brenda Lee
31. Theme from The Apartment – Ferrante & Teicher
32. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini – Brian Hyland
33. Lonely Teenager – Dion
34. Poetry in Motion – Johnny Tillotson
35. Doggin’ Around – Jackie Wilson
36. Last Date – Floyd Cramer
37. Josephine – Bill Black’s Combo
38. Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) – Dinah Washington & Brook Benton
39. Mack the Knife – Ella Fitzgerald
40. Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
41. Waltzing Matilda – Jimmie Rodgers
42. Puppy Love – Paul Anka
43. Caravan – Santo & Johnny
44. When Will I Be Loved? – The Everly Brothers
45. Harlem Nocturne – The Viscounts
46. Walk, Don’t Run – The Ventures
47. Nice ‘n’ Easy – Frank Sinatra
48. Mama – Connie Francis
49. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool – Connie Francis
50. Theme from A Summer Place – Percy Faith
51. Running Bear – Johnny Preston
52. I Want to Be Wanted – Brenda Lee
53. Greenfields – The Brothers Four
54. Alley-Oop – The Hollywood Argyles
55. He’ll Have to Go – Jim Reeves
56. My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own – Connie Francis
57. Good Timin’ – Jimmy Jones
58. El Paso – Marty Robbins
59. Burning Bridges – Jack Scott
60. Let the Little Girl Dance – Billy Bland
61. Sixteen Reasons – Connie Stevens
62. Handy Man – Jimmy Jones
63. Sink the Bismarck – Johnny Horton
64. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans – Freddie Cannon
65. Night – Jackie Wilson
66. A Thousand Stars – Kathy Young & The Innocents
67. North to Alaska – Johnny Horton
68. Stairway to Heaven – Neil Sedaka
69. Paper Roses – Anita Bryant
70. Mission Bell – Donnie Brooks
71. Sailor (Your Home Is the Sea) – Lolita
72. Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino
73. Image of a Girl – The Safaris
74. Mr. Custer – Larry Verne
75. Let It Be Me – The Everly Brothers
76. Brontosaurus Stomp – The Piltdown Men
77. Love You So – Ron Holden
78. My Girl Josephine – Fats Domino
79. Please Help Me, I’m Falling – Hank Locklin
80. Am I That Easy to Forget – Debbie Reynolds
81. Pretty Blue Eyes – Steve Lawrence
82. Lucky Devil – Carl Dobkins Jr.
83. Blue Angel – Roy Orbison
84. A Fool in Love – Ike & Tina Turner
85. You Got What It Takes – Marv Johnson
86. The Twist – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
87. Dreamin’ – Johnny Burnette
88. Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Part II – Jessie Hill
89. Down by the Station – The Four Preps
90. Anymore – Teresa Brewer
91. Sleep – Little Willie John
92. Hot Rod Lincoln – Charlie Ryan
93. Never on Sunday – Don Costa
94. Lonely Weekends – Charlie Rich
95. Rockin’ Little Angel – Ray Smith
96. You Talk Too Much – Joe Jones
97. (There Was A) Tall Oak Tree – Dorsey Burnette
98. He’ll Have to Stay – Jeanne Black
99. This Bitter Earth – Dinah Washington
100. Because They’re Young – Duane Eddy