A Timeline of 1960s Pop Music

A look at the pop music of the 1960s, including the British Invasion, Motown, and more.

The early 1960s

The early 1960s saw the rise of a new generation of pop music artists. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were at the forefront of this new wave of pop music. They were followed by other artists such as Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, and the Supremes. This new generation of pop music artists brought with them a new sound and a new attitude.

The British Invasion

The British Invasion was a musical movement of the early 1960s. It saw a large number of popular British bands and artists gain international fame and success, especially in the United States. The Invasion is often considered to have begun with the 1962 release of The Beatles’ debut album Please Please Me. Other key dates sometimes given for the beginning of the Invasion include the arrival of The Beatles in the United States on February 7, 1964, and the first live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9. By the end of 1964, British acts had occupied nine out of the top ten positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Motown

The early 1960s saw the rise of Motown, which introduced a new sound and style that would change the face of popular music for years to come. Hits like “ Please Mr. Postman” (1961) and “My Guy” (1964) topped the charts and helped to launch the careers of artists like Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder. The popularity of Motown spread beyond the United States, and soon the world was dancing to the sounds of “The Temptations” and “The Supremes.”

The mid 1960s

The mid 1960s saw the British Invasion led by The Beatles, as well as the Motown Sound from Detroit. The Beatles were the most commercially successful and influential band of the decade. They popularized the folk rock genre with songs such as “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Yesterday”. The Beach Boys also had a string of hits with their California sound, which included songs like “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “I Get Around”.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band of the 20th century. They were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music’s recognition as an art form. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporates elements of classical music and traditional pop into innovative ways, often incorporating classical instrumentation in non-rock contexts. They also pioneered recording techniques and explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock.

The Beach Boys

One of the biggest musical groups of the 1960s, The Beach Boys formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group originally consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Alan Jardine. With Brian as the primary songwriter, The Beach Boys released a string of hits throughout the 1960s including “Surfin’ Safari” (1962), “I Get Around” (1964), “Help Me, Rhonda” (1965), “Barbara Ann” (1965), and “Good Vibrations” (1966).

The group’s subsequent albums Experiments in International Living (1968) and Sunflower (1970) saw a change in direction, with Brian Wilson further exploring his interest in psychedelic music. These albums were not as commercially successful as The Beach Boys’ earlier work, but were critical favorites. Following the release of Sunflower, Dennis Wilson left the group to pursue a solo career. The Beach Boys continued to record and tour throughout the 1970s and 1980s with varying levels of success. In 1985, Mike Love was sued by former bandmates Brian Wilson and Alan Jardine for royalties owed from their work on The Beach Boys’ recordings; the case was settled out of court.

The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and have sold over 100 million records worldwide.

The late 1960s

The late 1960s were a time of great change in pop music. The Beatles and Elvis Presley were no longer the only dominating forces in music. New genres such as psychedelic rock and soul were gaining popularity. This was also a time when political and social messages were becoming more prevalent in music.

Psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that was inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centred around perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD. Many psychedelic groups differ in style, and the label is often applied spuriously.

The first wave of psychedelic rock occurred in the mid-1960s, when British and American bands began to experiment with songs that incorporated Birdsong -style sounds with effects such as feedback and echo chamber s, while at the same time increasing the use of colourful instrumentation . These were mostly folk rock and blues rock bands who employed new recording techniques such as multitracking and tape loops , while others used electronic sound effects such as phasing . The British band Donovan was one of the first pop acts to successfully utilise these elements with their 1965 hit “Sunshine Superman”.

The Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison’s lyrics and erratic stage persona. After Morrison’s death in 1971, the remaining members continued as a trio until disbanded in 1973.

Signing with Elektra Records in 1967, The Doors released eight albums in five years, some of which are considered among the greatest of all time, including The Doors (1967), Strange Days (1967) and L.A. Woman (1971). The band had difficulties sustaining popularity after Morrison’s death, and the group was further impacted by his former alcoholism and drug abuse.