Pop Music in the 60s: The Best of the Decade

Looking for a way to relive the glory days of the 1960s? Check out our list of the best pop music hits of the decade! From The Beatles to The Beach Boys, these are the tunes that defined a generation.

The British Invasion

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other British bands invigorated the American pop scene in the 1960s with their youthful energy, bluesy sound, and catchy hooks. The so-called “British Invasion” bands brought a new level of popularity to rock music and helped make it the dominant form of pop in the United States.

The Motown Sound

The Motown Sound is a style of soul music with a distinctive pop influence, created by songwriter-producer Berry Gordy and his team of writers and musicians at the Motown record label in Detroit, Michigan during the 1960s. The sound was developed by producer-songwriters such as Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, and was characterized by a heavy bass, close harmonies, a strong backbeat, and melodic hooks.

It was originally used to describe the music made by the label’s in-house producers and songwriters for its artist roster of mainly African American singers; however, it has come to be used more broadly to describe any pop music with a strong R&B influence. The Motown sound played a significant role in the crossover success of many of its artists; it helped them appeal to both black and white audiences.

The sound is named after the Motor City, Detroit, which was home to the record label’s headquarters. Gordy founded Motown Records in 1959 with an $800 loan from his family, and the company became one of the most successful independent record labels in history. Motown’s hits included “My Girl” (1964) by The Temptations, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967) by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) by Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) by The Supremes, “Baby I Need Your Loving” (1964) by Four Tops, and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” (1965) by The Four Tops.

Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also called psytrance, is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the 1960s with the goal of creating “an expanded consciousness”. The style is typified by a heavy use of distorted guitars, drums, and mind-altering sound effects. Psychedelic rock songs often have lyrics that are meant to evoke images of peace, love, and happiness.

The first psychedelic rock band was The Beatles, who began experimenting with the sound in their later years. The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is often credited as being the first true psychedelic rock album. Other early psychedelic rock bands include The Byrds, Pink Floyd, and Cream.

Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, and The Doors.

The Best Albums of the Decade

The 1960s was a decade of great change for pop music. The British Invasion, led by The Beatles, changed the sound and popularity of rock & roll forever. Motown Records brought us soul music, which quickly became popular with fans of all races. Psychedelic rock, folk rock, and bubblegum pop were just some of the other genres that became extremely popular during the decade.

To help you relive (or discover) some of the best pop music of the 1960s, we’ve compiled a list of what we believe to be the 100 greatest albums of the decade. This list is not meant to be definitive, but rather a starting point for your own exploration into the amazing music that was released during this very important decade in musical history.

The Best Songs of the Decade

The 1960s were a decade of great change and turbulent times. But they were also a decade of great music, with lots of different genres and styles being created and popularized. So what were the best songs of the 1960s? Here are ten of our favorites:

1. “Respect” by Aretha Franklin
2. “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
3. “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
4. “My Girl” by The Temptations
5. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
6. “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes
7. “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
8. “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones
9. “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix
10. “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix