The Best Pop Music of the 60s

Here’s a look at the best pop music of the 1960s. From The Beatles to The Beach Boys, find out which artists made the greatest impact on pop culture.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are regarded as the most influential band of all time. With a sound rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, they later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In 1963, their immense popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication in subsequent years, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived by many as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions.

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and Brian Wilson’s composing and producing prowess, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The band drew on the music of earlier pop vocal groups like the Four Freshmen and harmonized it with Western surf music to create their unique sound.

The Beach Boys began as a garage band playing local venues in Southern California. Their popularity grew rapidly, and they signed with Capitol Records in 1962. Their debut album Surfin’ Safari was released that year to little fanfare, but it was followed by two hit singles—the title track and “Surfin’ USA.” The albumSurfin’ U.S.A.was released in 1963 and quickly rose to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. It included the hit singles “Be True to Your School”and “Fun, Fun, Fun.”

Over the next few years, the Beach Boys continued to score hits with such albums as 1964’sShut Down Volume 2and 1965’sBeach Boys’ Party! On 1966’sPet Sounds, Brian Wilson reached a new peak of creative ambition, crafting a sophisticated and deeply personal work that is widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Following its release, he retreated from performing with the band due to mounting mental health issues. Dennis Wilson took over as the group’s principal songwriter for 1967’sSmiley Smile; though a commercial disappointment compared toPet Sounds, it included the enduring ballad “God Only Knows.”

In 1968, Wilson rejoined his bandmates to record what would become their best-known album: 1969’sEndless Summer. Consisting mostly of earlier recordings reissued with new artwork (including several tracks fromPet Sounds), it became one of the biggest-selling albums in history and served as a reminder of the Beach Boys’ considerable legacy. The group followed it with Sunflower(1970), which featured some newly written material but was largely overshadowed by its predecessor; Surf’s Up(1971), an uneven album that included one of Wilson’s finest compositions in its title track; and Brothers & Sisters(1972), which saw them regain some measure of commercial success with such hits as “Sail On, Sailor”and “Darlin’.” Dennis Wilson drowned in 1983; after his death, Carl Wilson assumed leadership of the group before succumbing to cancer himself in 1998. Love remains the only surviving original member currently still touring with incarnations ofthe Beach Boys.

The Supremes

The Supremes were an American female singing group and the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown’s acts and are to date the USA’s best-selling female group of all time, based on U.S. sales alone. Although technically a trio – Barbara Martin replaced founding member Cindy Birdsong in early 1962 – they are commonly referred to as a duo.

TheSupremes achieved mainstream success with Ross as lead singer and released a record-setting twelve number-one hit singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, including “Where Did Our Love Go”, “Baby Love”, and “Come See About Me”. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown’s main songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. At their peak in the mid-1960s, the Supremes rivaled The Beatles in worldwide popularity, and it is estimated that during 1965 alone they accumulated more billboard charting singles than any other artists including Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles combined.

The Temptations

The Temptations are an American vocal group who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960, the group’s original line-up featured Otis Williams, Elbridge “Al” Bryant, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Eddie Kendricks. Later members included Dennis Edwards, Ali-Ollie Woodson, and Ron Tyson.

The Temptations have sold millions of records over the course of their career, and are one of the most successful vocal groups of all time. They have been honored with multiple Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, including “Ain’t That Peculiar”, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. He recorded songs such as “Heard It Through the Grapevine”, “What’s Going On” and “Let’s Get It On”. Gaye’s later recordings influenced several genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, disco and funk. His personal life was marred by drug addiction and domestic violence.

Diana Ross

Diana Ross was one of the most successful solo artists of the 1960s, with a string of hits including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” She was also the lead singer of The Supremes, who were one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, released their first four singles – “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There” – in just over a year, becoming one of the most successful pop groups of the early ’70s. The youngest member of the group, 10-year-old Michael Jackson, sang lead on most of their early hits; his voice was high-pitched and well suited to the group’s buoyant, uptempo pop/soul sound. The group left Motown for CBS’ Epic Records in 1976 and had marginal success with new producer Quincy Jones before hitting their commercial peak with 1979’s Off the Wall.