Top songs of 1960 that ruled the airwaves and shaped a revolutionary decade

The year 1960 was a turning point for popular music. Rock and roll was still going strong, but smoother sounds were starting to take over. Crooners and doo-wop groups filled the charts alongside rising rock stars, and country music even found its way into the mix. The top songs of 1960 reflected this transition, blending old-school melodies with new styles that would define the decade ahead.

Elvis Presley was still the king of the charts, but he wasn’t the only one making waves. Teen idols like Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, and Brenda Lee kept young listeners tuning in, while Ray Charles brought rhythm and blues into the mainstream with Georgia on My Mind. Meanwhile, the Ventures’ Walk, Don’t Run introduced the instrumental surf rock sound that would take off later in the decade.

The variety in 1960’s music was everywhere. The Drifters’ Save the Last Dance for Me was a doo-wop favorite, while country legend Jim Reeves found crossover success with He’ll Have to Go. The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison both delivered some of their biggest hits. Even novelty songs had their moment — Brian Hyland’s Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini was impossible to ignore.

This mix of styles made 1960 an exciting time for music, setting the stage for the British Invasion, Motown and the folk revival that would soon follow. These hit songs became the soundtrack of everyday life, from drive-in theaters to sock hops. 

What were the most popular tunes of the first year of the sixties? Here are Billboard magazine’s 100 top songs of 1960! (Also check out ’60s Gold and Pure 60’s: The #1 Hits to revisit some of your favorite singles of the decade!)