1960

It was another great year for Elvis, and the big surprise was that an instrumental by Percy Faith would hold the #1 position the longest! 1960 still had a '50s feel to it, and people hadn't really started rocking. Ballads were huge, like Roy Orbison's "Only The Lonely" and Paul Anka's "Puppy Love." Chubby Checker came out of nowhere with "The Twist" and Ray Charles had "Georgia On My Mind."

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1961

1961 continued to feature a mix of popular music that catered to generations from instrumentals like "Exodus," "Wonderland" and "Calcutta" for adults to teen tunes like "Tossin and Turning", "Runaway" and "Please Mr. Postman." In the middle, Elvis pumped out ballads, Dave Brubeck delivered some of the best jazz ever with "Take Five", and Chubby Checker twisted, twisted again and did the pony.

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1962

1962 had so much good music that's played even today that it's hard to believe that there were as many dogs as there were. How could you remember them with such great tunes as Henry Mancini's "Moon River" and Gene Pitney''s "Town Without Pity", Ray Charles, Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl", Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion" and Sam Cooke's "Twisting The Night Away." And, oh yes, "Do You Love Me" now that I can dance!

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1963

So what could follow 1962... 1963, of course, with not only new music but new types (genres) of pop music, exemplified by the Beach Boys "Surfin' USA" and "Heat Wave" by Martha & the Vandellas. Ray Charles introduced his protege, Little Stevie Wonder. And social conscience hit the top 100 bigtime, led by Peter, Paul & Mary.

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1964

Well hello Beatles! The Ed Sullivan Show ushered in Beatlemania in February 1964, and the Fab Four changed the scene of music in America by introducing the Mersey sound and bands like Manfred Mann started to be heard as a result. But Motown was also vibrant with the Supremes, the Four Seasons and others. Roy Orbison twanged our heartstrings and Dean Martin and Andy Williams loved somebody.

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1965

With the Beatles having broken down the gates, the British flooded through to get satisfaction downtown. Rock arrived with the Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, the Byrds, the Moody Blues, the Yardbirds, the Turtles, the Zombies, the Lovin' Spoonful and more. Bob Dylan was reputed to start to sing. Motown hung on, and Sonny and Cher got each other, and a lucrative television contract..

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1966

This year's #1 hit, "Ballad of the Green Berets," sung by Sgt. Barry Sadler, was a reflection of America's growing involvement in Vietnam, but the anthem could have been Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night". Interestingly, the first contrived for television group, the Monkees, also hit the charts... and the power of the media was soon to sweep away the power of patriotism. Elsewhere on the charts the new sound was going strong: "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, went "California Dreaming" and the Beatles say things their way with "We Can Work It Out." "Wild Thing" loved Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Woman #12 and 35" and Simon and Garfunkel were "Homeward Bound."

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1967

1967 was a wild and wooley year in music, with a huge mix of styles and offerings, ranging from ballads to rock to Motown to psychedelia. The UK invasion continued with Lulu's "To Sir With Love" from the Sidney Portier classic film. Doors sang "Light My Fire" and an Australian pop group "The Seekers" hit the charts with "Georgy Girl". Social conscience was bursting out all over, and Aretha Franklin wanted (and got) a little "R-e-s-p-e-c-t".

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1968

1968 was "Born to be wild" (Steppenwolf), a turbulent time in rock 'n roll. Raw sounds competed on teh charts with instrumentals and sweet melodic tunes underlaid with solid gold Motown rythm like the Supremes' "I'm a love child" and Dionne Warwick's "Do you know the way to San Jose?" The Bee Gees were heard in Brisbane, and Simon and Garfunkel went from lyrical strength to catchy strength. And nobody could write off the prolific Beatles, whose every song seemed to levitate to the top of the charts.

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1969

1969 let the sunshine in, as we let down our Hair musically speaking and tried to get back to where we once belonged. Even Elvis developed a social concience, as his baby cried in the ghetto. '69 was an eclectic, electric mix of sounds and styles from the Rolling Stones to Creedence Clearwater Revival to Tommy James & the Shondells to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and all the way over to Bob Dylan. And we heard it all on AFN!

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1970

1970 was absolutely huge on the pop music scene, and much of its popularity is still strong today with heaps of real classics from Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Aretha and B.B. King still on the pop airwaves. And of course, the lasting impression of "War! Huh! Good God, y'all! What is it good for?"

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1971

Jeremiah was a bullfrog???? What's going on? Who's the man? As well as being cool, 1971 saw folk singers like Joan Baez and Judy Collins scoring hits as well as Carole King, Janis Joplin, Al Green and the Temptations. And Mr. Timeless Rod Stewart shook out his hair (it's my theory that he only knows one song, but will rework it until he gets it right... but then, I'm not a "chick").

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1972

1972 was the year that we said "Bye, bye" to American Pie, a transitional year in pop music expressed anguish, rage and hope. Songs of spirit like "Lean on Me" and songs of love like "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" still stir my emotions, and "Brandy" stirs something else (but that's another story for another day). One 1970s anthem summed up 1972 well, "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens.

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1973

The American focus on the POW-MIA issue had yellow ribbons at the top of the tree. And musically, 1973 could have been in no other decade but the 19'70s with Tony Orlando and Dawn, carly Simon, Jim Croce, and none other than a youngish John Denver tracking up the charts and Roberta Flack killing 'em softly. And of course, 1973 saw one of my personal all-time favorites, "Midnight Train to Georgia" (Fort Benning anyone?).

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1974

Mainstream pop was tucking away the war protests in 1974 as it ushered in mellow with the Stylistics, Olivia Newton-John and Gordon Lightfoot. Barbra Streisand made an anthem of "The Way We Were." Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" typlified the new soft rock sound.

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1975

Mellow and laid back sums up 1975 sounds, and it was all about "Feelings, nothing more but feelings," served up by the likes of Glen Campbell, Captain & Tenille, the Eagles, John Denver, Frankie Valli and Neil Sedaka. Elevator music would never be the same again.

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