Chubby Checker, Performing The Twist, 1960
on American Bandstand. Good bye Jitterbug,
ballroom dancing soon forgotten. We were
bustin' loose.

Ben E. King, singing 'Stand By Me', top hit in 1961. Soul music was getting a foothold on the charts and by the end of the sixties, a doninant force. You Gen X'ers know the song from the 80's movie. But 'Stand By Me' is a flagship early Sixties tune.

The Kingsmen, singing 'Louie Louie', top hit of 1963. This song really upset the old folks. Nobody was sure back then what the Kingsmen were saying, and of course we had our theories and were totally thrilled to do our 'wild and crazy' dances. Could anybody have imagined Woodstock just six years later? By the way, here are the lyrics

The Beatles, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', top hit of 1963 and the beginning of 'The British Invasion'. The Fab Four toured the USA, opening on TheEdSullivanShow in Fegruary 1964. Not a single crime was committed in The Big Apple the night they appeared. Rock music has not seen such a phenomenon since. I can't imagine that we ever will.

The Righteous Brothers, 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling', top 1964 tune. The Righteous Brothers were the first 'white guys' that I can remember hearing on the soul radio stations - Blue Eyed Soul. Nobody believed they weren't Brothers until we actually saw them on Shindig.

The Supremes, singing their 1964 hit 'Where Did Our Love Go?'. We'd been hearing 'Girl Groups' throughout the early Sixties. But The Supremes ushered in a new era with Motown's sophisticated glamour.

James Brown, 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag', top 1965 tune. James Brown hit it big in 1965. He'd actually been at in since the Fifties. But, in the flamboyance of the times, he had to make it big.

Spencer Davis Group, 'Gimme Some Lovin', top hit in 1966. The British Invasion was continuing and for a couple of years after this hit, rockin' out meant dancing wild to Spencer Davis or a local group that could knock out the tune. Wow! What I wouldn't give to still have that much energy.

The Doors, the legendary Jim Morrison singing their aweson 1967 hit 'Light My Fire'. This tune was one of the first with a long, orchestrated instrumental. The Doors had to be a big influence for the Progressive Rock of the early Seventies. Can't help but wonder 'What would have been...'

Jimi Hendrix, singing his 1968 hit 'The Watchtower'. Jimi brought guitar playing to a whole new level as well as Heavy to music. Sadly, Hendrix is an early member of the 27 Club, but his tunes will forever rock!

The Jackson Five, The Sixties closed with The Jackson Five, for you young folks, that's Michael Jackson and his brothers, near the top of the charts. This is how the King of Pop got started, and carried the momentum to the twenty-first century.