60s music facts - eHow UK

The 1960s is often described as a “golden era” of music and it was a time when popular music underwent massive change. Young people found a new freedom to ... The1960sisoftendescribedasa“goldenera”ofmusicanditwasatimewhenpopularmusicunderwentmassivechange.Youngpeoplefoundanewfreedomtoexpressthemselvesandthatwasreflectedinthemusic,whichwasoftenrebelliousandquestionedsociety’svalues.1NumberonesThefirstUKnumberoneofthe1960swas“WhatDoYouWanttoMakeThoseEyesatMeFor”byEmileFordandtheCheckmatesandthelastUKnumberoneofthe1960swas“TwoLittleBoys”byRolfHarris.ThemostweeksasongspentatnumberoneintheUKwas8andthataccoladewassharedby“It’sNoworNever”byElvisPresley,“WonderfulLand”bytheShadowsand“SugarSugar”bytheArchies.2TheBeatlesItisimpossibletotalkabout1960smusicwithoutmentioningTheBeatles.Theyhad17UKnumberonerecordsduringthe1960sandarearguablythemostfamousbandofalltime.Theirfirstnumberonewas“FromMetoYou”inMay1963andtheirlastnumberonewas“TheBalladofJohnandYoko”inJune1969.TheBeatlessplitupin1970andnevergotbacktogetheragain.Itisimpossibletotalkabout1960smusicwithoutmentioningTheBeatles.3BiggestsellersThebiggestsellingsingleofthe60swas“SheLovesYou”bytheBeatles,whichsoldmorethan1.89millioncopies.TheBeatleshadfourofthefivebiggestsellingsinglesofthe60s;alongwith“SheLovesYou”were“IWanttoHoldYourHand”at2,“Can’tBuyMeLove”at4and“IFeelFine”at5.TotaldominancebyTheBeatleswasonlyprevented--incredibly--byKenDodd’s“Tears.”Thebiggestsellingsingleofthe60swas“SheLovesYou”bytheBeatles,whichsoldmorethan1.89millioncopies.TheBeatlesdominatedthealbumscharttoowith“Sgt.Pepper'sLonelyHeartsClubBand”atnumber1andtheyhadsevenofthetoptenalbumsofthe1960s.Thethreeremainingplacesweretakenbysoundtrackswith“TheSoundofMusic”atnumber2,“SouthPacific”atnumber5and“WestSideStory”atnumber10.ThenextalbumthatwasneitherbyTheBeatlesnorasoundtrackwas“Bookends”bySimonandGarfunkelatnumber14.4Radio1TheBBCusedtoplaypopularmusicaspartof“BBCLightProgramme”,whichstartedin1945,butthecorporationfeltpopmusicneededitsownstation.In1967,TheBBCLightProgrammebecameRadio2andRadio1waslaunchedtocompetewithpirateradiostationsforpopmusiclisteners.TonyBlackburnwasthefirstDJtobroadcastonRadio1andthefirstrecordheplayedwas“FlowersintheRain”bytheMove,followedby“Massachusetts”bytheBeeGees.5RockfestivalsThe1960ssawthestartoftherockfestivalasalivevenueforbandsandartists.UndoubtedlythemostfamousofallwasWoodstock,whichwasheldina600acredairyfarmnearBethel,NewYork.RichieHavenswasthefirstpersontosingatWoodstock,justafter5PMonFriday15August1969.Aplethoraoffamousnamesplayedthevenue,includingtheWho,Santana,GratefulDead,CreedenceClearwaterRevival,JeffersonAirplaneandJoeCocker,andJimiHendrixclosedtheconcertatapproximately11:10AMonMonday18August1969.The1960ssawthestartoftherockfestivalasalivevenueforbandsandartists.Aplethoraoffamousnamesplayedthevenue,includingtheWho,Santana,GratefulDead,CreedenceClearwaterRevival,JeffersonAirplaneandJoeCocker,andJimiHendrixclosedtheconcertatapproximately11:10AMonMonday18August1969.TherewerebigfestivalsintheUKtoo.PerhapsthemostfamousweretheIsleofWhiteFestivalsof1968,1969and1970featuringBobDylan,TyrannosaurusRex,theBand,thePrettyThings,theWho,BonzoDogDoo-DahBandandJeffersonAirplaneamongstothers.Thesefestivalsbecameiconsforthehippiemovement,whichwaspredominantatthetime.×