Best 60s Songs: 100 Playable Hits From 1960 to 1969

The best 60s songs span Beatlemania, Motown, surf, folk rock and psychedelia, and 100 of them play right here.
Press play on any row, or filter by year or genre and play only what you see.
Every song carries a one-line reason it matters, and some link to a full story.

Listen to the Best 60s Songs

These 100 hits run in order from 1960 to 1969.
Search by title or artist, pick a year or genre, or use Play All to run what is showing.

Showing 100 of 100 songs

Best 60s songs, 100 hits from 1960 to 1969 with a why-it-matters line
Title	Artist	Year	Genre	Why it matters	Story
He'll Have to Go	Jim Reeves	1960	Country	Jim Reeves's warm, close-miked baritone turned a country record into a crossover hit.
Walk Don't Run	The Ventures	1960	Garage & Surf Rock	The Ventures adapted a Johnny Smith jazz guitar piece and helped make the guitar instrumental a pop staple.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow	The Shirelles	1960	Pop & Brill Building	The first US No. 1 by an all-Black girl group, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
The Twist	Chubby Checker	1960	Pop & Brill Building	It topped the US chart in 1960 and again in 1962, and launched a national dance craze.
Only the Lonely	Roy Orbison	1960	Pop & Brill Building	Roy Orbison co-wrote this operatic ballad with Joe Melson, and it reached No. 1 in the UK.
Crazy	Patsy Cline	1961	Country	Written by a young Willie Nelson, it became one of the definitive Nashville Sound recordings.	Read the story
I Fall to Pieces	Patsy Cline	1961	Country	Patsy Cline's first US country No. 1, co-written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard.	Read the story
Moon River	Henry Mancini	1961	Jazz & Easy Listening	Mancini's theme from Breakfast at Tiffany's won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Please Mr. Postman	The Marvelettes	1961	Motown, Soul & R&B	Motown's first No. 1 single on the US pop chart, later covered by The Beatles and The Carpenters.
Runaway	Del Shannon	1961	Pop & Brill Building	Max Crook's Musitron keyboard solo helped it top the US chart in 1961.
Hit the Road Jack	Ray Charles	1961	Motown, Soul & R&B	Percy Mayfield wrote it, and it topped the US pop chart for Ray Charles in 1961.
Big Girls Don't Cry	The Four Seasons	1962	Pop & Brill Building	The Four Seasons followed their breakthrough Sherry with a second US No. 1.	Read the story
I Left My Heart in San Francisco	Tony Bennett	1962	Jazz & Easy Listening	It became Tony Bennett's signature song and won him two Grammy Awards in 1963.
If I Had a Hammer	Peter, Paul and Mary	1962	Folk Rock	Pete Seeger and Lee Hays wrote it, and the trio's version won two Grammy Awards.
Miserlou	Dick Dale and His Del-Tones	1962	Garage & Surf Rock	Dick Dale adapted an Eastern Mediterranean folk melody with rapid staccato picking.
Sherry	The Four Seasons	1962	Pop & Brill Building	The Four Seasons' first US No. 1, written by band member Bob Gaudio.	Read the story
Surfin' Safari	The Beach Boys	1962	Garage & Surf Rock	The Beach Boys' first national hit single, part of the early surf-music craze.	Read the story
She Loves You	The Beatles	1963	British Invasion	Its yeah, yeah, yeah refrain became shorthand for Beatlemania.	Read the story
I Want to Hold Your Hand	The Beatles	1963	British Invasion	The Beatles' first US No. 1, and the song that triggered the American British Invasion.	Read the story
Please Please Me	The Beatles	1963	British Invasion	Producer George Martin suggested speeding up what began as a slower ballad.	Read the story
Glad All Over	The Dave Clark Five	1963	British Invasion	It knocked The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand off the top of the UK chart.	Read the story
Be My Baby	The Ronettes	1963	Pop & Brill Building	Its opening drum figure is one of pop's most imitated, a landmark of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.
Blowin' in the Wind	Bob Dylan	1963	Folk Rock	It became a civil-rights anthem, though Peter, Paul and Mary's cover sold even more.	Read the story
Fingertips, Pt. 2	Little Stevie Wonder	1963	Motown, Soul & R&B	This live recording made 13-year-old Stevie Wonder the youngest artist to top the US chart.
Heat Wave	Martha and the Vandellas	1963	Motown, Soul & R&B	An early smash for the Holland-Dozier-Holland writing team, with a driving beat that shaped Motown.
Louie Louie	The Kingsmen	1963	Garage & Surf Rock	Its slurred vocals prompted a two-year FBI obscenity investigation that found nothing.
Ring of Fire	Johnny Cash	1963	Country	Mariachi-style trumpets were a bold touch for a country record, and June Carter co-wrote it.	Read the story
Surf City	Jan & Dean	1963	Garage & Surf Rock	The first surf song to reach US No. 1, co-written by Brian Wilson.
Surfin' USA	The Beach Boys	1963	Garage & Surf Rock	The melody comes from Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen, which later earned Berry a co-writing credit.	Read the story
Wipe Out	The Surfaris	1963	Garage & Surf Rock	Its cackling intro and drum solo made it a rite of passage for young drummers.
Baby Love	The Supremes	1964	Motown, Soul & R&B	The Supremes' second of five straight US No. 1 hits also topped the UK chart.	Read the story
Where Did Our Love Go	The Supremes	1964	Motown, Soul & R&B	The Supremes' first US No. 1 single.	Read the story
House of the Rising Sun	The Animals	1964	British Invasion	At full single length, it broke the era's convention of keeping songs under three minutes.	Read the story
You Really Got Me	The Kinks	1964	British Invasion	Its distorted power chords are often cited as a blueprint for hard rock and heavy metal.	Read the story
Bits and Pieces	The Dave Clark Five	1964	British Invasion	Its thunderous stomping beat reportedly damaged dance-hall floors.	Read the story
Because	The Dave Clark Five	1964	British Invasion	A ballad that reached the US Top 3 and showed the group's softer side.	Read the story
Needles and Pins	The Searchers	1964	British Invasion	Its chiming twelve-string guitar sound influenced folk-rock acts like The Byrds.	Read the story
Do Wah Diddy Diddy	Manfred Mann	1964	British Invasion	It topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.	Read the story
Downtown	Petula Clark	1964	Pop & Brill Building	It made Petula Clark the first British female artist to top the US chart in the rock era.
Fly Me to the Moon	Frank Sinatra	1964	Jazz & Easy Listening	Quincy Jones arranged this Count Basie-backed version, later tied to the Apollo Moon missions.	Read the story
Dancing in the Street	Martha and the Vandellas	1964	Motown, Soul & R&B	Marvin Gaye co-wrote it, and some later read it as an anthem of the era's social unrest.
I Get Around	The Beach Boys	1964	Garage & Surf Rock	The Beach Boys' first US No. 1 single.
Oh, Pretty Woman	Roy Orbison	1964	Pop & Brill Building	Roy Orbison co-wrote it with Bill Dees, and it reached No. 1 in both the US and the UK.
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction	The Rolling Stones	1965	British Invasion	Keith Richards wrote the fuzz-guitar riff in his sleep, and it gave the Stones their first US No. 1.	Read the story
For Your Love	The Yardbirds	1965	British Invasion	A harpsichord was unusual on a rock single, and its success reportedly prompted Eric Clapton to quit the band.	Read the story
Heart Full of Soul	The Yardbirds	1965	British Invasion	Jeff Beck's fuzz-guitar line was originally meant to be played on a sitar.	Read the story
Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter	Herman's Hermits	1965	British Invasion	It hit No. 1 in the US but was not at first released as a single in the UK.	Read the story
I'm Henry the VIII, I Am	Herman's Hermits	1965	British Invasion	A US No. 1 that adapts a British music-hall number from 1910.	Read the story
My Generation	The Who	1965	British Invasion	Its line Hope I die before I get old became a mod-generation rallying cry.	Read the story
Like a Rolling Stone	Bob Dylan	1965	Folk Rock	Its six-minute length broke the radio conventions of the era.	Read the story
Mr. Tambourine Man	The Byrds	1965	Folk Rock	The Byrds' chiming twelve-string cover of a Bob Dylan song helped launch folk rock.
The Sound of Silence	Simon & Garfunkel	1965	Folk Rock	The hit version came when a producer overdubbed electric instruments without the duo's knowledge.	Read the story
My Girl	The Temptations	1965	Motown, Soul & R&B	The Temptations' first US No. 1, written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, with David Ruffin on lead.	Read the story
Stop! In the Name of Love	The Supremes	1965	Motown, Soul & R&B	Its stop hand gesture became part of the group's stage act.	Read the story
I Got You (I Feel Good)	James Brown	1965	Motown, Soul & R&B	Its opening scream is among the most recognizable in soul music.
California Girls	The Beach Boys	1965	Garage & Surf Rock	Brian Wilson said he wrote the sweeping intro after first trying LSD.	Read the story
King of the Road	Roger Miller	1965	Country	It won multiple Grammy Awards in 1966, and its finger-snapping arrangement crossed over to pop.
Wooly Bully	Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs	1965	Garage & Surf Rock	Billboard named it the top record of 1965 even though it never reached No. 1.
Good Vibrations	The Beach Boys	1966	Garage & Surf Rock	Brian Wilson called it a pocket symphony assembled from many recording sessions.	Read the story
Paint It Black	The Rolling Stones	1966	British Invasion	Brian Jones's sitar made it one of the first US No. 1 hits to feature the instrument prominently.	Read the story
Sunny Afternoon	The Kinks	1966	British Invasion	Ray Davies wrote it as a satire of the wealthy amid Britain's high taxation, and it reached UK No. 1.	Read the story
Over Under Sideways Down	The Yardbirds	1966	British Invasion	Its swirling guitar riff was influenced by Middle Eastern scales.	Read the story
California Dreamin'	The Mamas & The Papas	1966	Folk Rock	John and Michelle Phillips wrote it while missing California from wintry New York.
Eight Miles High	The Byrds	1966	Psychedelic Rock	Its guitar work was influenced by John Coltrane, and it is often cited as an early psychedelic rock recording.
Wild Thing	The Troggs	1966	Garage & Surf Rock	It topped the US chart with a famously simple structure and an ocarina solo.
96 Tears	Question Mark & the Mysterians	1966	Garage & Surf Rock	Its cheap combo-organ riff is a garage-rock landmark that topped the US chart.
I'm a Believer	The Monkees	1966	Pop & Brill Building	Neil Diamond wrote it, and it became one of the biggest-selling singles of the 1960s.	Read the story
Last Train to Clarksville	The Monkees	1966	Pop & Brill Building	The Monkees' debut single and first US No. 1.	Read the story
You Keep Me Hangin' On	The Supremes	1966	Motown, Soul & R&B	Its Morse-code-like guitar intro is instantly recognizable.	Read the story
Reach Out I'll Be There	The Four Tops	1966	Motown, Soul & R&B	It topped the charts in both the US and UK, with an urgent lead from Levi Stubbs.
Strangers in the Night	Frank Sinatra	1966	Jazz & Easy Listening	It won multiple Grammy Awards in 1967, though Sinatra reportedly disliked it.	Read the story
When a Man Loves a Woman	Percy Sledge	1966	Motown, Soul & R&B	Percy Sledge's debut hit topped both the US pop and R&B charts in 1966.
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'	Nancy Sinatra	1966	Pop & Brill Building	Lee Hazlewood wrote it, and it reached No. 1 on the US chart in early 1966.
Light My Fire	The Doors	1967	Psychedelic Rock	The Doors trimmed its long organ and guitar solos for the hit single, their first US No. 1.	Read the story
The End	The Doors	1967	Psychedelic Rock	Francis Ford Coppola used it to open and close Apocalypse Now.	Read the story
Strange Days	The Doors	1967	Psychedelic Rock	A Moog synthesizer, then a very new instrument, processes Jim Morrison's vocal.	Read the story
Waterloo Sunset	The Kinks	1967	British Invasion	Ray Davies pictures two lovers meeting by the River Thames in London.	Read the story
Respect	Aretha Franklin	1967	Motown, Soul & R&B	Aretha Franklin transformed Otis Redding's original and added the spelled-out R-E-S-P-E-C-T hook.
Purple Haze	The Jimi Hendrix Experience	1967	Psychedelic Rock	It opens with the dissonant Hendrix chord, a dominant 7#9.	Read the story
White Rabbit	Jefferson Airplane	1967	Psychedelic Rock	Grace Slick drew its imagery from Alice in Wonderland and built a bolero-style crescendo.
Somebody to Love	Jefferson Airplane	1967	Psychedelic Rock	Darby Slick wrote it and first recorded it with his band The Great Society.
Strawberry Fields Forever	The Beatles	1967	Psychedelic Rock	The final version splices two takes recorded in different keys and tempos.
Sunshine of Your Love	Cream	1967	Psychedelic Rock	Its descending guitar riff is one of rock's most recognizable.
Happy Together	The Turtles	1967	Pop & Brill Building	It knocked The Beatles' Penny Lane off the top of the US chart.
Brown Eyed Girl	Van Morrison	1967	Pop & Brill Building	Van Morrison's first solo hit remains one of the most-played songs on US radio.
Daydream Believer	The Monkees	1967	Pop & Brill Building	John Stewart of the Kingston Trio wrote it, and it was The Monkees' last US No. 1.	Read the story
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds	The Beatles	1967	Psychedelic Rock	John Lennon said the title came from a drawing by his young son Julian.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine	Marvin Gaye	1968	Motown, Soul & R&B	Gaye's version spent seven weeks at US No. 1, a year after a hit version by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Wichita Lineman	Glen Campbell	1968	Country	Jimmy Webb wrote it and left one line unfinished, which Campbell kept.
Stand by Your Man	Tammy Wynette	1968	Country	Wynette co-wrote it with producer Billy Sherrill, and it became one of the best-selling country singles by a woman.
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida	Iron Butterfly	1968	Psychedelic Rock	The full album version runs over 17 minutes, including an extended drum solo.
Do You Know the Way to San Jose	Dionne Warwick	1968	Jazz & Easy Listening	It won Dionne Warwick her first Grammy Award.
Hey Jude	The Beatles	1968	British Invasion	It spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ran far longer than the typical single.
Mrs. Robinson	Simon & Garfunkel	1968	Folk Rock	Featured in the film The Graduate, it won the 1969 Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay	Otis Redding	1968	Motown, Soul & R&B	Recorded days before Otis Redding's death, it became the first posthumous No. 1 on the US chart.
My Way	Frank Sinatra	1969	Jazz & Easy Listening	Paul Anka wrote the English lyric to a French melody.	Read the story
Okie from Muskogee	Merle Haggard	1969	Country	It became an anthem amid the cultural divisions of the late 1960s.
Sugar, Sugar	The Archies	1969	Pop & Brill Building	Studio musicians performed it for the cartoon band, and it was Billboard's No. 1 single of 1969.
The Boxer	Simon & Garfunkel	1969	Folk Rock	Hal Blaine's lone drum hit was recorded beside an elevator for a cannon-shot echo.	Read the story
Get Back	The Beatles with Billy Preston	1969	British Invasion	The only Beatles single credited to another artist, keyboardist Billy Preston.

The Beatles performing on stage at the Washington Coliseum in February 1964, during their first American tour — The Beatles at the Washington Coliseum, February 11, 1964. Photo: Marion S. Trikosko, Library of Congress. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Listen to the Best 60s Songs
How We Picked These 60s Songs
Best 60s Songs by Year
Best 60s Songs by Genre
What Set 60s Songs Apart
Play Along With 60s Music
FAQ

How We Picked These 60s Songs

This list is not a ranking.
The 100 songs come from this site's own catalogue of 192 songs, chosen so every year from 1960 to 1969 and all eight genre hubs appear.
The thinnest years carry fewer entries because the catalogue is lighter there: 1960 has 5 songs, 1961 has 6 and 1969 has 5.
Each song plays from a YouTube upload checked as embeddable and not made for kids.
Each why-it-matters line draws on the song's entry in the catalogue.
48 songs link to a full story with the history behind the record.

Best 60s Songs by Year

The list leans toward the middle of the decade.
1965 and 1966 lead with 15 songs each, and each year links to its own guide with the Billboard number ones.

Songs per year on the best 60s songs list
Year	Songs	Top genre (songs)	Year guide
1960	5	Pop & Brill Building (3)	1960 music guide
1961	6	Country (2)	1961 music guide
1962	6	Pop & Brill Building (2)	1962 music guide
1963	13	British Invasion (4)	1963 music guide
1964	13	British Invasion (6)	1964 music guide
1965	15	British Invasion (6)	1965 music guide
1966	15	Garage & Surf Rock (3)	1966 music guide
1967	14	Psychedelic Rock (9)	1967 music guide
1968	8	Motown, Soul & R&B (2)	1968 music guide
1969	5	Jazz & Easy Listening (1)	1969 music guide

Best 60s Songs by Genre

British Invasion is the biggest genre here, with 22 songs.
Every genre links to a hub with the artists and stories behind it.

British Invasion: 22 songs, including She Loves You and Paint It Black.
Motown, Soul & R&B: 16 songs, including My Girl and Respect.
Pop & Brill Building: 16 songs, including Be My Baby and I'm a Believer.
Garage & Surf Rock: 13 songs, including Wipe Out and Wild Thing.
Psychedelic Rock: 11 songs, including Purple Haze and White Rabbit.
Folk Rock: 8 songs, including Mr. Tambourine Man and The Sound of Silence.
Country: 8 songs, including Ring of Fire and Wichita Lineman.
Jazz & Easy Listening: 6 songs, including Moon River and Fly Me to the Moon.

What Set 60s Songs Apart

Records Grew Longer and Stranger

The Animals' House of the Rising Sun broke the habit of keeping singles under three minutes.
Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone ran six minutes, and the album cut of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida passes 17.
The Beach Boys built Good Vibrations from many recording sessions.

New Sounds Entered Pop

Brian Jones played sitar on Paint It Black.
The Yardbirds put a harpsichord on a rock single in For Your Love.
The Doors used a Moog synthesizer on Strange Days, when the instrument was still new.

Songs Carried the Moment

Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind became a civil-rights anthem.
Aretha Franklin's Respect added the spelled-out hook that Otis Redding's original lacked.
Merle Haggard's Okie from Muskogee became an anthem amid the cultural divisions of the late decade.

Play Along With 60s Music

The Radio Dial tunes eight genre stations with songs from across the decade.
Test what you know with the 60s music trivia or the daily guessing game.
For the chart story behind each season, start at the 1960s year-by-year hub.

FAQ

What are the best 60s songs?

The best 60s songs on this page are 100 hits from 1960 to 1969, from She Loves You to Sugar, Sugar.

They are listed by year, not ranked, and each one plays on the page.

How many songs are on this list of 60s hits?

There are 100 songs, with at least three from every year of the decade.

48 of them link to a full song story on this site.

Which year has the most songs on the list?

1965 and 1966 lead with 15 songs each.

Years such as 1960, 1961 and 1969 have fewer entries because the site's catalogue is thinner there.

What genres do the best 60s songs cover?

The list spans eight genres: British Invasion, Motown and soul, folk rock, psychedelic rock, garage and surf rock, country, pop and Brill Building, and jazz and easy listening.

Each genre links to its own hub page.

Can I listen to these 60s songs on this page?

Yes, press play on any row, or use Play All to run the whole list.

The year and genre filters let you play only the songs you choose.

The best 60s songs still sound alive because each one marks a turn in how pop was made.
Pick a year from the hub above and keep listening.
Come back to the 1960smusic.net homepage for more stories from the decade.