The Beatles record We Can Work It Out at Abbey Road
The Beatles worked on We Can Work It Out on October 20, 1965, in an afternoon session from 2.30pm to 6.30pm and an evening session from 7pm to 11.45pm, per the Beatles Bible.
The afternoon taped the rhythm track with Lennon on acoustic guitar and Harrison on tambourine, the evening added vocals and a Lennon harmonium part, and the clip below is the finished double A-side with Day Tripper.
1969 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Who open a six-night Tommy stand at the Fillmore East
The Who opened six standing-room performances at the Fillmore East in New York on October 20, 1969, a stand that ran through October 25, per Wikipedia.
They played two shows a night on the last two dates, Leonard Bernstein watched one of them, and the clip below is Pinball Wizard from Tommy.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono release Wedding Album in the US
Apple released John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Wedding Album in the US on October 20, 1969, per the Beatles Bible.
It came as a box set with photos, Lennon comic strip drawings, a reproduction of their marriage certificate and a booklet of press clippings, and the clip below is Give Peace a Chance, their Plastic Ono Band single from that year.
1968 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Cream play the San Diego Sports Arena on their farewell US tour
Cream played the San Diego Sports Arena on October 20, 1968, a show later issued in full on the Goodbye Tour Live 1968 box set, per uDiscover Music.
The set ran from White Room and Politician through Sunshine of Your Love, Crossroads and Spoonful, and the clip below is White Room.
The Grateful Dead play the Greek Theatre in Berkeley
The Grateful Dead played the Greek Theatre at the University of California, Berkeley, on October 20, 1968, a single long set that linked Dark Star, St. Stephen and The Eleven, per the Grateful Dead Archive Online.
The show opened with Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and Turn On Your Lovelight and closed with Caution and Feedback, and the clip below is St. Stephen.
1967 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Doors play a rough homecoming show at the University of Michigan
The Doors played the Intramural Sports Building in Ann Arbor on the evening of October 20, 1967, as part of homecoming weekend, with tickets at $3, per Michigan Today.
Jim Morrison arrived late and drunk while the band kept playing Soul Kitchen, and the clip below is Light My Fire.
The Beatles add flutes to The Fool on the Hill
The Beatles worked in Studio Three at Abbey Road from 7pm to 3.45am on October 20, 1967, with George Martin and engineer Ken Scott, overdubbing flutes onto The Fool on the Hill, per the Beatles Bible.
The players were Jack Ellory and brothers Christopher and Richard Taylor, the same session added violas to Hello, Goodbye, and the clip below is the finished song.
1966 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beach Boys begin recording Heroes and Villains
The Beach Boys started recording Heroes and Villains on October 20, 1966, the first of roughly 30 sessions spread over nine months, per Wikipedia.
It was meant for the unfinished Smile album and came out in July 1967 as a single from Smiley Smile, and the clip below is the stereo mix.
1965 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles record We Can Work It Out at Abbey Road
The Beatles worked on We Can Work It Out on October 20, 1965, in an afternoon session from 2.30pm to 6.30pm and an evening session from 7pm to 11.45pm, per the Beatles Bible.
The afternoon taped the rhythm track with Lennon on acoustic guitar and Harrison on tambourine, the evening added vocals and a Lennon harmonium part, and the clip below is the finished double A-side with Day Tripper.
1964 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Rolling Stones play L'Olympia in Paris as fans tear up the hall
The Rolling Stones played the Olympia in Paris on October 20, 1964, in a show where fans ripped out seats and shattered windows, per Rolling Stones Data.
The clip below is It's All Over Now, which gave the band a UK No. 1 earlier in 1964.
The Beatles play Caird Hall in Dundee for the last time
The Beatles played the Caird Hall in Dundee on October 20, 1964, their second and last show in the city, to more than 6,000 fans, per The Courier.
Mary Wells and Sounds Incorporated were on the bill, and the clip below is A Hard Day's Night, the title song of their 1964 film.
RCA Victor releases the Roustabout soundtrack
RCA Victor released Elvis Presley's Roustabout soundtrack album on October 20, 1964, and it went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, per Wikipedia.
It was his last soundtrack to reach No. 1 and his last chart-topping album until Aloha from Hawaii in 1973, and the clip below is the title song.
1963 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles play four hits on BBC Radio's Easy Beat
The BBC Light Programme broadcast a half-hour Easy Beat from 10.30am on Sunday October 20, 1963, featuring the Beatles, per Wikipedia.
They opened with I Saw Her Standing There and then played their four singles in order, Love Me Do, Please Please Me, From Me To You and She Loves You, and the clip below is From Me To You.
1962 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Monster Mash hits No. 1 on the Hot 100
Bobby "Boris" Pickett's Monster Mash topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated October 20, 1962, and held No. 1 the next week too, per Wikipedia.
It arrived just ahead of Halloween and became the season's signature novelty record, and the clip below is the official lyric video.
1961 in 1960s music: the full year guide
RCA Victor releases the Blue Hawaii soundtrack
RCA Victor released Elvis Presley's Blue Hawaii soundtrack on October 20, 1961, and it spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Pop LPs chart, per Wikipedia.
Only West Side Story did better among 1960s soundtracks on that chart, the album is certified 3x Platinum, and the clip below is the title song.
The Beatles play Knotty Ash Village Hall in Liverpool
The Beatles played an evening show at Knotty Ash Village Hall in Liverpool on October 20, 1961, their fourth appearance at the hall, per the McCartney Project.
They were still a local act, and the clip below is My Bonnie, the Hamburg recording they made with Tony Sheridan earlier that year.
1960 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Roy Orbison hits No. 1 in the UK with Only the Lonely
Roy Orbison's Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart on October 20, 1960, and stayed for two weeks, per Wikipedia.
Both Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers had turned the song down, and the clip below is the original record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in 1960s music on October 20?
October 20 saw 16 verified music events across the decade, including the Beatles recording We Can Work It Out in 1965, Monster Mash topping the Hot 100 in 1962, and the Who opening a six-night Tommy stand at the Fillmore East in 1969.
When did the Beatles record We Can Work It Out?
The Beatles worked on We Can Work It Out at Abbey Road on October 20, 1965, in an afternoon session from 2.30pm to 6.30pm and an evening session from 7pm to 11.45pm, and it was released on December 3, 1965 as a double A-side with Day Tripper.
When was Monster Mash number one?
Bobby "Boris" Pickett's Monster Mash was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated October 20, 1962, and stayed there the following week.
When did Roy Orbison's Only the Lonely reach number one in the UK?
Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart on October 20, 1960, and stayed for two weeks.
What happened at the Rolling Stones' Paris Olympia show in 1964?
The Rolling Stones played the Olympia in Paris on October 20, 1964, and fans ripped out seats and shattered windows during the show.
When were the Blue Hawaii and Roustabout soundtracks released?
RCA Victor released Elvis Presley's Blue Hawaii soundtrack on October 20, 1961, and the Roustabout soundtrack on October 20, 1964, and both albums reached No. 1 in the US.
What did the Beatles play on BBC Radio on October 20, 1963?
The BBC Light Programme broadcast a half-hour Easy Beat on October 20, 1963, with the Beatles playing I Saw Her Standing There, Love Me Do, Please Please Me, From Me To You and She Loves You.