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Welcome To The People History 1960's Music Section where you read about 1960's Music Groups chart hits and music types Please take the time to post your memories and leave your memory or story from your experiences Please Click the Add Memory Graphic



Music of the 1960s was characteristic of the revolution that was going on during the decade. It was a time of rebellion and counter-culture in which the younger people were questioning everything, including authority, corporations, the government, and other aspects of everyday life. It was essentially a revolution of the status quo. This gave rise to the Civil Rights Movement of the decade along with other movements that affected the rights of society as a whole.

The British Invasion was a movement during the mid-1960s in which several bands in the UK were creating a buzz in the United States. The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, and The Beatles were some of the prominent bands that defined this movement. The Beatles emerged as the most popular and they are also one of the most bands in history in terms of commercial success. They began a trend in the United States and the UK because of their catchy tunes and boyish good looks. The young girls of the decade literally swooned in their presence. The Beatles quickly made a cultural impact with their lyrics and their tendency to experiment with different musical sounds. Even though they were reported to be “just a fad” following their Ed Sullivan Show appearance in 1964 , they are still consistently ranked as the #1 band on list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time poll done by Rolling Stone magazine.

The Beatles also created a great deal of controversy while their popularity flourished. John Lennon, one of the band’s leaders, made a statement at the height of their popularity, saying that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus. This set off a hailstorm of album burnings and boycotts of their albums, but their success did not suffer. Elvis Presley even met with then-President Nixon and asked him to ban The Beatles from entering the United States because they had lifestyles that encouraged drug use and they were anti-war. To many people of this era, anti-war meant being anti-American. In the eyes of Elvis, The Beatles were no different. He also felt that they were a bad influence on the young people in the United States and their influence should be limited by hindering them from performing in the country.

Bob Dylan was another influential artist during the 1960's . His success still continues and he has been revered as a poet, musician, songwriter, activist, and a folk artist. He unofficially became the spokesperson for the counter-culture movement of the 1960s and many young people looked to him for their ideas concerning the social issues. He wrote and sung songs that became anti-war anthems as well as songs that touted the celebration of civil rights. He did not hesitate to include lyrics in his songs that included obvious political and social commentary regarding the policies and procedures of the day that he disagreed with. He was also one of the performers that performed at the famous March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his immortalized speech. He continues to be one of the most respected and recognized artists in the history of music because of his melodies and unique singing voice.

The Woodstock Music and Arts Festivals, Fairs and Fun 2012, often referred to simply as Woodstock, took place during the weekend of August 15-18, 1969. It was the symbolic culmination of a decade of social reform and questioning authority. On a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, over a half million people showed up to enjoy the most popular musical performers of the era, including Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix, among many many others. This also came to be known as the “Summer of Peace and Love” as many of the attendees were “hippies,” or people that promoted the idea of sexual liberation and love for your fellow man. Even with that many people in one area, only three people died that weekend and they were all results of accidents.





The movements and policies created in the 1960s continue to ripple through our society today. Along with the social movements, the 1960s also influenced the history of music with innovative artists who dared to make a stand against the establishment. Whether this is looked upon as a positive or negative effect that emerged from the era, it is still a necessary idea to maintain our culture. The artists of the 60s not only exemplified this ideal, but it also made it a popular thing to do that continues to this day.

Below are some of the popular artists and groups from the 1960's
Were you lucky enough to see them live in concert
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
Roy Orbison
Buddy Holly
The Drifters
Jim Reeves
The Mamas & the Papas
The Monkees
The Rolling Stones
Simon and Garfunkel
The Supremes
Fleetwood Mac
Aretha Franklin
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
The Grateful Dead
The Bee Gees
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Cream
Pink Floyd
Moody Blues
David Bowie