60's music?

Question

I'm doing my "decades" project for US history and my decade is the 60's, and I chose to do music. However, I need help narrowing down the artists! I'm going to play name that tune with my class, and talk about some of the most popular/important artists of the 60's. So if anyone could give me a quick summary of 60's music, or narrow down the hit artists to 10 or 15 that'd be so helpful! I've been trying but I think maybe I'm missing some or have some I don't need. Any input appreciated. :) Thanks!

Here's my list so far, if you want to edit it (no particular order):
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
James Brown
Bob Dylan
The Rolling Stones
Jimi Hendrix
Ray Charles
Aretha Franklin
The Supremes
The Rat Pack
Chubby Checker

ha ha, well funny thing i hadn't even actually added the rat pack to my list, just thought i might because when i searched for "60s music" on yahoo answers they came up along with the beatles, etc. woops. thank you!

Answer 1

I have quite a bit of good solid music links that deal with the 60's in my bob dylan group consider yourself personally invited to join
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/neighborhood_bully/

Answer 2

You have started a good list (FYI - the Rat Pack wasn't a musical group. It was a group of celebrities that included singers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin)

The music from the early 60's (60-63) was in a lot of ways different from the music of the rest of that decade. The arrival of the Beatles was a watershed event in 60's music. They truly started a rock. revolution

First here are some artists or groups from the early 60's who had an impact on the musical culture of the day. Many of these actually started recording in the 50's. Some also had their very first charted recordin in the early 60'sand then went on to their biggest musical achievments later on in the 1960's:
Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, Everly Brothers, Drifters, Jackie Wilson, Ike and Tina Turner, Jerry Butler, Dion, Elvis Presley, Smokey Robinson &The Miracles, Ben E. King, Shirelles, Gene Pitney, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, Ricky Nelson, Gary U.S. Bonds,Marvelettes, Crystals, Isley Brothers, Little Eva, Dionne Warwick, Chiffons, Chuck Jackson, Jan and Dean, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Stevie Wonder, Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Kingsmen, Four Seasons, Mary Wells, Martha & The Vandellas, Bobby Bland, Koko Taylor, Solomon Burke, Etta James, Charlie Rich, Peter, Paul, and Mary, LIttle Anthony & The Imperials, Brenda Lee, The Impressions, Lee Dorsey, Gene Chandler, Booker T. & The MG/s. Lesley Gore. The early 60's was a transisiton time for popular music, A lot of it still sounded like the 50's but it was also the beginning of the Motown sound etc.

Next are some singers and groups that first appeared in the mid 60's (64-66) Dusty Springfield, Animals, Four Tops, Kinks, Shangri-las, Zombies, Searchers, Manfred Mann, Righteous Brothers, Jr, Walker & The All Stars, Byrds, Yardbirds, Them(Van Morrison), Love, Wilson Pickett, Lovin' Spoonful, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Bobby Fuller Four, Rascals, Percy Sledge, Sam and Dave, Temptations, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Hollies, Eddie Floyd, Otis Redding, Who, Johnny Rivers, Seeds, Standells, Billy Stewart,Jimi Hendrix, The Band, Edwin Starr

Here are some singers and groups that started their careers in the late 60's (67-69) Buffalo Springfield, duo of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Jefferson Airplane, Doors, Parliaments, Van Morrison(solo career), Box Tops, Dells(this group actually started in the 50's but had a tremendous come back in the late 60's), Ohio Express, Cream, Steppenwolf, Archie Bell and The Drells, Grass Roots, Johnnie Taylor, Bob Seger,Creedence Clearwater Revival, Joe Simon, Joe Tex, Three Dog Night, Joe South,

The above do not include those you've already listed but they would all be included in my lists.

There are so many great songs by the above artists that I can't list them all. I would recommend that you try to get a hold of a copy of Joel Whitburn's Top 40 reference book and look up the top selling records by each of these singers or groups. I would also suggest that you might want divide your song presentation into the three subdivisions, 60-63, 64-66, 67-69.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

There are so many good artists in the 60's. What I would do is take them year by year, from 1960, 1961 etc. up until 1969 and have one hit artist per year. This way, you cover everyone and it puts order in your project. My favorites from the 60's are: The Beatles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Beach boys, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Supremes. You have a very interesting project. Good luck!

Answer 4

Some others I thought of for you .....are
The Hollies
The Troggs
The Standell's
The Shirelles
Deep Purple
Tina Turner
Elvis Presley
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
oh ya....nobdy's mentioned The small Faces

Answer 5

you might consider sly and the family stone, chuck berry, berry popularized three chord r&r, sly gave birth to funk. a band called yes started progressive rock. 1967 was the biggest year for r&r. the beatles did srgt. pepper, underground bands like moby grape, jefferson airplane, steve miller, cream, the byrds, the list goes on and on. the only ones that dont fit are the rat pack. they were a bunch of crooners, fit more for the 40s.