What Was Music Like in the 1960s?

Imagine a world without Spotify, YouTube or even CDs. If you wanted to hear your favourite song in the 1960s, you might have listened for it on the radio or saved your pocket money to buy it on a record.

 

The 1960s was an exciting decade for music. New bands became famous, different styles of music travelled around the world and young people found new ways to listen to their favourite songs.

 

Let’s turn up the volume and discover what music was like in the Sixties!

 

 

 🎸 Beatlemania Begins

The Beatles were a band from Liverpool made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

 

At the beginning of the 1960s, they played in small clubs. Before long, their songs were being heard around the world. Wherever the band went, crowds of excited fans gathered to see them. Some screamed so loudly during concerts that it was difficult to hear the music!

 

This excitement became known as Beatlemania.

 

The Beatles also helped to make British music popular in other countries. When they arrived in New York in February 1964, they were met by large crowds of fans and reporters.

 

The Beatles arriving at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on 7 February 1964.

 

 

🎙️ The Sound of Motown

Some of the decade’s most memorable music came from Motown Records in Detroit, USA.

 

Motown was started by Berry Gordy in 1959. Musicians recorded their songs inside a small house that became known as Hitsville U.S.A.

 

Motown songs often had a strong beat, catchy tunes and carefully practised dance routines. Famous Motown performers included:

• The Supremes
• The Temptations
• Stevie Wonder
• Marvin Gaye
• The Four Tops
• Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

 

The music brought Black performers to enormous audiences and was enjoyed by people around the world.

 

Watch and listen: The Supremes perform “You Can’t Hurry Love” on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966. What do you notice about the music, dancing and clothes?

 

 

🚢 Pop Music Came from Ships

Today, we can choose from thousands of radio stations and online playlists. In the early 1960s, young people in Britain had far fewer chances to hear new pop records on the radio.

 

Then something unusual happened. Radio stations began broadcasting from ships anchored at sea!

 

They became known as pirate radio stations because they did not have permission to broadcast from Britain. One of the best known was Radio Caroline, which began broadcasting in 1964.

 

Its presenters played popular records throughout the day, and millions of people listened. Pirate radio became so popular that it helped to change British broadcasting. BBC Radio 1, a new station for popular music, began in 1967.

 

The MV Caroline, home of the pirate radio station Radio Caroline, anchored off the Isle of Man in 1965.

 

🎶 Records Had Two Sides

Most people in the 1960s bought music on vinyl records. A record player used a tiny needle to follow grooves in the vinyl and turn them into sound.

 

A small record called a single usually had one song on each side:

• The A-side normally featured the song the record company hoped would become a hit.
• The B-side had another song.

 

When the first song finished, you had to lift the record, turn it over and place the needle back down to hear the other one. There was no button to skip to the next track!

 

This 1967 Billboard advertisement promoted Lulu’s “To Sir with Love” and the song on its B-side, “The Boat That I Row”.

 

Larger records were called LPs, which stands for long-playing records. They could hold several songs on each side, allowing musicians to release a whole album rather than just one or two songs. Some famous LPs from the decade include Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, Dusty in Memphis by Dusty Springfield and My Generation by The Who.

 

 

📻 Music Became Portable

Records were not easy to carry around and needed a record player, but small transistor radios made listening to music much more portable.

 

People could take a radio into the garden, to the beach or out with their friends. The radio might run on batteries, so it did not always need to be plugged into a wall.

 

Listeners still could not choose exactly which song would play next. They had to tune in, wait and hope that the presenter played one of their favourites!

 

 

👗 Music and Fashion Changed Together

The music of the Sixties did not stay the same for the whole decade.

 

In the early 1960s, performers often appeared in matching suits or neat dresses. By the end of the decade, clothes had become brighter and bolder. Musicians wore colourful patterns, flared trousers, miniskirts and longer hairstyles.

 

The sound of music changed too. Musicians experimented with unusual instruments, new recording effects and ideas from different parts of the world.

 

Music was becoming more than something people simply listened to. It was also connected to fashion, dancing and the way young people expressed themselves.

 

Watch and listen: The Monkees perform “Daydream Believer”, released in 1967. What do you notice about their clothes, hairstyles and instruments? How does their performance compare with The Supremes?

 

 

👂 Listen to More Sixties

Choose two or three more songs from the 1960s and listen carefully. You could try music by The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Sandie Shaw, The Kinks or another performer from the decade.

 

As you listen, think about these questions:

• Can you hear a strong beat?
• Which instruments can you recognise?
• Is the song fast, slow or somewhere in between?
• Does it make you want to dance?
• How is it different from music you hear today?
• Which song is your favourite, and why?

 

Remember that there was no single “Sixties sound”. Pop, rock, soul, folk and many other kinds of music were all popular during the decade.

 

 

🎧 Make Your Own 1960s Radio Show

Why not turn your classroom into a Sixties radio studio?

 

Working in small groups, choose a name for your station and plan a short radio show.

You could include:

• an introduction from the presenter
• a report about a Sixties singer or band
• an advertisement for a new vinyl record
• a music chart counting down your favourite songs
• an interview with an excited fan
• a weather or news report from the decade

 

You could even design a station logo and record your programme for the rest of the class to hear.

 

 

🌟 Step Back into the Sixties

Music is only one part of the story. The 1960s brought changes to fashion, homes, technology, entertainment and everyday life.

 

Explore the decade with our The Sixties Digital Topic Pack, filled with information and activities to help children discover what life was like during this fascinating time.

 

IMAGE CREDITS

The Beatles arrive at JFK Airport - United Press International, photographer unknown / Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons / Public domain in the USA

The MV Caroline, home of Radio Caroline - DWSav / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Lulu single cover - Epic / Billboard via Wikimedia Commons / Public domain in the USA