The 1960s were a time of upheaval in society, fashion, attitudes and especially music.
Before 1963 the music of the sixties still reflected the sound, style and beliefs of the previous decade and many of the hit records were by artists who had found mainstream success in the 1950s, like Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and The Everly Brothers. In 1963 and the years to follow a number of social influences changed what popular music was and gave birth to the diversity that we experience with music today.
The 'British Invasion' also began around 1963 with the arrival of The Beatles on the music scene. The type of fanatics that followed them, would change the way people would view and interact with music.While rock and roll music entered the popular music spectrum in the 1950s, rock music really came into its own in the 1960s. Rock music dominated the popular music scene during the decade and as the genre grew and changed, many diverse and new sub-genres emerged, all tied to original rock but each with their own unique style and purpose.
To mention a few ...
Taking the top ten hits into consideration Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys and The Beatles are examples of artists with multiple hits. The following table mentions only a few of their hits between the years 1960 and 1969.
| Elvis Presley |
|
| The Beach Boys | Surfin' USA Good Vibrations |
| The Beatles |
|