1960 in music

Events

• January 14 - Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army
• February 6 - Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles, California. Belvin was the co-author of "Earth Angel," the Penguins' classic from 1954
• February 17 - The Everly Brothers sign a 10-year, $1 million contract with Warner Bros. Records.
• March 5 - Elvis Presley returns home from serving in the US Army
• First performance of Lionel Bart's Oliver!
• April 1 - Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Mitch Miller film Sinatra's Timex Special for ABC at Miami, Florida's Fountainbleu Hotel
• April 2 - The National Association of Record Merchants presents its first annual awards in Las Vegas, Nevada
• April 4 - RCA Victor Records announces that it will release all pop singles in mono and stereo simultaneously, the first record company to do so. Elvis Presley's single, "Stuck on You," is RCA's first mono/stereo release.
• April 17 - Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Cochran's girlfriend Sharon Sheeley are injured in a car accident near Chippenham, Wiltshire. Cochran dies in a hospital in Bath, England, from severe brain injuries.
• April 20 - Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California for the first time since coming home from Germany to film G.I. Blues
• May 2 - The Drifters' Ben E. King leaves the group and signs a solo record contract with ATCO Records.
• August 1 - The Beatles make their debut in Hamburg, Germany. The band at the time included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.
• The Beatles' musical career begins
• Patti LaBelle's musical career begins
• Carla Thomas' musical career begins
• Hank Williams Jr.'s musical career begins
• Van Morrison's musical career begins
• The Supremes' musical career begins

Albums released

• GI Blues - Elvis Presley
• Genius of Ray Charles - Ray Charles
• Mack the Knife - Ella in Berlin - Ella Fitzgerald
• More Songs By Ricky - Ricky Nelson
• Nice 'N' Easy - Frank Sinatra
• String Along - The Kingston Trio
• This Is Brenda - Brenda Lee
• Where The Boys Are - Connie Francis

Top hits on record

• "Only The Lonely" - Roy Orbison
• "Today's Teardrops" - Roy Orbison, written by Gene Pitney
• "I'm sorry" - Brenda Lee
• "True Love Ways" - Buddy Holly
• "Chain Gang" - Sam Cooke
• "Save The Last Dance For Me" - The Drifters
• "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
• "Walk, Don't Run" - The Ventures
• "Red Rubber Ball" - Bobby Vee
• "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" - Brian Hyland
• "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers
• "Sink the Bismarck" - Johnny Horton
• "North To Alaska" - Johnny Horton
• "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" - Connie Francis
• "Good Timin' " -Jimmy Jones
• "You're Sixteen" - Johnny Burnette
• "You Talk Too Much" - Joe Jones
• "Georgia On My Mind" - Ray Charles
• "It's Now Or Never" - Elvis Presley
• "Exodus" - Ferrante & Teicher
• "Dreamin' " - Johnny Burnette
• "Alley-Oop" - Hollywood Argyles
• "Mission Bell" - Donnie Brooks
• "What In the World's Come Over You" - Jack Scott
• "Burning Bridges" - Jack Scott
• "Tall Oak Tree" - Dorsey Burnette

Published popular songs

• "Alley-Oop"     w.m. Dallas Frazier
• "Apache"     m. Jerry Lordan
• "Artificial Flowers"     w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
• "Because They're Young"     w. Aaron Schroeder & Wally Gold m. Don Costa
• "Bellyup To The Bar, Boys"     w.m. Meredith Willson
• "Bonanza!"     w.m. Jerry Livingston & Ray Evans
• "Calcutta"     w. Lee Pockriss & Paul Vance m. Heino Gaze
• "Calendar Girl"     w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
• "Camelot"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "Cathy's Clown"     w.m. Don Everly & Phil Everly
• "Chain Gang"     w.m. Sam Cooke
• "Corinna, Corinna(1)"     adapt with new w. Mitchell Parish
• " 'D' In Love"     Tepper, Bennett
• "Dis-Donc, Dis-Donc"     w. (Eng) Julian Moore, David Heneker & Monty Norman (Fr) Alexandre Breffort m. Marguerite Monnot
• "Do You Mind"     w.m. Lionel Bart
• "Dolce Far Niente"     w.m. Meredith Willson
• "Emotions"     Kearney
• "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"     w. Howard Greenfield m. Jack Keller
• "Exodus"     w. Charles E. (Pat) Boone m. Ernest Gold
• "Faraway Boy"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be"     w.m. Lionel Bart
• "Follow Me"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "Footsteps"     w.m. Barry Mann & Hank Hunter
• "Give A Little Whistle"     w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
• "Good Timin' "     w.m. Fred Tobias & Clint Ballard Jr
• "Goodness Gracious Me"     D. Lee, H. Kretzmer
• "The Green Leaves Of Summer"     w. Paul Francis Webster m. Dimitri Tiomkin
• "Happy-Go-Lucky Me"     w.m. Paul Evans
• "He Will Break Your Heart"     w.m. Jerry Butler, Calvin Carter & Curtis Mayfield
• "Hey, Look Me Over!"     w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
• "How To Handle A Woman"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "I Ain't Down Yet"     w.m. Meredith Willson
• "I Can See It"     w.Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "I Gotta Know"     w.m. Paul Evans & Matt Williams
• "I Loved You Once In Silence"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "I Want To Be Wanted"     w. (Eng) Kim Gannon (Ital) A. Testa m. Pino Spotti
• "I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "I'd Do Anything"     w.m. Lionel Bart
• "If Ever I Would Leave You"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "I'll Be There"     w.m. Bobby Darin
• "I'm Sorry"     w.m. Ronnie Self & Dub Allbritten
• "Irma La Douce"     w. (Eng) Julian More, David Heneker & Monty Norman (Fr) Alexandre Breffort m. Marguerite Monnot
• "It Depends On What You Pay"     w.Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "It's Now Or Never"     w.m. adapt. Aaron Schroeder & Wally Gold
• "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"     w. Paul Vance & Lee Pockriss m. Brian Hyland
• "Jump Over"     w.m. Frank C. Slay Jr & Bob Crewe
• "Just Come Home"     w. (Eng) Carl Sigman (Fr) Edith Piaf m. Marguerite Monnot
• "Kids"     w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "Last Date"     m. Floyd Cramer
• "Let's Think About Living"     w.m. Boudleaux Bryant
• "Little Boy Lost"     w.m. Johnny Ashcroft & Tony Withers
• "A Lot Of Livin' To Do"     w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "The Lusty Month Of May"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "The Magnificent Seven"     m. Elmer Bernstein
• "Make Someone Happy"     w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne
• "A Million To One"     w.m. Phil Medley
• "Mission Bell"     w.m. William Michael
• "Mister Custer"     w.m. Fred Darian, Al De Lory & Joseph Van Winkle
• "Money (That's What I Want)"     w.m. Janie Bradford & Berry Gordy Jr
• "Mountain Of Love"     w.m. Harold Dorman
• "Mr Lucky"     m. Henry Mancini
• "Much More"     w. [Tom Jones (writer)]] m. Harvey Schmidt
• "My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own"     w. Howard Greenfield m. Jack Keller
• "My Home Town"     w.m. Paul Anka
• "My Old Man's A Dustman"     Lonnie Donegan, P. Buchanan, B. Thorn, R. Beaumont
• "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You"     L. Ross, B. Wills
• "Never On Sunday"     w. (Eng) Billy Towne (Greek) Manos Hadjidakis m. Manos Hadjidakis
• "Nice 'N' Easy"     w. Marilyn Keith & Alan Bergman m. Lew Spence
• "North To Alaska"     w.m. Mike Phillips
• "O Dio Mio"     w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
• "One Boy"     w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "One Last Kiss"     w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "One Of Us (Will Weep Tonight)"     w.m. Clint Ballard Jr & Fred Tobias
• "Only The Lonely"     w.m. Roy Orbison & Joe Melson
• "La Pachanga"     w. (Eng) Jeanne Pollack (Sp) Eduardo Davidson m. Eduardo Davidson
• "Pepe"     H. Wittstatt, D. Langdon
• "Plant A Radish"     w.Jom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "Please Don't Tease"     B. Welch, P. Chester
• "Please Help Me I'm Falling"     w.m. Don Robertson & Hal Blair
• "Poetry In Motion"     w.m. Paul Kauffman & Mike Anthony
• "Portrait Of My Love"     C. Ornadel
• "Puppy Love"     w.m. Paul Anka
• "Put On A Happy Face"     w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "Round And Round"     w.Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "Rubber Ball"     w.m. Anne Orlowski & Aaron Schroeder
• "Run Samson Run"     w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
• "Sailor"     w. (Eng) Alan Holt (Ger) Fini Busch m. Werner Scharfenberger
• "Save The Last Dance For Me"     w.m. Jerome "Doc" Pomus & Mort Shuman
• "The Second Time Around"     w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen
• "Shazam!"     w.m. Duane Eddy & Lee Hazelwood
• "She Wears My Ring"     w.m. Boudleaux Bryant & Felice Bryant
• "She's My Baby"     Turnbull, Moffat, Finch
• "Sink The Bismarck"     w.m. Tillman Franks & Johnny Horton
• "Sixteen Reasons"     w.m. Bill Post & Doree Post
• "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)"     w.m. Don Everly
• "Soon It's Gonna Rain"     w. Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "Spanish Harlem"     Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector
• "Stairway To Heaven"     w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
• "Starbright"     w.m. Lee Pockriss & Paul Vance
• "Stay"     w.m. Maurice Williams
• "Stuck On You"     w.m. Aaron Schroeder & J. Leslie McFarland
• "Swingin' School"     w. Kal Mann m. Bernie Lowe & Dave Appell
• "T.L.C. Tender Love And Care"     Lehman, Lebowsky, Clarke
• "A Taste Of Honey"     w. Ric Marlow m. Bobby Scott
• "Tell Laura I Love Her"     w.m. Jeff Barry & Ben Raleigh
• "Theme from "A Summer Place""     m. Max Steiner
• "Theme from "The Apartment""     m. Charles Williams
• "Theme from "The Unforgiven""     w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin
• "They Were You'     w.Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"     w.m. Rolf Harris
• "Togetherness"     w.m. Russell Faith
• "Try To Remember"     w. Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt
• "The Twist"     w.m. Hank Ballard
• "Twistin' USA"     w.m. Kal Mann
• "Two Of A Kind"     w.m. Bobby Darin & Johnny Mercer
• "The Village Of St. Bernadette"     w.m. Eula Parker
• "Wake Me When It's Over"     w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen
• "Walk, Don't Run"     w.m. Johnny Smith
• "Walking Away Whistling"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Walking To New Orleans"     w.m. Antoine "Fats" Domino
• "What Do The Simple Folk Do?"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "What Takes My Fancy"     w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
• "When Will I Be Loved?"     w.m. Phil Everly
• "Who Will Buy?"     w.m. Lionel Bart
• "Wild One"     w.m. Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann & Dave Appell
• "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"     Carole King, Gerry Goffin
• "Wings Of A Dove"     Ferguson
• "Wonderful World"     w.m. B. Campbell
• "Wooden Heart"     w.m. adapt. Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Kay Twomey & Bert Kaempfert
• "(In The Summertime) You Don't Want My Love"     w.m. Roger Miller
• "You Talk Too Much"     w.m. Joe Jones & Reginald Hall
• "Young Emotions"     w. Mack David m. Jerry Livingston
• "You're Sixteen"     w.m. Richard Sherman & Robert Sherman

Musical theater

• Bye Bye Birdie     Broadway production
• Camelot     Broadway production
• Do-Re-Mi     Broadway production
• The Fantasticks     off-Broadway production
• Flower Drum Song     London production
• From A To Z     Broadway production
• Irma La Douce     Broadway production
• Oh, Kay!     Broadway revival
• Oliver!     London production
• Parade     Broadway production
• Tenderloin     Broadway production
• The Unsinkable Molly Brown     Broadway production
• Valmouth     Broadway production

Musical films

• Bells Are Ringing
• Can-Can
• Fanny

Births

• January 4 - Michael Stipe, lead singer for the rock band R.E.M.
• January 8 - Dave Weckl
• January 12 - Charlie Gillingham, Counting Crows
• January 16 - Sade
• January 22 - Michael Hutchence, INXS
• February 3 - Tim Chandler, Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies, others
• February 19 - William Holly Johnson, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
• February 27 - Paul Humphries, Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark
• March 13 - Adam Clayton, bassist for rock band U2
• May 10 - Bono, lead singer for rock band U2
• June 1 - Simon Gallup, The Cure
• June 2 - Tony Hadley, Spandau Ballet
• June 8 - Mick Hucknall, Simply Red
• August 1 - Chuck D., Public Enemy
• August 7 - Jacqui O'Sullivan, Banarama
• August 23 - Steve Clark, Def Leppard
• September 8 - David Steele, Fine Young Cannibals
• September 22 - Joan Jett, The Runaways
• October 22 - Cris Kirkwood, Meat Puppets
• October 30 - Joey Belladonna, Anthrax
• November 19 - Matt Sorum, The Cult
• November 25 - Amy Grant
• December 2 - Rick Savage, Def Leppard
• December 31 - Paul Westerberg
• Greg Flesch - Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies

Deaths

• February 6 - Jesse Belvin, car accident
• April 17 - Eddie Cochran, car accident
• November 5 - Johnny Horton, car accident
• Joseph Lamb -
• Jussi Björling - Swedish tenor

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Record of the Year: "Theme From A Summer Place" - Percy Faith
• Album of the Year: Button Down Mind - Bob Newhart
• Song of the Year: - "Theme From Exodus" - Ernest Gold, songwriter

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1960

Referenced By