(October 22, 2025) – The 1960s gave us the first British Invasion, Motown gold, psychedelic pop, and Memphis soul. It was a time when the Beatles dominated and the Supremes weren’t far behind, with the two acts scoring 32 Hot 100 No. 1 singles combined between 1964-1970. Social turmoil inspired some of rock-and-roll’s greatest music; songs that spoke of unrest helped create a cultural shift in a decade that is still heralded as the most pivotal of the 20th century.
As with any era, many of the ‘60s biggest musicians were able to transition smoothly into the ‘70s and beyond – like the Rolling Stones, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Still, many others saw the ‘60s decade as their beginning, middle, and end – at least based on their Hot 100 histories.
What made the ‘60s stand out from subsequent decades is the sheer number of multi-hit wonders who experienced that fate. By the blog’s count, more than 100 acts with at least four top 40 hits never attained a Hot 100 entry either before or after the 1960s. Whether simply a quirk of timing or the result of a tragic death like Otis Redding, a label fallout like Mary Wells, or the changing times like Herman’s Hermits, these artists made a permanent impression on the charts during one of the most important eras in U.S. history, only to disappear altogether when the calendar flipped from December 1969 to January 1970.
In recognition of those artists and the great music they gave us, DJROBBLOG has compiled the Decade-Only Dynamo List, Vol. 3 – the biggest recording acts whose entire chart lives occurred between January 1, 1960, and December 31, 1969. Many of these artists are no longer with us, but you’ll recognize some of them as icons of a revolutionary era where we fought for civil rights, protested the Vietnam War, and watched a prominent counterculture movement emerge. And because of the large number of 1960s acts who qualified, the blog has expanded the list in this volume to 40.
Readers can also access Vol. 1 (1980s) and Vol. 2 (1970s) of this series by clicking the links. But, for now, scroll down to see the 40 biggest acts who began charting in the ‘60s, helped define the decade, and then when it ended, disappeared from the Hot 100’s pages. Artists are ranked using a system similar to one Joel Whitburn used for his Billboard chart books.
How many of these decade-only dynamos do you remember? (Artists’ names are followed by their first, biggest, and last Hot 100 hits, with debut dates in parentheses for first and last entries.)
40. Timi Yuro
1st Hot 100 entry: “Hurt” (7/24/61)
Biggest Hit: “Hurt”
Last entry: “You Can Have Him” (2/20/65)
39. Sue Thompson
1st Hot 100 entry: “Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)” (9/4/61)
Biggest Hit: “Norman” (1962)
Last entry: “Paper Tiger” (1/2/65)
38. The Kingsmen
1st Hot 100 entry: “Louie, Louie” (11/9/63)
Biggest Hit: “Louie, Louie”
Last entry: “Killer Joe” (4/2/66)
37. Lee Dorsey
1st Hot 100 entry: “Ya Ya” (9/11/61)
Biggest Hit: “Ya Ya”
Last entry: “Everything I Do Gonh Be Funk (From Now On)” (6/28/69)
36. Joey Dee & the Starliters
1st Hot 100 entry: “Peppermint Twist” (11/20/61)
Biggest Hit: “Peppermint Twist”
Last entry: “Dance, Dance, “Dance” (7/20/63)
35. Maxine Brown
1st Hot 100 entry: “All in My Mind” (12/31/60)
Biggest Hit: “All in My Mind” (1961)
Last entry: “We’ll Cry Together” (9/27/69)
34. The Cowsills
1st Hot 100 entry: “The Rain, The Park & Other Things” (9/30/67)
Biggest Hit: “The Rain, The Park & Other Things”
Last entry: “Silver Threads and Golden Needles (10/11/69)
33. Gene McDaniels
1st Hot 100 entry: “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” (3/20/61)
Biggest Hit: “A Hundred Pounds of Clay”
Last entry: “It’s a Lonely Town (Lonely Without You)” (8/10/63)
32. The Bachelors
1st Hot 100 entry: “Diane” (4/18/64)
Biggest Hit: “Diane”
Last entry: “Walk with Faith in Your Heart” (1/7/67)
31. The Happenings
1st Hot 100 entry: “See You in September” (7/9/66)
Biggest Hit: “I Got Rhythm” (1967)
Last entry: “Where Do I Go/Be-in/Hare Krishna” (from Hair) (7/12/69)
30. The Chiffons
1st Hot 100 entry: “He’s So Fine” (2/23/63)
Biggest Hit: “He’s So Fine”
Last entry: “Stop, Look and Listen” (10/1/66)
29. Barbara Lewis
1st Hot 100 entry: “Hello Stranger” (5/4/63)
Biggest Hit: “Hello Stranger”
Last entry: “I’ll Make Him Love Me” (4/22/67)
28. The Crystals
1st Hot 100 entry: “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)” (11/20/61)
Biggest Hit: “He’s a Rebel” (1962)
Last entry: “All Grown Up” (8/1/64)
27. The Buckinghams
1st Hot 100 entry: “Kind of a Drag” (12/31/66)
Biggest Hit: “Kind of a Drag” (1967)
Last entry: “Back in Love Again” (6/8/68)
26. Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
1st Hot 100 entry: “Wooly Bully” (4/3/65)
Biggest Hit: “Wooly Bully”
Last entry: “Black Sheep” (6/17/67)
25. Linda Scott
1st Hot 100 entry: “I’ve Told Every Little Star” (3/13/61)
Biggest Hit: “I’ve Told Every Little Star”
Last entry: “Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?” (1/25/64)
24. The Orlons
1st Hot 100 entry: “The Wah Watusi” (6/9/62)
Biggest Hit: “The Wah Watusi”
Last entry: “Knock! Knock! (Who’s There?)” (8/29/64)
23. Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra
1st Hot 100 entry: “Wonderland by Night” (11/14/60)
Biggest Hit: “Wonderland by Night” (1961)
Last entry: “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love” (10/15/66)
22. The Yardbirds
1st Hot 100 entry: “For Your Love” (5/15/65)
Biggest Hit: “For Your Love”
Last entry: “Ten Little Indians” (11/18/67)
21. Chad & Jeremy
1st Hot 100 entry: “Yesterday’s Gone” (5/23/64)
Biggest Hit: “A Summer Song” (1964)
Last entry: “You Are She” (10/8/66)
20. Shangri-Las
1st Hot 100 entry: “Remember (Walkin’ In the Sand)” (8/22/64)
Biggest Hit: “Leader of the Pack” (1964)
Last entry: “Past, Present and Future” (6/25/66)
19. Dee Dee Sharp
1st Hot 100 entry: “Slow Twistin’” (3/3/62)
Biggest Hit: “Mashed Potato Time” (1962)
Last entry: “I Really Love You” (11/6/65)
18. Sam & Dave
1st Hot 100 entry: “You Don’t Know Like I Know” (1/15/66)
Biggest Hit: “Soul Man” (1967)
Last entry: “Born Again” (3/22/69)
17. Gerry & the Pacemakers
1st Hot 100 entry: “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” (5/23/64)
Biggest Hit: “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”
Last entry: “Girl on a Swing” (9/10/66)
16. The Ventures
1st Hot 100 entry: “Walk – Don’t Run” (7/18/60)
Biggest Hit: “Walk – Don’t Run”
Last entry: “Theme From ‘A Summer Place’” (6/28/69)
15. Carla Thomas
1st Hot 100 entry: “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)” (1/30/61)
Biggest Hit: “Gee Whiz”
Last entry: “I Like What You’re Doing (To Me)” (2/15/69)
14. Jack Jones
1st Hot 100 entry: “Lollipops and Roses” (3/3/62)
Biggest Hit: “Wives and Lovers” (1964)
Last entry: “If You Ever Leave Me” (2/17/68)
13. The Vogues
1st Hot 100 entry: “You’re the One” (9/18/65)
Biggest Hit: “Five O’clock World” (1966)
Last entry: “Green Fields” (8/23/69)
12. Peter & Gordon
1st Hot 100 entry: “A World Without Love” (5/9/64)
Biggest Hit: “A World Without Love”
Last entry: “The Jokers” (6/24/67)
11. Roger Miller
1st Hot 100 entry: “Dang Me” (6/13/64)
Biggest Hit: “King of the Road” (1965)
Last entry: “Vance” (12/7/68)
10. The Lovin’ Spoonful
1st Hot 100 entry: “Do You Believe in Magic” (8/21/65)
Biggest Hit: “Summer in the City” (1966)
Last entry: “Me About You” (2/8/69)
9. Ronnie Dove
1st Hot 100 entry: “Say You” (7/18/64)
Biggest Hit: “One Kiss for Old Times’ Sake” (1965)
Last entry: “I Need You Now” (5/31/69)
8. Lesley Gore
1st Hot 100 entry: “It’s My Party” (5/11/63)
Biggest Hit: “It’s My Party”
Last entry: “Brink of Disaster” (10/21/67)
7. Nancy Sinatra
1st Hot 100 entry: “So Long Babe” (10/16/65)
Biggest Hit: “Somethin’ Stupid” (with Frank Sinatra)” (1967)
Last entry: “Drummer Man” (9/20/69)
6. Gary Lewis & the Playboys
1st Hot 100 entry: “This Diamond Ring” (1/16/65)
Biggest Hit: “This Diamond Ring”
Last entry: “Rhythm of the Rain” (4/5/69)
5. Mary Wells
1st Hot 100 entry: “Bye Bye Baby” (1/30/61)
Biggest Hit: “My Guy” (1964)
Last entry: “The Doctor” (5/18/68)
4. The Marvelettes
1st Hot 100 entry: “Please Mr. Postman” (9/4/61)
Biggest Hit: “Please Mr. Postman”
Last entry: “That’s How Heartaches Are Made” (11/8/69)
3. Otis Redding
1st Hot 100 entry: “These Arms of Mine” (5/25/63)
Biggest Hit: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” (1968)
Last entry: “Love Man” (5/24/69)
2. Herman’s Hermits
1st Hot 100 entry: “I’m Into Something Good” (10/17/64)
Biggest Hit: “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” (1965)
Last entry: “Sleepy Joe” (5/11/68)
1. Dave Clark Five
1st Hot 100 entry: “Glad All Over” (2/15/64)
Biggest Hit: “Over and Over” (1965)
Last entry: “Everybody Knows” (12/16/67)
Those are your top 40 Decade-Only Dynamos of the 1960s. Now for some notable near-misses.
These Acts Almost Qualified:
Peter, Paul & Mary’s last hit, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” barely touched the chart during the 1970s, spending its last seven weeks on the Hot 100 at the beginning of the decade. Otherwise, they’d be ranked at No. 9, right behind Lesley Gore.
Similarly, Gene Pitney scored 24 hits all in the 1960s—enough to rank him at No. 3 if he were eligible. But his last chart entry, 1969’s “She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning),” spent its last two chart weeks in January 1970, thus extending him into the new decade and making him ineligible.
And, except for a No. 100-peaking song from June of 1970, the Turtles would have ranked in the top ten on this list with all 16 of their other chart records occurring between 1965-69.
At the opposite end of the decade, the Shirelles also had 24 Hot 100 hits, including two No. 1s. But their first entry, “I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde),” happened in 1958—the only one to chart outside of the 1960s—otherwise they, too, would have ranked in the top three here.
All these acts hold special memories for those who experienced their music in real-time. They may have been confined to a decade, but their music has entertained and inspired generations since.
Stay tuned for the next article in this series, where the blog will rank the acts from the 1990s whose hits were confined to that decade!
You can click here to enjoy the ‘80s version (Vol. 1).
You can also click here for the ‘70s version (Vol. 2).
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
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