1960 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1960.
Specific locations
- 1960 in British music
- 1960 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
- 1960 in country music
- 1960 in jazz
Events
- January – Art student Stuart Sutcliffe joins the Liverpool band Johnny and the Moondogs and suggests they change their name to the Beatals; after several variations this settles on The Beatles in August.
- January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the United States Army.
- January 25 – The National Association of Broadcasters in the United States reacts to the payola scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys accepting money for playing particular records.
- February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles; he is co-author of "Earth Angel", The Penguins' classic from 1954.
- February 23 – United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps formed.
- March 5 – Elvis Presley returns home from serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, having stopped off on March 2 at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, his only time in the U.K.
- March 15 – Jussi Björling suffers a heart attack before a performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. He goes on to perform, but dies six months later in Sweden.
- March 29 – The 5th Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, is won by France with the song "Tom Pillibi", sung by Jacqueline Boyer.
- Spring – "Skokiaan" by Bill Haley & His Comets becomes the band's final single to make it onto the American sales charts.
- 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 Recording Merchandisers 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 in England. Cochran dies in a hospital in Bath, Somerset, from severe brain injuries. Police officer David Harman, who attends the incident, starts learning to play the guitar using Cochran's impounded Gretsch, later becoming professional musician Dave Dee.
- April 20 – Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood 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.
- May 20–28 – The Beatles, as the Silver Beetles, play their first ever tour, as a backing group for Johnny Gentle on a tour of Scotland. The lineup comprises John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Tommy Moore.
- June 30 – Opening of Lionel Bart's Oliver! in London's West End.
- July – The Shadows' instrumental Apache is released in the U.K.
- July 30 – "Battle of Beaulieu": At an English jazz festival at Beaulieu, Hampshire, fans of trad jazz come to blows with progressives.
- August 17 – The Beatles make their debut under this name in Hamburg, Germany, beginning a 48-night residency at the Indra club. The band at the time comprises John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.
- August 27 – Last radio broadcast of Louisiana Hayride.
- October – Dion DiMucci splits from Dion and The Belmonts.
- October 16 – A single concert at the Donaueschingen Festival premieres Penderecki's Anaklasis and Messiaen's Chronochromie.
- November 13 – Sammy Davis Jr. marries May Britt.
- December
- *Édith Piaf's recording of "Non, je ne regrette rien" is released in France.
- *Joseph Shabalala forms male vocal group Ezimnyama, predecessor of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in South Africa.
- The last 78 rpm records are released in the U.S. and the U.K.
- English rock musician Ritchie Blackmore's musical career begins.
- Renato Carosone announces his retirement, at the height of his popularity.
- Dalida and Charles Aznavour share the Grand Prix Award for best Italian song.
- Ian Lake launches the Music of our Time Festival in London for hitherto unknown composers.
- Indian santoor player Shivkumar Sharma records his first solo album.
- 14-year-old Neil Young founds a band called The Jades with Ken Koblun in Winnipeg.
Albums released
- A Date with the Everly Brothers – The Everly Brothers
- A Portrait of Duke Ellington – Dizzy Gillespie
- At Last! – Etta James
- At Newport 1960 – Muddy Waters
- Around Midnight – Julie London
- Around the World with The Chipmunks - Alvin and the Chipmunks
- Bill Haley and His Comets – Bill Haley & His Comets
- Bing & Satchmo – Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong
- Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger – Bo Diddley
- Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker - Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker
- Bobby Vee Sings Your Favorites - Bobby Vee
- Broadway Playbill – The Hi-Lo's
- The Brothers Four – The Brothers Four
- Change of the Century – Ornette Coleman
- Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife – Ella Fitzgerald
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from "Let No Man Write My Epitaph" – Ella Fitzgerald
- Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas – Ella Fitzgerald
- Elvis Is Back! – Elvis Presley
- Les enfants du Pirée – Dalida
- Everything Goes!!! – The Four Lads
- Fiorello! – Oscar Peterson
- For the Young at Heart – Perry Como
- For Twisters Only - Chubby Checker
- The Genius Hits the Road – Ray Charles
- G.I. Blues – Elvis Presley
- Giant Steps – John Coltrane
- Haley's Juke Box – Bill Haley & His Comets
- Have Guitar Will Travel – Bo Diddley
- Hello, Love – Ella Fitzgerald
- His Hand in Mine – Elvis Presley
- I Gotta Right to Swing – Sammy Davis Jr.
- It's Everly Time – The Everly Brothers
- Jo + Jazz – Jo Stafford
- Joan Baez – Joan Baez
- Julie...At Home – Julie London
- Just a Closer Walk with Thee – Patti Page
- The Last Month of the Year – The Kingston Trio
- Me and My Shadows – Cliff Richard & The Shadows
- More Italian Favorites - Connie Francis
- More Songs by Ricky – Ricky Nelson
- Nice 'n' Easy – Frank Sinatra
- No Cover, No Minimum – Billy Eckstine
- Now, There Was a Song! – Johnny Cash
- On the Swingin' Side – Vic Damone
- Once More with Feeling – Billy Eckstine
- Pietro Deiro Presents the Accordion Orchestra – Joe Biviano, Carmen Carrozza, John Serry
- Portrait in Jazz – Bill Evans Trio
- Pre Bird – Charles Mingus
- Ride This Train – Johnny Cash
- Rockin' at the Hops – Chuck Berry
- Show Time – Doris Day
- Sketches of Spain – Miles Davis
- Sing Again with The Chipmunks - Alvin and the Chipmunks
- Sings Hank Williams – Johnny Cash
- Sold Out – The Kingston Trio
- String Along – The Kingston Trio
- Swingin' on the Moon – Mel Tormé
- Twist with Chubby Checker - Chubby Checker
- The Two of Us – Brook Benton and Dinah Washington
- This Is...Brenda – Brenda Lee
- The Village of St. Bernadette – Andy Williams
- We Insist! – Max Roach
- What Every Girl Should Know – Doris Day
Biggest hit singles
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
| 1 | Elvis Presley | It's Now Or Never | 1960 | US | UK 1 – Feb 2005, US BB 1 – Jul 1960, Canada 1 – Jul 1960, Norway 1 – Sep 1960, Australia 1 of 1960, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Feb 1960, South Africa 1 of 1960, US CashBox 2 of 1960, Germany 2 – Jan 1961, RYM 2 of 1960, US BB 9 of 1960, POP 9 of 1960, Italy 17 of 1960, DDD 19 of 1960, Germany 35 of the 1960s |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Are You Lonesome Tonight? | 1960 | US | UK 1 – Jan 1961, US BB 1 – Nov 1960, Canada 1 – Nov 1960, Australia 1 for 8 weeks May 1960, US BB 3 of 1960, Sweden 3 – Nov 1980, Norway 3 – Jan 1961, POP 3 of 1960, Germany 4 – Feb 1961, RYM 4 of 1960, US CashBox 6 of 1961, Australia 9 of 1960, South Africa 12 of 1960, Netherlands 15 – Jan 1981, Italy 28 of 1961, DDD 29 of 1960, Global 33 – 1960, Scrobulate 79 of rock & roll, Germany 215 of the 1960s |
| 3 | Chubby Checker | The Twist | 1960 | US | US BB 1 – Aug 1960, US BB 1 of 1960, US CashBox 1 of 1962, Canada 1 – Aug 1960, POP 1 of 1960, UK 5 – Nov 1975, South Africa 7 of 1961, DDD 9 of 1960, RYM 12 of 1960, RIAA 32, Italy 38 of 1962, Party 46 of 2007, Acclaimed 140, Germany 396 of the 1960s, Rolling Stone 451 |
| 4 | The Drifters | Save the Last Dance for Me | 1960 | US | US BB 1 – Sep 1960, Canada 1 – Sep 1960, Australia 1 for 3 weeks Apr 1960, UK 2 – Nov 1960, US CashBox 3 of 1960, Norway 3 – Dec 1960, South Africa 9 of 1960, RYM 9 of 1960, DDD 12 of 1960, Australia 13 of 1960, US BB 20 of 1960, POP 20 of 1960, Germany 46 of the 1960s, Rolling Stone 182, Acclaimed 512 |
| 5 | Johnny Preston | Running Bear | 1960 | US | UK 1 – Feb 1960, US BB 1 – Dec 1959, Canada 1 – Dec 1959, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Jul 1959, Norway 2 – Mar 1960, South Africa 3 of 1960, US CashBox 10 of 1960, Australia 16 of 1960, US BB 39 of 1960, POP 39 of 1960, DDD 54 of 1959, RYM 73 of 1959 |