The Walker Brothers: The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (1966)

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The Walker Brothers were an American 1960s and 1970s pop group, comprising Scott Engel (eventually known professionally as Scott Walker), John Maus, and Gary Leeds (eventually known as Gary Walker). They had a number of top ten albums and singles in the mid-1960s, including number 1 chart hits "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)". Formed in 1964, the three unrelated musicians adopted the 'Walker Brothers' name as a show business touch - "simply because we liked it". They provided a unique counterpoint to the British Invasion in that they were a group from the United States that only achieved success in the United Kingdom and Germany, while the popularity of bands such as The Beatles spread to the U.S.

The Turtles: So Happy Together (1967)

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"Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February of 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1967. The song was written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon, former members of a band known as The Magicians. The song had been rejected a dozen times before The Turtles were offered it, and the demo acetate was worn out. The Turtles are a U.S. rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman.

The Rolling Stones: Little Red Rooster (1964)

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Following Sam Cooke's success, The Rolling Stones recorded their version of "Little Red Rooster" in 1964. The recording session took place at the Chess Studios in Chicago, the same studios where Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, et al. recorded their blues classics (The Rolling Stones instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue" was named after the studio's address). The song reached number one in the UK singles chart on 3 December 1964, where it stayed for one week. It remains to this day the only time a blues song has ever topped the British pop charts. The song generally follows the original with Brian Jones contributing the distinctive slide guitar part and Mick Jagger adding an effective harmonica part on the outro. It was the band's last cover song to be released as a single during the 1960s; subsequent singles would be self-penned efforts. "Little Red Rooster" was not released as a single in the U.S., but was included on the 1965 album "The Rolling Stones, Now!". The Rolling Stones performed the song on several American television shows in 1965, including The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig!, and Shivaree (at their insistence, Howlin' Wolf also performed on Shindig!, where he was introduced by Brian Jones). 

Lulu: To Sir With Love (1967)

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"To Sir, with Love" is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite. The film's title song "To Sir, With Love", sung by Lulu, reached number one on the U.S. pop charts, and ultimately was Billboard magazine's #1 pop single for the year, 1967.  Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE (born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, 3 November 1948, Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire), best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day.

The Rolling Stones: Heart Of Stone (1964)

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"Heart of Stone" is a song by the English rock 'n roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in the United States, and on an extended-play single in Europe. It was not released in the United Kingdom until featuring on the "Out Of Our Heads" UK album released September 1965. "Heart of Stone" is a slow and soulful, dramatic ballad with the kind of vaguely discordant, droning guitars heard on many an early Rolling Stones slow number. What was impressive was how the Jagger/Richards song, though similar in some respect to American soul ballads of the period, was not explicitly derivative of any one blues or soul song that they were covering on their mid-60s records. The lilt of the verses owed something to country music and the mournful harmonies heard on the latter part of the verses added to the overall feeling of melancholy moodiness.

The Hollies: Stop! Stop! Stop! (1966)

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The Hollies were known for their bright vocal harmonies. Though initially known for its cover versions, the band moved towards written-to-order songs provided to them by such writers as Graham Gouldman. Soon after, the group's in-house songwriting trio of Clarke, Hicks and Nash began providing hits." Stop! Stop! Stop!" tells the story of a young man watching an exotic dancer who completely captivates him, so much so that he jumps up on stage to dance with her and promptly gets thrown out of the nightclub (presumably by a bouncer).

The Byrds: Mr Tambourine Man (1965)

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"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records and which reached #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart. The Byrds' version was also the title track of their first album, "Mr. Tambourine Man". The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (aka Jim McGuinn) remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones for a short period of time (1965-66), The Byrds are today considered by critics to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Initially, they pioneered the musical genre of folk rock, melding the influence of The Beatles and other British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk music.

Bob Dylan: Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (1966)

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Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was at first an informal chronicler, and later an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of his songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war  movements. His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the "Never Ending Tour". His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting. "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" appears on his 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde".  

The Barron Knights: It Was A Very Good Year (1965)

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The Barron Knights is a British humorous pop group, originally formed in 1959 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire as The Knights of the Round Table. They became The Barron Knights on 5 October 1960. Although The Barron Knights undoubtedly had their own style and produced regular 'beat group' recordings in their own right, it was their production of humorous parodies that brought them the greatest success. In fact, their catalogue of recordings - although impressive - does not reflect their success as stage entertainers. By adapting their act to each new wave of emerging performers they were able to survive longer than their more conventional contemporaries, and even today can still be regularly found in cabaret or performing a seaside summer season. Their original lead singer, Duke D'Mond, died on 9 April 2009.

Linda Scott: I've Told Every Little Star (1961)

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Linda Scott (born Linda Joy Sampson, June 1, 1945, Queens, New York) was a pop singer active in the early to mid 1960s. Her biggest hit was the 1961 million-selling single, "I've Told Every Little Star". She went on to place twelve songs on the charts  over the next four years, the last being "Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed," which was one of the first collaborations between the songwriting team of Hal David and Burt Bacharach. Though she continued recording in the mid-1960s, her singles were less and less commercially successful, although they demonstrated a more progressive, soulful feel than her earlier recordings, with Scott's voice growing more supple and mature. Her last U.S. recording, "They Don't Know You", was released in 1967 on RCA Records. She continued to record as a backing vocalist (most notably on Lou Christie's 1969 hit, "I'm Gonna Make You Mine") and also released a handful of singles in the UK (on CBS and Bell) before finally quitting show business in the early 1970s to pursue studies in theology.

Francoise Hardy: Only Friends (1964)

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Francoise Hardy signed her first contract with the record label Vogue in November 1961. In April 1962, shortly after finishing school, her first record "Oh Oh Chéri" appeared, written by Johnny Hallyday's writing duo. Her own flip side of the record, "Tous les garçons et les filles" became a success, riding the wave of Yé-yé music in France. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. She first appeared on television in 1962 during an interlude in a programme reporting the results of a presidential referendum. Francoise sings in French, English, Italian, Spanish, and German. In 1963 she came fifth for Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest with "L'amour s'en va". In 1963, she was awarded the Grand Prix Du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy.

Paul Revere & The Raiders: Baby, Please Don't Go (1965)

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Paul Revere & The Raiders is an American rock band that saw enormous U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s, best-known for U.S. hits like "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" which was a number one single in 1971, "Kicks" (ranked number 400 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time) and "Hungry" (1966). Initially located in Boise, Idaho, The Raiders started as an instrumental rock outfit led by organist Paul Revere (born Paul Revere Dick). In his early twenties, Revere owned several restaurants in Caldwell, Idaho, and first met singer Mark Lindsay while picking up hamburger buns from the bakery where Lindsay worked (this circumstance was later referred to in the tongue-in- cheek song "Legend of Paul Revere"). Lindsay joined Revere's band in 1958. Originally called The Downbeats, they changed their name to Paul Revere & The Raiders in 1960 on the eve of their first record release for Gardena Records. 

The Pretty Things: Don't Bring Me Down (1964)

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The Pretty Things are an English rock and roll band from London, who originally formed in 1963. They took their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" and, in their early days, were dubbed by the British press the "uglier cousins of The Rolling Stones". Their most commercially successful period was the mid 1960s, although they continue to perform to this day. 

Donovan: Sunshine Superman (1966)

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"Sunshine Superman" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. The "Sunshine Superman" single was released in the United States through Epic Records in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it appeared on Donovan's previous label, Pye Records. The "Sunshine Superman" single was backed with "The Trip" on both the United States and United Kingdom releases. It has been described as having, "proven to be one of the classics of the era," and as, "the quintessential bright summer sing along". "Sunshine Superman" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and subsequently became the title track of Donovan's third album, "Sunshine Superman". It was the first product from the highly successful three-year collaboration between Donovan and producer Mickie Most and is generally considered to be one of the first examples of the musical genre that came to be known as psychedelia. The song was written personally for Donovan's future wife Linda Lawrence. Chart positions were #1 (US), #2 (UK).

The Four King Cousins: God Only Knows (1968)

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The Four King Cousins made an album for Capitol in the late '60s, "Introducing... The King Cousins", that put their sunny, bland multi-part harmonies to easy listening arrangements on a set largely comprised of covers of big hits of the period by the likes of the Beach Boys, Beatles, and Herb Alpert. The four members (Tina Cole, Cathy Cole, Carolyn Thomas, and Candy Wilson) were indeed cousins, and all were daughters of the far more famous King Sisters, the popular vocal group of the 1930s and 1940s. The Four King Cousins also made appearances on the King Sisters-hosted network television variety series "The King Family Show". Member Tina Cole is probably most remembered not for The Four King Cousins, but for her role as the wife of Don Grady in the TV sitcom "My Three Sons". 

Cliff Richard: I Gotta Know (1960)

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In the early days, Cliff Richard was marketed as the British equivalent to Elvis Presley. Like previous British rockers such as Tommy Steele and Marty Wilde, Richard adopted Presley-like dress and hairstyle. In performance he struck a pose of rock attitude, rarely smiling or looking at the audience or camera. His late 1958 and early 1959 follow-up singles, "High Class Baby" and "Livin' Lovin' Doll", were followed by "Mean Streak", which carried a rocker's sense of speed and passion, and Lionel Bart's "Living Doll". It was on "Living Doll" that The Drifters began to back Richard on record. It was his fifth record, and became his first number 1 single . By that time the group's lineup had changed with the arrival of Jet Harris, Tony Meehan, Hank Marvin, and Bruce Welch. The group was obliged to change its name to The Shadows after legal complications with the U.S. Drifters as "Living Doll" entered the American top 40, licensed by ABC- Paramount. "I Gotta Know" featured on the EP "Cliff Sings".

Cream: White Room (1969)

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Cream were a 1960s British blues-rock band and supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer/vocalist Ginger Baker. Their sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues, hard rock and psychedelic rock, combining Eric Clapton's blues guitar playing with the voice and basslines of Jack Bruce and the jazz-influenced drumming of Baker. "Wheels of Fire" was the world's first platinum-selling double album. Cream is widely regarded as being the world's first notable and functioning supergroup.

Crispian St Peters: The Pied Piper (1966)

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Crispian St Peters (5 April 1939 - 8 June 2010) was an English pop singer and singer/songwriter best known for his work in the 1960s, particularly his 1966 hits, "The Pied Piper" and "You Were on My Mind". "The Pied Piper", became forever known as his signature song, and it became a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

Chad & Jeremy: I'm In Love Again (1965)

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Chad & Jeremy were an English singing folk rock duo originating in the 1960s, comprising Chad Stuart (born David Stuart Chadwick, 10 December 1941, Windermere, Cumbria) and Jeremy Clyde (born Michael Thomas Jeremy Clyde, 22 March 1941, Dorney, Buckinghamshire). They were part of the British Invasion, a large influx of British rock and pop musicians to the American music scene.

Buddy Holly: What To Do (1961)

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A youthful Charles Hardin Holley saw Elvis Presley sing in Lubbock in 1955 and began to incorporate a rockabilly style with Chet Atkins style lead guitar, strong rhythm acoustic and slap bass into his music. On October 15 he opened the bill for Presley in Lubbock, catching the eye of a Nashville talent scout. Holly's transition to rock continued when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets at a local show organized by Eddie Crandall, the manager for Marty Robbins. Following this performance Decca Records signed him to a contract in February 1956, misspelling his name as "Holly". He thereafter adopted the misspelled name for his professional career. Holly formed his own band, later to be called The Crickets.

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Good Golly Miss Molly (1969)

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Creedence Clearwater Revival (often abbreviated CCR) was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums. The group consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother and rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and swamp rock genres. Despite their San Francisco Bay Area origins, they are sometimes also cited as southern rock stylists. CCR's music is still a staple of American and worldwide radio airplay and often figures in various media. The band has sold 26 million albums in the United States alone. CCR was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Chubby Checker: The Twist (1960)

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"The Twist" is a twelve bar blues song that gave birth to the Twist dance craze. The song was written and originally released in 1959 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side (to "Teardrops on Your Letter") but his version was only a moderate 1960 hit, peaking at 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, and the dance the Twist, was popularized in 1960 when the song was covered by Chubby Checker. His single became a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 19, 1960 (one week), and then setting a record by being the only single to reach number one in two different chart runs when it resurfaced and topped the chart again on January 13, 1962 (two weeks).

The Beatles: Help! (1965)

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"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom. "Help!" was written primarily by John Lennon, but credited (as were all Beatles songs written by either person) to Lennon/McCartney. Paul McCartney reports that he had a hand in writing the song as well, being called in "to complete it" in a two-hour joint writing session on 4 April 1965 at Lennon's house in Weybridge. He later said that the title was "out of desperation". In 2004, "Help!" was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Tom Jones: It's Not Unusual (1965)

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"It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself. The record was the second Decca single Jones released, reaching number one in the UK charts in 1965. It was also the first hit for Jones in the US, peaking at #10 in May of that year. The single was released in the US on the Parrot label and also reached #3 on Billboard's easy listening chart. Jones used this song as the theme for his late 1960s-early 1970s musical variety series "This Is Tom Jones". It has since become Jones' musical signature. Backing musicians were The Ivy League with Clem Cattini on drums. Arranger was Les Reed. Guitar was provided by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame and Joe Moretti.

Swinging Blue Jeans: You're No Good (1964)

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"You're No Good" is a song written by Clint Ballard, Jr. which first charted for Betty Everett in 1963 and in 1975 was a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt. In the UK The Swinging Blue Jeans had the hit version of "You're No Good" reaching #3 in the summer of 1964: this version also charted in France at #26 and was successful enough regionally in the US to reach #97 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Kinks: Well Respected Man (1965)

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"A Well Respected Man" is a song by the British band The Kinks, originally released on the UK EP "Kwyet Kinks" in September 1965. It was released as a single in the US in October and reached #13. Musically, it marked the beginning of an expansion in The Kinks' inspirations, drawing much from British music hall traditions, as well as from American rhythm and blues used later in songs such as "Dedicated Follower of Fashion". Following the success of that single, "A Well Respected Man" was also released as a single in mainland Europe in March 1966 (although pressed in the UK, it was an export only issue). It was one of three Kinks songs included on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll along with "You Really Got Me" and "Lola". Davies composed the song based on a negative experience with upper class guests at a luxury resort where he was staying in 1965. He crafted the song to mock what he perceived as their condescension and self-satisfaction.

Sandie Shaw: Too Bad You Don't Want Me (1965)

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Sandie Shaw (born Sandra Ann Goodrich, 26 February 1947) is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest. She has been described as "the barefoot pop princess of the 1960s". On leaving school, she worked at the nearby Ford factory, and did some part-time modelling, before coming second as a singer in a local talent contest. As a prize, she appeared at a charity concert in London, where her potential was spotted by singer Adam Faith. He introduced her to his manager, Eve Taylor, who won her a contract with Pye Records in 1964 and gave her the stage name of "Sandie Shaw".

The Brothers Four: Greenfields (1960)

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The Brothers Four are an American folk group founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington. Bob Flick, John Paine, Mike Kirkland, and Dick Foley met at the University of Washington, where they were members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity in 1956 (hence the "Brothers" appellation). Their first professional performances were the result of a prank played on them in 1958 by a rival fraternity, who had arranged for someone to call them, pretend to be from Seattle's Colony Club, and invite them to come down to audition for a gig. Even though they were not expected at the club, they were allowed to sing a few songs anyway, and were subsequently hired. Flick recalls them being paid "mostly in beer." They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, "Brothers Four", released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. 

Manfred Mann: Smokestack Lightning (1964)

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The group, originally known as The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, signed to His Master's Voice in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann (at the suggestion of their label's producer), and debuted in July of that year with the instrumental single "Why Should We Not?" The band experimented more with jazz and R&B themes on their albums. 1964's "The Five Faces of Manfred Mann" included standards such as this track, "Smokestack Lightning".

The Shirelles: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (1960)

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The Shirelles were an American girl group in the early 1960s, and the first to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The quartet formed in New Jersey in 1958, and went on to release a string of hits including "Baby It's You" (written by Burt Bacharach/Mack David/Barney Williams), "Mama Said", "Foolish Little Girl", and the #1 Pop hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) and "Soldier Boy" (Florence Greenburg/Luther Dixon). The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock and roll era, preceding Motown as a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Unlike The Chantels, who had had their first hit in 1957, they were successful in Britain, first and foremost with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (1960). In addition, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy.

Kyu Sakamoto: Sukiyaki (1962)

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Kyu Sakamoto (December 10, 1941 - August 12, 1985) was a Japanese singer and actor. He is ranked at number 18 in a list of Japan's top 100 influential musicians by HMV Japan. His most popular song, "Ue o muite aruko-" ("I look up when I walk") was popular around the world. In 1963, the British record label Pye Records released a cover version of the song by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. They were concerned that English-speaking audiences might find the original title too difficult to remember/pronounce, so they gave it the new title of "Sukiyaki'". This title was retained when Capitol Records in the United States, and His Master's Voice (HMV) in the UK, released Kyu Sakamoto's original version a few months later. The song topped the Billboard pop charts in the United States for three weeks in 1963 - to date the only song sung entirely in Japanese to do so. In the UK, it was the first ever Japanese language song to enter the charts, but only went to number 6 with no further chart entries. On August 12, 1985, Kyu Sakamoto died in the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123. Before the aircraft crashed, Sakamoto wrote a farewell note to his wife, Yukiko Kashiwagi.

The Kinks: Dedicated Follower Of Fashion (1966)

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"Dedicated Follower of Fashion" is a 1966 single by British band The Kinks. It lampoons the contemporary British fashion scene and mod culture in general. Originally released as a single, it has been included on many of the band's later albums. Musically, it and "A Well Respected Man" marked the beginning of an expansion in The Kinks' inspirations, drawing as much from British music hall traditions as from American rhythm and blues, the inspiration for breakthrough Kinks songs like "You Really Got Me". While it was quite scornful toward them, many of the fashionistas the song mocks would later take its title to heart.

The Lovin' Spoonful: Daydream (1966)

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The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Working with producer Erik Jacobsen, the band released their first single, the Sebastian-penned "Do You Believe in Magic", in August 1965. The Lovin' Spoonful played all the instruments on their records, with the exceptions of the orchestral instruments heard on their soundtrack album "You're A Big Boy Now" and some later singles. Additionally, aside from a few covers (mostly on their first album) they wrote all their own material. "Do You Believe In Magic" became a Top Ten hit in the US, and the band followed it up with a series of hit singles and albums throughout 1965 and 1966, all produced by Jacobsen. The Lovin' Spoonful became known for such folk-flavored pop hits as "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice", and "Daydream", which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100."

Francoise Hardy: All Over The World (1965)

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Françoise Madeleine Hardy (born 17 January 1944) is a French singer, actress and astrologer. She is also an iconic figure in fashion, music and style. In 1965, the song "All Over The World" from the album "Francoise Hardy In English" reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom, remaining there for 15 weeks. In the Anglophone world, this may be Hardy's best-known song.

Little Eva: The Loco-Motion (1962)

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Eva Narcissus Boyd (June 29, 1943 - April 10, 2003), known by the stage name of Little Eva (after a character from Uncle Tom's Cabin), was an American pop singer. Born in North Carolina, she moved to the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York at a young age. As a teenager, she worked as a maid and earned extra money as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. It is often claimed that Goffin and King were amused by Boyd's individual dancing style, so they wrote "The Loco-Motion" for her and had her record it as a demo (the record was intended for Dee Dee Sharp). However, as King said in an interview with NPR and in her "One to One" concert video, they knew she could sing when they met her, and it would be just a matter of time before they would have her record songs they wrote, the most successful being "The Loco-Motion". Music producer Don Kirshner of Dimension Records was impressed by the song and Boyd's voice and had it released. The song reached #1 in the United States in 1962. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Petula Clark: Downtown (1964)

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Petula Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades. Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II. During the 1960s she became known internationally for her popular upbeat hits, including "Downtown", "I Know a Place", "My Love", "Colour My World", "A Sign of the Times", and "Don't Sleep in the Subway". She has sold in excess of 68 million records throughout her career.

The Ronettes: Baby, I Love You (1963)

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The Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector); her sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley. They reached the peak of their success after releasing "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes" featuring Veronica in 1964. Some of the group's most famous songs include "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up", and "(Walking) In the Rain."

The Crystals: Then He Kissed Me (1963)

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The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961-1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's A Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead singers, and were all produced by Phil Spector.

Billy J Kramer: From A Window (1964)

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Billy J. Kramer (born William Howard Ashton, 19 August 1943, Bootle, Liverpool, England) is a former British Invasion/Merseybeat singer. In sharing Brian Epstein as a manager with The Beatles he enjoyed access to the songwriting of Lennon and McCartney, recording several of their original compositions.

Gerry & The Pacemakers: How Do You Do It? (1963)

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"How Do You Do It?" was the debut single by Liverpudlian band Gerry & The Pacemakers. The song was number one in the UK Singles Chart on 11 April 1963, where it stayed for three weeks. The song was written by Mitch Murray. Adam Faith had been offered the song but turned it down and The Beatles recorded a version of it, which was not released until it appeared on the group's retrospective "Anthology 1" album in 1995. Gerry & The Pacemakers' version was produced by George Martin and became a number one hit in the UK, until being replaced at the top by "From Me to You", The Beatles' third single.

The Applejacks: Tell Me When (1964)

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The Applejacks were a UK pop and beat group of the 1960s. They were the first "Brumbeat" group (that is, from the West Midlands conurbation) to reach the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, and were unusual for having a female bass guitarist, Megan Davies. Signed to Decca Records late in 1963, their success was largely due to the strength of their first single, "Tell Me When". Written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens, "Tell Me When" was released in February 1964 and shot to #7 in the UK. After meeting The Beatles during rehearsals for a television appearance, John Lennon and Paul McCartney provided The Applejacks with a song which was to be their second single: "Like Dreamers Do". However, the record only reached number 20 in the UK chart, whilst their final hit, "Three Little Words (I Love You)" (also in 1964) made it to #23.

Wayne Fontana: A Groovy Kind Of Love (1965)

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Wayne Fontana (born Glyn Geoffrey Ellis, 28 October 1945, Manchester, Lancashire) is an English pop singer. In 1962, he formed his group, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders and got a recording contract. He remained under contract to Fontana Records after parting with The Mindbenders. However, Fontana got his stage name from Elvis Presley's drummer D. J. Fontana, rather than his record label. He soldiered on alone, using musicians under the name of the Opposition. Notably, Frank Renshaw (lead guitar) (born 22 June 1943, Wythenshawe, Manchester) (now living in the Canary Islands), Bernie Burns (drums), Roy 'Rossi' Henshall (bass) (also now Canary Islands based), Rod Gerrard (guitar, ex Herman's Hermits - now in America) and Phil Keane (drums) amongst others. Sometimes they were billed as The Mindbenders, or just as the Wayne Fontana band. Fontana's most successful solo single release was also his last, "Pamela, Pamela", which reached Number 11 in the UK Singles Chart early in 1967.

Freddie & The Dreamers: I'm Telling You Now (1963)

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Freddie & The Dreamers were a British band, who had a number of hit records between May 1963 and November 1965. Their stage act was based around the comic antics of the 5-foot-3-inch-tall (1.60m) Freddie Garrity, who was famous for bouncing around the stage with arms and legs flying. Although the band were grouped as a part of the Merseybeat sound phenomenon that The Beatles exploded around the world in the wake of Beatlemania, they came from Manchester. They had four Top 10 UK hits: a cover of James Ray's hit "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in mid 1963, "I'm Telling You Now", (number 2 in August), "You Were Made For Me", (number 3 in November) and "I Understand", which hit the number 5 spot in November 1964. They remained active as Freddie & The Dreamers until February 2001

The Rockin' Berries: Poor Man's Son (1965)

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The Rockin' Berries were a beat group from Birmingham, England. They are occasionally confused with The Barron Knights because, like these one time rivals, they too were adept at introducing comedy into their performances. However, The Rockin' Berries were a little more successful with 'conventional' recordings and tended to reserve their comedy for their stage act.

The Ivy League: Funny How Love Can Be (1965)

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The Ivy League were an English trio, created in 1964, who enjoyed two Top 10 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal harmonies. The Ivy League was formed by three session singers with an extensive vocal range, John Carter, Ken Lewis (both previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners) plus Perry Ford. They were first heard doing background vocals for The Who on their hit single "I Can't Explain" in November 1964 but after that The Who's producers entrusted John Entwistle and Pete Townshend with the backing vocals. Their debut single, "What More Do You Want" generated little interest but the second release, "Funny How Love Can Be" made the UK chart's Top 10. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and UK chart #3 "Tossing and Turning". The original trio released just one album, 1965's "This is the Ivy League".

Heinz: Just Like Eddie (1963)

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Heinz Burt (born Heinz Henry Georg Schwartze, 24 July 1942 - died 7 April 2000), and mainly publicised by his first name, was a German- born bassist and singer. He was born in Detmold, Germany, but from the age of seven was brought up in Sparrow Square, Eastleigh, Hampshire, England, where a road (Heinz Burt Close) is named after him. His biggest solo hit was "Just Like Eddie", a tribute to Eddie Cochran. Before he went solo in early 1963, he was a member of The Tornados. All his 1960s recordings were produced by Joe Meek. He owned the shotgun with which Meek killed his landlady and then himself in 1967, and was questioned by police before they concluded he had nothing to do with their deaths. Meek's death ended Heinz's recording career as a solo artist although he was in at least two re-formations of The Tornados. Crippled by motor neurone disease, Heinz died in 2000 at the age of 57.

The Tornados: Telstar (1962)

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The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s which acted as in-house backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions. The Tornados enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" (named after the satellite and composed by Meek). It was the first U.S. #1 by a British group. Since World War II only three British singles had topped the U.S. chart: "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" by Vera Lynn in 1952, before the Billboard 100 charts were produced, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" by Laurie London (which only topped the Billboard chart of 100 songs most played by disc jockeys) in 1958, and "Stranger on the Shore" by Acker Bilk in 1962, the first to top the combined list now called the Hot 100, doing so four months before "Telstar". For a time the Tornados were considered serious rivals to The Shadows. The Tornados single "Globetrotter" made it to number 5 in the UK Singles Chart, but when bassist Heinz Burt left in 1963 for a solo career, the group began to fall apart. By 1965 none of the original lineup remained.

Mary Hopkin: Those Were The Days (1968)

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Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer. She is best known as one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label and for her 1968 single "Those Were The Days", a Top 10 hit single in both the UK and the US.

The Searchers: Love Potion No.9 (1964)

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The Searchers are an English rock band who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers. The band's hits included a remake of the Drifters' 1961 hit, "Sweets for My Sweet"; remakes of Jackie DeShannon's "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk In The Room"; an original song written for them, "Sugar and Spice"; The Orlons' "Don't Throw Your Love Away"; and a cover of The Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9". They were the second group from Liverpool, after The Beatles, to have a hit in the United States when "Needles and Pins" charted during the first week of March 1964.

Cilla Black: You're My World (1964)

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Although the original Italian version by composer Umberto Bindi was not a hit, this song came to the attention of UK record producer George Martin, who commissioned an English translation to be recorded by his protogee Cilla Black. Cilla cut the song - translated as "You're My World" - at Abbey Road Studios with Johnny Pearson conducting his orchestra and The Breakaways providing background vocals; Cilla has said that her manager and future husband Bobby Willis also sang on the track. Big Jim Sullivan was the lead guitarist on the session."You're My World" reached #1 in Britain on the chart dated 30 May 1964 and remained there for a total of four weeks, one week more than Cilla's preceding single "Anyone Who Had a Heart". Although Cilla would return to the UK Top Ten eight times, "You're My World" would be her final #1.