The Shirelles become the first "girl group" to top the charts with the Goffin/King composittion "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".
(more)  (video) 
Jan '61
Mar '61
Chubby Checker keeps it going in '61 with "Pony Time" #1, "Let's Twist Again" #8, and "The Fly" #7. (video)   (more)
Apr '61
A doo wop reworking of the pop standard "Blue Moon" goes to the top for The Marcels.  (more)
May '61
Del Shannon has a #1 hit with "Runaway", complete  with a solo featuring an early version of a synthesizer called the Musitron,  (video)   (more)
Jun '61
"Travellin' Man" is #1 for 21 year old Ricky Nelson off his sixth album.(more)  (video) 
Gary U.S. Bonds hits the top with "Quarter to Three" which goes on to sell over a million copies.
(more)  (video)
Jun '61
Dick Dale puts out the instrumental "Let's Go Trippin" on his own Deltone label. The song is a regional hit in California and is considered the first surf rock song. (more)
Sep '61
Bobby Vee tops the charts  with "Take Good Care of My Baby" by the songwriting team of Goffin/King,   (more)
Oct '61
Ray Charles has a number one hit with "Hit The Road Jack". (video)   (more)
Patsy Cline continues the cross over success of "the Nashville sound" with her hits "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy", the latter song written by Willie Nelson, (more)   (video)
Ben E. King follows up on his solo hit "Spanish Harlem" with "Stand By Me" which goes to #4,   (more)
Dion DiMucci, formerly of Dion & The Belmonts, hits #1 as a solo artist with "Runaround Sue" on Laurie Records. (more)  (video)
Oct '61
Nov '61
The Beach Boys a group from Hawthorne, California featuring vocal harmonies, have a regional hit with their first single "Surfin".(more)
Dec '61
Brooklyn, NY based vocal group The Tokens are number one with their doo wop hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", (more)
Dec '61
The Marvelettes bring Motown their first #1 hit with "Please Mr. Postman".  (more)  (video)
-  R o c k  M u s i c  T i m e l i n e  -
1961
1961
-  R o c k  M u s i c  T i m e l i n e  -
1961
1961
On This Page In
Rock and Roll History
1961:

The Shirelles
Chubby Checker
Ben E. King
The Marcels - Blue Moon
Dick Dale
Del Shannon - Runaway
Ricky Nelson
Gary U.S. Bonds
Bobby Lewis
The Mar-Keys - Last Night
Bobby Vee
The Highwaymen
Dion - Runaround Sue
Ray Charles
The Paris Sisters
Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John
The Beach Boys
Patsy Cline - Crazy
The Marvelettes
The Tokens

US #1 Hits of 1961
UK #1 Hits of 1961
Listen to the Music
From 1961
Press Play To Hear It !
Mar '61
After leaving the Drifters, Ben E. King has his first top ten solo hit with "Spanish Harlem" written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector.   (more)
Jul '61
Aug '61
The house band at Memphis' Stax Records, The Mar-Keys, have a #3 hit with the instrumental "Last Night".  (more)
Bobby Lewis of Detroit, MI goes to #1 with the single "Tossin' and Turnin".
(more) 
Wesleyan college folk group The Highwaymen have a #1 hit with "Michael (Row The Boat Ashore)".
(more) 
Sep '61
Producer Phil Spector scores again with the Paris Sisters, who reach #5 with "I Love How You Love Me".
(more)
Oct '61
Country singer Jimmy Dean has a #1 crossover hit with the American folklore single "Big Bad John". (more)
Nov '61
Dec '61
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