On This Page In
Rock and Roll History
1963:
The Rooftop Singers
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Patsy Cline
Johnny Cash -
Ring of Fire
The Cascades
The Chantays - Pipeline
The Chiffons
Girl Groups
Little Peggy March
Beach Boys - Surfin' Safari
Lou Christie
Bob Dylan -
Freewheelin' Dylan
Peter, Paul & Mary
The Crystals
Lesley Gore - It's My Party
Jan & Dean
Little Stevie Wonder
The Ronnettes
The Beatles - Cavern Club
The Angels
The Surfaris - Wipe Out
Major Lance - Monkey Time
Martha & The Vandellas
Jimmy Gilmer
& The Fireballs
Beach Boys - Surfer Girl
Rufus Thomas
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird
The Kingsmen
The Singing Nun
Beatlemania
US #1 Hits of 1963
UK #1 Hits of 1963
Jan '63
Feb '63
Mar '63
Patsy Cline is killed in a Tennessee plane crash. (more)
Mar '63
London UK blues band, The Rolling Stones release their first single "Come On" which goes to #21 in the UK. (more)
Mar '63
Apr '63
The girl group sound reigns in '63 with #1 hits for the Chiffons (at right), Little Peggy March, Lesley Gore, The Crystals and The Angels. (video) (more)
Aug '63
Jul '63
Aug '63
The Beatles play their final gig at Liverpool's Cavern Club on Aug. 3rd, having played the Cavern Club 292 times. (more) (video)
Aug '63
The Ronettes reach #2 with "Be My Baby" produced and co-written by Phil Spector. Lead singer Veronica Bennett would later marry Spector. (more) (video)
Sep '63
Martha and the Vandellas score a #4 hit with the Holland-Dozier-Holland song "Heat Wave" on Motown. (more)
Dec '63
The Singing Nun holds the top spot for four weeks in December with "Dominique".(more)
Oct '63
"Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs reaches #1. (more)
Dec '63
Garage rockers The Kingsmen from Portland, Oregon hit #2 with "Louie Louie" but are blocked from the top spot by the blockbuster nun. (video) (more)
May '63
Bob Dylan's second album is released featuring 2 covers and 11 originals displaying Dylan's songwriting skills for the first time. The album goes to #22. (more)
Dec '63
'63 is the year of Beatlemania in the UK with The Beatles racking up two #1 albums, a #2 single "Please Please Me" and three #1 singles "From Me To You", "She Loves You", and "I Want To Hold Your Hand". As the year ends, they are still unknown in the US. (video) (more)
- R o c k M u s i c T i m e l i n e -
1963
1963
- R o c k M u s i c T i m e l i n e -
1963
1963
"We don't like their sound and guitar group music is on the way out."
- Decca Records rejecting the Beatles
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Listen to the Music
From 1963
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Aug '63
Mar '63
California band The Cascades have a #3 hit with their second single "Rhythm of the Rain". (more)
Apr '63
Santa Ana, California high school combo, The Chantays, go to #4 with their surf instrumental "Pipeline". (more)
May '63
The second single by The Beach Boys (their first on Capitol) breaks them nationally peaking at #14 US. (more)
May '63
Pittsburgh, PA native Lou Christie takes the falsetto chorus to new highs with his #6 hit "Two Faces Have I". (more)
Jun '63
Jun '63
Lesley Gore a sixteen year old from Tenafly, New Jersey goes to #1 with her first single "It's My Party". (more)
The Crystals score again at #3 with "Da Doo Ron Ron" written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. (more)
Aug '63
The instrumental single "Wipe Out" by California band The Surfaris goes to #2 US.
Sep '63
Sep '63
The Beach Boys release the second of three albums in '63 with the single "Surfer Girl" hitting #7.
Chicago R&B singer Major Lance breaks into the top ten with his single "Monkey Time" on OKeh Records. (more)
Dec '63
The surf craze reaches all the way to Minnesota as Minneapolis band The Trashmen score a #4 hit with "Surfin' Bird". (more)
Dec '63
Memphis, TN singer, comedian and DJ Rufus Thomas breaks into the top ten with "Walkin' The Dog". (more)
Now for the first time ever you can get an Ipod Classic preloaded with every Top 40 Hit Tune from 1955-1989. That's over 7200 songs spanning the First 35 years of
Rock N' Roll. Navigate to your favorite Top 40 oldie with just the touch of a button. Artists and Songs are in alphabetical order, or you can choose from a Playlist of any specific year and just sit back and listen for hours.
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