Jan '64
Top of the Pops debuts on British televison.  (more)  (video)
Feb '64
The Beatles kick off the British Invasion with three weeks of  appearances on
The Ed Sullivan Show. (video)  (more)
Feb '64
Feb '64
The Beatles hit #1in the US for the first time with "I Want To Hold Your Hand". They would follow with "She Loves You" and "Can't Buy Me Love" at #1.  By April the top 5
England's The Dave Clark 5 have a #6 hit with "Glad All Over" the first of 5 top 10 singles for them in '64. (video)  (more)
Mar '64
For the first time ever, all top 10 singles in the US are by British acts. (more)
May '64
Mary Wells has a #1 hit with "My Guy" on the Motown label.
(video)   (more)
UK act, Peter and Gordon top the charts with "A World Without Love", written by Paul McCartney. (video)  (more)
The Dixie Cups hit #1 with "Goin' To The Chapel" from the songwriting team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Berry.
  (video)   (more)
Jun '64
Jun '64
Jul '64
The Beach Boys have their first #1 with "I Get Around".
(video)   (more)
Jan '64
Bob Dylan releases the album - The Times They Are a Changin'. The first of two albums he would release in '64. (more) (video) 
Jul '64
The Four Seasons are back on top with "Rag Doll".
(video)   (more)
Aug '64
"House of the Rising Sun" by the UK band The Animals is #1.  (more)  (video) 
 
Aug '64
Motown act, The Supremes, have the first of five consecutive number one hits with "Where Did Our Love Go". (more)  (video)
Aug '64
UK band The Kinks redefine the power chord with their hit "You Really Got Me". (more)  (video)   
Sep '64
ABC television debuts the music show "Shindig!" (video)  (more)
Sep '64
Roy Orbison tops the charts again with "Oh Pretty Woman". (more)  (video) 
 
Oct '64
Simon and Garfunkel release their first album, which fails to chart.   (more)
Oct '64
British band Manfred Mann score a #1 hit with their cover of "Do Wah Diddy" which failed to chart previously for The Exciters. (video)   (more)
Oct '64
The Rolling Stones make their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and tour the US for the second time. Their cover of "Time Is On My Side" goes to #6 in the US. In the UK they have their first #1 with a cover of The Valentinos "It's All Over Now". (more)   (video)  
Nov '64
Girl group The Shangri-Las hit #1 with "Leader of the Pack". (more)  (video)
 
Dec '64
Sam Cooke is gunned down by a woman in Los Angeles, CA.   (more)
Elvis is still a hit at the box office in Viva Las Vegas with Ann Margret. (video)   (more)
Dec '64
The Beatles end the year on top with "I Feel Fine". (video)  (more)
Dec '64
The Zombies have their second Top Ten hit with "Tell Her No" following up on "She's Not There" which went to #2 in Aug. (more)   (video)  
-  R o c k  M u s i c  T i m e l i n e  -
1964
1964
-  R o c k  M u s i c  T i m e l i n e  -
1964
1964
singles are all by The Beatles and they have 14 songs in the Top 100 - breaking Elvis' record.
(video)   (more)
On This Page In
Rock and Roll History
1964:

Top of the Pops
Bob Dylan
The Beatles
Ed Sullivan Show
The Dave Clark Five
The Rivieras - California Sun
The Beatles -
I Want To Hold Your Hand
British Invasion
Nashville Teens
Gerry & The Pacemakers
Dusty Springfield
The Hollies
Betty Everett
Terry Stafford - Suspicion
Jan & Dean
Mary Wells
The Dixie Cups
Johnny Rivers
Peter & Gordon
Four Seasons - Rag Doll
Beach Boys - I Get Around
The Animals
The Supremes
Motown
The Kinks
TV Show: Shindig
Roy Orbison
Simon & Garfunkel
Manfred Mann
The Rolling Stones
The Shangri-La's
Sam Cooke
The Zombies
Elvis - Viva Las Vegas
The Beatles

US #1 Hits of 1964
UK #1 Hits of 1964
Listen to the Music
From 1964
Press Play To Hear It !
"All this talk about equality. The only thing people really have in common is that they are all going to die."   - Bob Dylan
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Feb '64
"California Sun" goes to #5 for South Bend, IN band The Rivieras.  (more)
Apr '64
Greenwood, MS native Betty Everett makes the move from Gospel to secular music with her #5 hit single "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)".  (more)
Apr '64
Texan, Terry Stafford, goes to #6 with his Elvis sound-alike hit "Suspicion".  (more)
May '64
California's Jan and Dean break into the Top Ten again with the teen tragedy single "Dead Man's Curve". (more) 
Jun '64
Johnny Rivers of Baton Rouge, LA goes all the way to #2 with his cover of Chuck Berry's song "Memphis Tennessee".  (more)
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