3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1960s That Will Make You Feel Nostalgic

Let’s take a trip. Let’s close our eyes and leap from the darkness into the soft, satin, cotton candy times known as the 1960s. (Okay, the decade wasn’t really all that saccharine…let’s ignore that for a moment.) Instead, let’s go back to the era of crushed velvet and flower power. Enjoy a dip in the pool of 1960s pop music and, in particular, some one-hit wonders.

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Yes, that’s exactly what we want to do! It’s the perfect time for that! So, let’s explore three 60s one-hit wonders that give us a chance to remember. To recall the past and the feelings of being immersed in it. Indeed, these are three 1960s one-hit wonders that will make you feel nostalgic.

“Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” by Barry Mann

When it comes to the 1960s, the tumultuous decade always seemed like it was changing. It was innocent, then it was rowdy, then it was drug-addled, then it was protesting and changing the world. So much happened in the 60s! But part of that landscape is goofiness. And nothing was quite as goofy as Barry Mann’s song “Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp),” which hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1961, the decade didn’t quite know what it was yet. Was it an extension of the 50s? Or part of a new era that would change the world? While everyone was deciding, they were also talking about who put what bomp where.

“The Girl from Ipanema” by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto

If there were a contest for songs that made you feel nostalgic, Astrud Gilberto’s rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema” from 1964 might win the top prize. There is something both old and far off about the 1960s one-hit wonder, which hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the way it’s delivered. It’s as if it were plucked from some timeless catalog of songs. Hearing it reminds you of lovely warm days from a bygone era. And isn’t that basically the definition of nostalgia? Either way, put this song on and let yourself be transported one more time.

“Batman Theme” by Neal Hefti

Whether you grew up in the 60s, watched reruns in the 90s, or love to stream old shows on Amazon today, you likely know this song from TV. The 60s Batman show was so popular that its theme song made the Billboard Hot 100, clocking in at No. 35. With its repetitive but compelling melody, the song wiggled its way into the psyche of so many. It’s not often that a TV theme song makes the pop charts, but this one was (and in some ways still is) ubiquitous.

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