3 Instrumental 60s One-Hit Wonders That Don’t Need Lyrics

If you think about it, you probably have a favorite one-hit wonder song. Maybe it’s “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. Maybe it’s “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot. Or maybe it’s “Relax” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. But as you sort through your faves, maybe something you didn’t realize is that there are several classic one-hit wonders that boast no lyrics and are purely instrumental.

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We wanted to dive into three such offerings. Let’s dive into a few instrumental one-hit wonders that wow and prove that you don’t need lyrics to rocket up the charts. Indeed, these are three instrumental one-hit wonders that simply don’t need any lyrics to succeed.

[RELATED: 3 One-Hit Wonders From the 70s That Just Totally Rock]

“Wipe Out” by The Surfaris from ‘Play’ (1963)

The quintessential surf rock song, this is a track we all know and love. Opening with a rambunctious drum beat that leads into a jaunty electric guitar riff, hearing this tune makes you feel as if you’re on an island, surrounded by palm trees and the ocean. Coconuts are falling to the white sandy beach, and a pig is roasting on an open flame. Enjoy the rays of the sun as you work up an appetite for the great feast that’s about to be upon you. Wait, you’re in your living room and not the beach? Well, that just goes to show how transporting this track can be.

“Pipeline” by The Chantays from ‘Pipeline’ (1962)

Another surf rock song released in the early 1960s, this track has more mood than the one above. It still gives off that same surf-beach quality, transporting you to a time when people wore sunscreen thick on their noses as they bronzed their bodies in the sun. But it’s as if this song is a bit darker, like it’s meant for the mind of a wave rider who has been knocked against the rocks one too many times. Still, it’s a lovely instrumental that gets your body grooving.

“Stranger On The Shore” by Mr. Acker Bilk (Single, 1961)

A clarinet-driven song, this tune was written by the artist Acker Bilk for his young daughter at the time. Smooth and somber, the offering almost sounds like a holiday tune for those who live in warm climates. As the waves pound the beaches and the trees sway in the breeze, Santa will bring gifts for those island youngsters, and he’ll do it seemingly while this song plays into the dusk. Amazingly, the simple tune hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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