In the year 1960, rock music as we know it hadn’t really come to be quite yet. Rock and roll was still the standard, as was rockabilly music. And while most would consider rock songs from that era to be dated, there are a few little gems that I personally think have aged well through the years. Let’s take a look at a few old-school rock and roll songs from the year 1960 that are still quite fun to listen to today!
“Stuck On You” by Elvis Presley
Well, this was unavoidable. What would a list of rock songs from 1960 be without at least one Elvis Presley tune? I went with the rock and roll blues classic “Stuck On You”, released in March 1960. This tune was actually Presley’s first hit song after his two-year break from music to serve in the Army. The song quickly hit No. 1 in the United States upon its release. “Stuck On You was written by Aaron Schroeder and J. Leslie McFarland.
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This is really a nostalgic little piece of work, and it’s quite refreshing to hear nowadays.
“Alley Oop” by The Hollywood Argyles
This song may be about a caveman, but it’s far from dated. In fact, “Alley Oop” by The Hollywood Argyles was so unique that it inspired more than a few musicians through the years. This rock and roll novelty tune from 1960 was a hefty hit on the Hot 100 chart. It topped that chart and also did quite well in the UK. “Alley Oop” has since been covered by bands like Sha Na Na, and David Bowie famously referenced it in the legendary song, “Life On Mars”.
“Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)” by Roy Orbison
This early Roy Orbison classic has stood the test of time, and it’s one of the finest rock songs to come out of the year 1960. “Only The Lonely” was released in May 1960 and quickly hit No. 2 on the Billboard pop charts, and did similarly well on the R&B charts. It was also a No. 1 hit in the UK. This is a classic merger of rock and roll and pop music, and it was a sign of what was to come not only from Orbison but from the new evolutions of rock music as well.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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