1960s a Decade of Beatles and 

Beach Boys, Miniskirts and Moon Landings

The decade included the good, the bad, and the unbelievable.  In 1967, the average cost of a new car was $2,750, a gallon of gas was 33 cents, and you could buy a new house for $14,250!  The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first Super Bowl, and Joe Namath led the New York Jets to a huge upset over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first to walk on the moon.  And in 1963, we all remember whose class we were in when the announcement came over the loudspeaker that Kennedy had been assassinated.

Twiggy became a fashion sensation and miniskirts continued to get shorter and shorter. Discotheques and singles bars appeared across cities around the world and the Beatles continued to reign with the release of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.” Soon after high school graduation, the summer of 1967 became known as the Summer of Love when teenagers across the country—primarily in San Francisco– smoked pot and enjoyed the music of “The Grateful Dead,” “Jefferson Airplane,” and “The Byrds.”

On the radio, some listened to Nashville pop stations or country music on 650 AM WSM, while others—especially at night— tuned in to Chicago clear channel 890 AM WLS and disc jockey Dick Biondi.

Popular TV Programs Included “The Beverly Hillbillies,”

Movies Included A Hard Day’s Night, The Graduate

Who will ever forget exciting new musical variety shows like “Shindig!” and “Hullabaloo”? Other TV shows included “General Hospital” and “Peyton Place,” “The Lucy Show,” “Bewitched,” “I Dream of Jeannie” with Barbara Eden, “Star Trek” (who can forget Spock’s pointy ears), and “The Monkees” with Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Oscar-winning films from the 1960s were The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, The Apartment, West Side Story, Oliver!, Lawrence of Arabia, Tom Jones, A Man for All Seasons, In the Heat of the Night, and Midnight Cowboy, the first X-rated film to win the Best Picture Oscar!

Music of the ‘60s Everything from

Love Songs to Country to Rock n’ Roll

Popular songs were as different as night and day, ranging from Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” to Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”; from “Pink Shoelaces” by Dodie Stevens (“He wears tan shoes with pink shoelaces, a polka dot vest and man, oh man”), to “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel. During our high school years, big hits included “My Boyfriend’s Back” by The Angels and “She Loves You” by the Beatles (1963-64); “Baby Love” by the Supremes and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” by Herman’s Hermits (1964-65); “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire and “Monday, Monday” by The Mama’s & The Papa’s (1965-66); and “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees and “Happy Together” by the Turtles (1966-67).

Other popular singers and bands included Elvis Presley (The King!), the Doors, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The 4 Seasons, Paul & Paula, “Little” Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells, the Dixie Cups, Bobby Vinton, Roy Orbison, Freddie & The Dreamers, the Dave Clark Five, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, the Four Tops, and the Rolling Stones.

Country hits included “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” by Tammy Wynette, “Mama Tried” by Merle Haggard, “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash (co-written by wife June), “She Thinks I Still Care” by George Jones, “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline, “Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley, and of course “Don’t Come Home a’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” by Loretta Lynn.