At the beginning of the 1960s, pop and rock and roll trends of the 1950s continued; nevertheless, the rock and roll of the decade before started to merge into a more international, eclectic variant. In the early-1960s, rock and roll in its purest form was gradually overtaken by pop rock, beat, psychedelic rock, blues rock, and folk rock, which had grown in popularity.
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| Girl groups (L-R): The Dixie Cups, The Shangri-Las, and The Supremes in the 1960s |
The country-and folk-influenced style associated with the latter half of 1960s rock music spawned a generation of popular singer-songwriters who wrote and performed their own work. Towards the decade’s end, genres such as Baroque pop, sunshine pop, bubblegum pop, and progressive rock started to grow popular, with the latter two finding greater success in the following decade.
Furthermore, the 1960s saw funk and soul music rising in popularity; rhythm and blues in general remained popular. The fusion of R&B, Gospel and original rock and roll was a success until the mid-part of the decade.
Aside from the popularity of rock and R&B music in the 1960s, Latin American as well as Jamaican and Cuban music achieved a degree of popularity throughout the decade, with genres such as Bossa nova, the cha-cha-cha, ska, and calypso being popular.
From a classical point of view, the 1960s were also an important decade as they saw the development of electronic, experimental, jazz and contemporary classical music, notably minimalism and free improvisation.
Here below are the top 12 girl groups of the 1960s.
1. Martha and The Vandellas.
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| Martha and the Vandellas |
Martha and the Vandellas were an American all-female vocal group formed in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
The group’s string of hits included “Come and Get These Memories”, “Heat Wave”, “Quicksand”, “Nowhere to Run”, “Jimmy Mack”, “Bless You” and “Dancing in the Street”, the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul.
Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
2. Patti LaBelle and The Bluebells.
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| Patti LaBelle and The Bluebells |
Labelle was an American all-female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the area around Philadelphia and Trenton, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, then later changing their name to the Blue Belles (later Bluebelles). The founding members were Patti LaBelle (formerly Patricia Holt), Cindy Birdsong, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash.
As the Bluebelles, and later Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, the group found success with ballads in the doo-wop genre, most notably “Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)”, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, and “Over the Rainbow”.
They are notable for being the first contemporary pop group and first black pop group to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. They were also the first black vocal group to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone.
3. The Angels.
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| The Angels |
The Angels are an American girl group that originated from New Jersey, best known for their 1963 No. 1 hit single, “My Boyfriend’s Back”.
In 2005, the Angels were inducted in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
4. The Crystals.
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| The Crystals |
The Crystals were an American vocal group based in New York City, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era in the first half of the 1960s.
Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)”, “Uptown”, “He’s Sure the Boy I Love”, “He’s a Rebel”, “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me”, featured three successive female lead singers, and were all produced by Phil Spector.
The latter three songs were originally ranked #267, #114, and #493, respectively, on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. However, two songs were dropped from the magazine's 2010 update.
5. The Dixie Cups.
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| The Dixie Cups |
The Dixie Cups are an American pop music girl group of the 1960s. They are best known for a string of hits including their 1964 million-selling record “Chapel of Love”, “People Say”, and “Iko Iko”.
In April 2007, The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame honored The Dixie Cups for their contributions to Louisiana music by inducting them into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
6. The Ikettes.
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| The Ikettes |
The Ikettes were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right.
In the 1960s they had hits such as “I’m Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)” and “Peaches ‘N’ Cream.” In 2017, Billboard ranked “I’m Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)” No. 63 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
The group started as The Artettes, the backing group of Art Lassiter. The first official incarnation of The Ikettes was composed of Robbie Montgomery, Venetta Fields, and Jessie Smith.The original trio of Ikettes later morphed into The Mirettes.
As the Swinging Sixties progressed, the Ikettes became known for their sexy onstage appearance; minidresses, long hair and high-energy dance routines which mirrored their mentor Tina Turner.
7. The Marvelettes.
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| The Marvelettes |
Founded in 1960, The Marvelettes was an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early- to mid-1960s. They were the first major successful act of Motown Records after the Miracles and its first significantly successful girl group after the release of the 1961 number-one single, “Please Mr. Postman”, one of the first number-one singles recorded by an all-female vocal group and the first by a Motown recording act.
The group has received several honors including induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, as well as receiving the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
In 2005, two of the group’s most successful recordings, “Please Mr. Postman“ and “Don’t Mess with Bill“ earned million-selling Gold singles from the RIAA.
On August 17, 2013, in Cleveland, Ohio, at Cleveland State University, the Marvelettes were inducted into the first class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame.
8. The Raelettes.
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| The Raelettes |
The Raelettes were an American girl group from the 1950s to 2003, formed, as the name suggests, to provide backing vocals for Ray Charles.
Between 1966 and 1973, as a separate act (but produced and accompanied by Charles), the Raelettes released a number of singles and one compilation album on Tangerine Records.
9. The Ronettes.
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| The Ronettes |
The Ronettes were an American girl group from New York City. One of the most popular groups of the 1960s, they placed nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100, five of which became Top 40 hits.
Among the Ronettes' most famous songs are “Be My Baby”, “Baby, I Love You”, “(The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up”, and “Walking in the Rain”, all of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. “Walking in the Rain” won a Grammy Award in 1965, and “Be My Baby” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
In late 1964, the group released their only studio album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, which entered the Billboard charts at number 96. Rolling Stone ranked it number 422 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. The Ronettes were the only girl group to tour with the Beatles.
10. The Shangri-Las.
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| The Shangri-Las |
The Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966, they charted with several hits documenting teen tragedies and melodramas. They remain known for their hits “Remember (Walking in the Sand)”, “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”, and in particular, “Leader of the Pack”, which went to #1 in the US in late 1964.
11. The Shirelles.
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| The Shirelles |
Founded in 1957, The Shirelles were an American girl group notable for their rhythm and blues, doo-wop and soul music and gaining popularity in the early 1960s.
The Shirelles have been described as having a “naive schoolgirl sound” that contrasted with the sexual themes of many of their songs. Several of their hits used strings and baião-style music.
They have received numerous honors, including the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and named one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone in 2004.
Two of their songs, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “Tonight’s the Night”, were selected by Rolling Stone on its list of the greatest songs of all time.
12. The Supremes.
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| The Supremes |
The Supremes were an American female singing group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown’s acts and are, to date, America's most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
At their peak in the mid-1960s, the Supremes rivaled the Beatles in worldwide popularity, and it is said that their success made it possible for future African American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success.
The group disbanded in 1977.