1960 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1960.

Events
January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the United States Army. January 25 – The National Association of Broadcasters in the United States reacts to the payola scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys accepting money for playing particular records. February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles; he is co-author of "Earth Angel", The Penguins' classic from 1954. March 5 – Elvis Presley returns home from serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, having stopped off on March 2 at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, his only time in the U.K.[1] March 15 – Jussi Björling suffers a heart attack before a performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. He goes on to perform, but dies six months later in Sweden. March 29 – The 5th Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, is won by France with the song "Tom Pillibi", sung by Jacqueline Boyer. Spring – "Skokiaan" by Bill Haley & His Comets becomes the band's final single to make it onto the American sales charts (with the exception of a 1974 reissue of "Rock Around the Clock"). April 1 – Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Mitch Miller film Sinatra's Timex Special for ABC at Miami, Florida's Fountainbleu Hotel. April 2 – The National Association of Recording Merchandisers presents its first annual awards in Las Vegas, Nevada. April 4 – RCA Victor Records announces that it will release all pop singles in mono and stereo simultaneously, the first record company to do so. Elvis Presley's single "Stuck on You" is RCA's first mono/stereo release. April 17 – Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Cochran's girlfriend Sharon Sheeley are injured in a car accident near Chippenham in England. Cochran dies in a hospital in Bath, Somerset, from severe brain injuries. April 20 – Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood for the first time since coming home from Germany to film G.I. Blues. May 2 – The Drifters' Ben E. King leaves the group and signs a solo record contract with ATCO Records. May 20–28 – The Beatles, as the Silver Beetles (uncredited), play their first ever tour, as a backing group for Johnny Gentle on a tour of Scotland.[2] The lineup comprises John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Tommy Moore. June 30 – Opening of Lionel Bart's Oliver! in London's West End. July – The Shadows' instrumental Apache is released in the U.K. July 30 – "Battle of Beaulieu": At an English jazz festival at Beaulieu, Hampshire, fans of trad jazz come to blows with progressives.[3][4] August 17 – The Beatles make their debut under this name in Hamburg, Germany. The band at the time comprises John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.[5] August 27 – The Louisiana Hayride put on its final radio show. October – Dion DiMucci splits from Dion and The Belmonts. October 16 – A single concert at the Donaueschingen Festival premieres Penderecki's Anaklasis and Messiaen's Chronochromie.[6] November 13 – Sammy Davis, Jr. marries May Britt. December – Édith Piaf's recording of "Non, je ne regrette rien" is released in France. The last 78 rpm records are released in the U.S. and the U.K. English rock musician Ritchie Blackmore's musical career begins.[citation needed] Renato Carosone announces his retirement, at the height of his popularity. Dalida and Charles Aznavour share the Grand Prix Award for best Italian song. Ian Lake launches the Music of our Time Festival in London for hitherto unknown composers.[7] Indian santoor player Shivkumar Sharma records his first solo album.[8] 14-year-old Neil Young founds The Jades with Ken Koblun.

Bands formed
United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps (February 23) The Beatles

Music
Singles
 * 1) Apache The Shadows
 * 2) The Twist Chubby Checker
 * 3) Sheila Tommy Roe

Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1960.

Published popular music
"Ain't That A Kick In The Head?" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen "Alley-Oop"    w.m. Dallas Frazier "Apache"    m. Jerry Lordan "As Long as He Needs Me" w.m. Lionel Bart from the musical Oliver! "Bonanza!" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans "Calcutta"    w. Lee Pockriss & Paul Vance m. Heino Gaze "Calendar Girl"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka "Camelot"    w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Richard Burton in the musical of the same name "Cathy's Clown"    w.m. Don Everly & Phil Everly "Chain Gang"    w.m. Sam Cooke "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Jack Keller "Good Timin'"    w.m. Fred Tobias & Clint Ballard, Jr. "Goodness Gracious Me"     D. Lee, H. Kretzmer "He Will Break Your Heart"    w.m. Jerry Butler, Calvin Carter & Curtis Mayfield "I Gotta Know"    w.m. Paul Evans & Matt Williams "I Want to Be Wanted"    w. (Eng) Kim Gannon (Ital) A. Testa m. Pino Spotti "I'd Do Anything"    w.m. Lionel Bart "I'll Be There"    w.m. Bobby Darin "I'm Sorry"    w.m. Ronnie Self & Dub Allbritten "If Ever I Would Leave You" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Robert Goulet in the musical Camelot "Irma La Douce"    w. (Eng) Julian More, David Heneker & Monty Norman (Fr) Alexandre Breffort m. Marguerite Monnot "It's Now or Never"    w.m. adapt. Aaron Schroeder & Wally Gold "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"    w. Paul Vance & Lee Pockriss m. Brian Hyland "Last Date"    m. Floyd Cramer "Little Boy Lost"    w.m. Johnny Ashcroft & Tony Withers "A Million to One"    w.m. Phil Medley "Mister Custer"    w.m. Fred Darian, Al De Lory & Joseph Van Winkle "Money (That's What I Want)"    w.m. Janie Bradford & Berry Gordy, Jr. "Mountain of Love"     w.m. Harold Dorman "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Jack Keller "Never On Sunday"    w. (Eng) Billy Towne (Greek) Manos Hadjidakis m. Manos Hadjidakis "North to Alaska"    w.m. Mike Phillips "Only The Lonely"    w.m. Roy Orbison & Joe Melson "Please Don't Tease"    B. Welch, P. Chester "Please Help Me, I'm Falling"    w.m. Don Robertson & Hal Blair "Poetry in Motion"    w.m. Paul Kauffman & Mike Anthony "Puppy Love"    w.m. Paul Anka "Rubber Ball"    w.m. Anne Orlowski & Aaron Schroeder "Run Samson Run"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka "Sailor"    w. (Eng) Alan Holt (Ger) Fini Busch m. Werner Scharfenberger "Save The Last Dance For Me"    w.m. Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman "The Second Time Around"    w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen. Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film High Time. "She Wears My Ring"    w.m. Felice & Boudleaux Bryant "Sink the Bismark"    w.m. Tillman Franks & Johnny Horton "Sixteen Reasons"    w.m. Bill Post & Doree Post "Soon It's Gonna Rain"    w. Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt "Spanish Harlem"    Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector "Stairway to Heaven"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka "Stay"    w.m. Maurice Williams "Stuck on You"    w.m. Aaron Schroeder & J. Leslie McFarland "A Taste of Honey"    w. Ric Marlow m. Bobby Scott "Tell Laura I Love Her"    w.m. Jeff Barry & Ben Raleigh "Theme from A Summer Place"    m. Max Steiner "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"    w.m. Rolf Harris "Try to Remember"    w. Tom Jones m. Harvey Schmidt "The Twist"    w.m. Hank Ballard "Walk, Don't Run"    w.m. Johnny Smith "Walking to New Orleans"    w.m. Bobby Charles "When Will I Be Loved"    w.m. Phil Everly "Wild One"    w.m. Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann & Dave Appell "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"    Carole King, Gerry Goffin "Wings of a Dove"    Robert B. "Bob" Ferguson, Sr. "Wooden Heart"     w.m. adapt. Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Kay Twomey & Bert Kaempfert "(In The Summertime) You Don't Want My Love"    w.m. Roger Miller "You Talk Too Much"    w.m. Joe Jones & Reginald Hall "You're Sixteen"    w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman

Other notable songs
"Al Watan Al Akbar" w.m. Mohammed Abdel Wahab "Dance of the Yi People" (instrumental) by Wang Huiran "Et maintenant" w. Pierre Delanoë m. Gilbert Bécaud "Nous les amoureux" w. Maurice Vidalin m. Jacques Datin "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kiya" w.m. Naushad Ali "Saba you rise from the ocean" w.m. Christina Maria Jeurissen "Uno dei tanti" w. Mogol m. Carlo Donida Labati "La Vache à mille francs" w.m. Jean Poiret

Awards
Grammy Awards Record of the Year: "Theme From A Summer Place" – Percy Faith Album of the Year: Button Down Mind – Bob Newhart Song of the Year: – "Theme From Exodus" – Ernest Gold, songwriter

Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest 1960

Pulitzer Prize for Music Elliott Carter – String Quartet No. 2