The Sixties: Musical History Overview 1951-1975

• March 1951. Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats (with Ike Turner) record Rocket 88. 
• July 1954. Elvis Presley records That's All Right in Sun Studios.
• January 1955. Blackboard Jungle released with Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & the Comets.
• May 1955. Ray Charles records I Gotta Woman.
• September 1955. James Dean dies in car accident.
• November 1955. Sam Phillips sells Elvis Presley's contract to RCA.
• April 1956. DJ Alan Freed's "Rock Roll Party" broadcasts nationally.
• July 1957, Dick Clark's American Bandstand goes national.
• Aug. 1957. Bill Justis' Raunchy is the first Rock & Roll instrumental hit.
• March 1958. Elvis is drafted into the Army.
• May 1958. Jerry Lee Lewis' marriage to his 13 year old cousin causes public uproar.
• Aug. 1958. Cliff Richard's Move It considered the first authentic British rock 'n' roll hit.
• Nov. 1958. The Stroll becomes Rock & Roll's first dance craze.
• Nov. 1958. Phil Spector has his first #1 hit, To Know Him Is to Love Him.
• Feb. 1959. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & the Big Bopper die in plane crash.
• April 1959. Congress' payola hearings destroys Alan Freed's career.
• May 1959. First Grammy Awards ceremony,
• Aug. 1959. Columbia releases Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.
• Feb. 1960. Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy, Jr. founds Tamla Records (later Motown).
• March 1960. Elvis released from the Army.
• April 1960. First Grammy Awards.
• Nov. 1960. Folk singer releases her first album.
• May 1961. Guitarist Dick Dale's Let's Go Trippin' puts surfing on the musical map.
• Nov. 1961. The Beach Boys have a regional hit, Surfin'.
• Aug. 1962. Ringo Starr joins the Beatles.
• June 1962. R&B artist Ray Charles takes country song, I Can't Stop Loving You, to #1.
• Aug. 1962. James Brown takes his Live at the Apollo to #2 on the charts.
• Oct. 1962. The Beatles release their fist single, Love Me Do.
• Dec. 1962. Columbia releases Bob Dylan's first album.
• Mar. 1963. Country singer Patsy Cline dies in a plane crash.
• June 1963. Peter, Paul, & Mary's cover of Blowin' in the Wind becomes Bob Dylan's first hit.
• Feb. 1964. The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show.
• June 1964. Where Did Our Love Go, the Supremes their first to chart # 1.
• July 1964. The Beatles first movie, A Hard Day's Night, premieres.
• April 1965. Eric Clapton joins John Mayall's Blues Breakers.
• June 1965. The Byrds give folk rock a start with Mr. Tambourine Man.
• June 1965. The Rolling Stones' (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction released.
• July 1965, Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival.
• Aug. 1965. The Beatles play Shea Stadium, the first stadium concert.
• March 1966. John Lennon sparks controversy, saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.
• May 1966. The Beach Boys release the album, Pet Sounds.
• Oct. 1966. New York City's WOR becomes the first FM station to broadcast an all rock format.
• Summer 1967. Summer of Love.
• June 1967. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band released.
• June 1967. Three day Monterey Pop Festival.
• Oct. 1967. Haight Ashbury holds a parade for the death of the Hippie.
• Nov. 1967. Jann Werner and Ralph Gleason publish the first issue of Rolling Stone.
• Dec. 1967. The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed released, one of the first Progressive Rock albums.
• Dec. 1967. Toots and the Maytals release 54-46 Was My Number in Jamaica, the first reggae song.
• Jan. 1968. Johnny Cash records two live shows at California's Folsom Prison.
• Feb. 1968. The Beatles (with others) travel to India to study meditation.
• March 1968. Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East concert venue.
• April 1968. Hair opens on Broadway.

Source. Rock & Roll Year By Year by Crampton & Rees.

Source: Academy Awards Website
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• 1954. Little Things Mean A Lot,  Kitty Kallen.
• 1955. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, Perez Prado.
• 1956. Heartbreak Hotel. Elvis Presley.
• 1957. All Shook Up. Elvis Presley.
• 1958. Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu), Domenico Modugno.
• 1959. The Battle of New Orleans, Johnny Horton.
• 1960.  Theme from "A Summer Place," Percy Faith.
• 1961. Tossin' and Turnin', Bobby Lewis.
• 1962. Stranger on the Shore, Mr. Acker Bilk.
• 1963. Sugar Shack, Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs.
• 1964. I Want to Hold Your Hand, The Beatles.
• 1965. Wooly Bully, Sam the Sham.
• 1966. Ballad of the Green Berets, Sgt. Barry Sadler.
• 1967. To Sir With Love, Lulu.
• 1968. Hey Jude, The Beatles.
• 1969. Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In, The Fifth Dimension.
• 1970. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel.
• 1971. Joy to the World, Three Dog Night.
• 1972. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack.
• 1973. Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree, Tony Orlando & Dawn.
• 1974. The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand.
• 1975. Love Will Keep Us Together, Captain & Tennille.
• 1976. Silly Love Songs, Wings.

Source: Billboard Top 100 website.
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Musicians found on allmusic.com

• May 1968. Janis Joplin goes solo, leaving Big Brother & the Holding Company.
• May 1968. Sandy Denny join Fairport Convention.
• July 1968. The Beatles' Apple Store closes.
• Aug. 1968. With Sweetheart of the Rodeo, the Byrds introduce country rock to the world.
• Sept. 1968. Jimi Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower released.
• Oct. 1968. The Beatles' Hey Jude, the first song released on Apple Records.
• Nov. 1968. The animated feature, Yellow Submarine, based on Beatles' songs, released.
• Dec. 1968. Elvis' comeback special on NBC.
• Jan. 1969. Led Zeppelin releases their first album.
• Jan. 1969. The Beatles perform live for the last time on a London rooftop.
• May 1969. The Who's rock opera, Tommy, released.
• July 1969. David Bowie's Space Oddity released to coincide with the moon landing.
• July 1969. Bob Dylan goes country with Nashville Skyline.
• July 1969. Easy Rider, a low budget movie, released.
• July 1969. In a Silent Way, Miles Davis' first fusion album.
• Aug. 1969. The Stooges release their first album.
• Aug. 1969. The three-day Woodstock Festival.
• Nov. 1969. Southern Rock's premiere band, The Allman Brothers Band, release their first album.
• Dec. 1969. Disaster occurs at the Altamont Speedway during Rolling Stones free concert.
• Dec. 1969. Motown releases the first Jackson Five album.
• Feb. 1970. The Beatles break up.
• Feb. 1970. Black Sabbath releases debut album.
• April 1970. Paul McCartney releases his first solo album.
• April 1970. Sentimental Journey, Ringo Starr's solo debut.
• May 1970. The Beatles release their final album. Let It Be.
• Aug. 1970. Elton John plays LA's Troubadour.
• Nov. 1970. George Harrison's All Things Must Pass released.
• Dec. 1970. Eric Clapton forms Derek & the Dominos and record Layla.
• Feb. 1971. Four months after her death, Janis Joplin's Pearl released, goes to #1.
• March 1971. Carole King's second solo album, Tapestry, released.
• April 1971. Gil Scott-Heron records The Revolution Won't Be Televised.
• May 1971. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On released.
• May 1971. Stevie Wonder leaves Motown.
• Aug. 1971. George Harrison raises money for Bangladesh with his Concert for Bangladesh.
• Oct. 1971. John Lennon's imagine album released.
• Oct. 1971. Rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, opens on Broadway.
• Oct. 1971. Don Cornelius' Soul Train makes its television debut.
• Jan. 1972. Don McLean's American Pie released.
• Jan. 1972. Paul Simon releases his first solo album.
• April 1972. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes put Philly soul on the musical map with their hit, If You Know Me By Now.
• Aug. 1972. Wattstax Concert, organized by Stax Records, celebrates soul music.
• Oct. 1972. Jazz oriented Steely Dan hits it big on their debut album and the single, Reelin' in the Years.
• Dec. 1972. Helen Reddy's feminist anthem, I am woman, charts # 1.
• March 1973. Pink Floyd release Dark Side of the Moon.
• April 1973. Catch a Fire, Bob Marley's major label debut.
• July 1973. Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, NY largest rock festival ever held in US.
• Jan. 1974. Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark album charts at #2.
• Feb. 1974. Barry White's Love's Theme goes to # 1.
• Dec. 1974. German electronic music pioneer Kraftwerk hit with the single, Autobahn.
• June 1975. The Bee Gees debut the single, Jive Talkin'.
• July 1975. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham join Fleetwood Mac.
• Oct. 1975. Bruce Springsteen first rock star on the covers of Newsweek and Time in the same week.
• Nov. 1975. Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody released.

Source. Rock & Roll Year By Year by Crampton & Rees.

The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959.

Source: www.grammy.com
Songs found on Spotify
Musicians found on allmusic.com