WMNR Fine Arts Radio

According to Dann Isbell's book, RANKING THE '60s, these are the 35 most successful vocal groups of the 1960’s.

A fascinating book called Ranking the '60s, by Dann Isbell, looks at nearly 7,000 records to come onto the national record charts during and limited to the the 1960's: 1960-1969. He applied a complex mathematical formula to each of the chart entries. The records were weighted based on their position on the charts. A #1 hit earned more points than say a #20 hit, let alone a #75 hit. The data was input across the board without bias and based on the results rankings were generated. For the purpose of this program we looked at the ranking of the top 35 groups on the list, including duets like Simon and Garfunkle.

Listeners will be surprised and sometimes miffed by who was on the Top-35 and who was not. It's important to remember that this list is based only on the 1960's. So, for example, if a group like Credence Clearwater Revival only appeared on the charts for the first time in the final year of the '60s, 1969, they did not amass enough records in that one year to receive a higher rank on the list. Groups that were around that had many minor hits and a few big ones were higher on the list. Peter, Paul & Mary, The Marvelettes, and Paul Revere & the Raiders all surpassed Credence because of the years they spent on the charts.

That said, it's a countdown show: #35 - Jay & the Americans; #1 - The Beatles. More favorites in between.