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

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Albums released

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1960.

Top hits on record

• "Alley Oop" – The Hollywood Argyles • "Angel On My Shoulder" – Shelby Flint • "Apache" – The Shadows • "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" – Elvis Presley • "A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" – Brook Benton and Dinah Washington • "As Long as He Needs Me" – Shirley Bassey • "Because They're Young" – Duane Eddy • "Beyond the Sea" – Bobby Darin • "Burning Bridges" – Jack Scott • "But Not For Me" – Ella Fitzgerald • "Calcutta" – Lawrence Welk • "Cathy's Clown" – The Everly Brothers • "Chain Gang" – Sam Cooke • "Cherry Pie" – Skip & Flip • "Corinna, Corinna" – Ray Peterson • "Cradle of Love" – Johnny Preston • "Dance with Me" – The Drifters • "Donald Where's Your Troosers?" – Andy Stewart • "Dreamin'" – Johnny Burnette • "El Paso" – Marty Robbins • "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" – Connie Francis • "Exodus" – Ferrante & Teicher • "Fall in Love with You" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "Feel So Fine" – Johnny Preston • "Finger Poppin' Time" – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters • "Georgia on My Mind" – Ray Charles • "Go, Jimmy, Go" – Jimmy Clanton • "Good Timin'" – Jimmy Jones • "Greenfields" – The Brothers Four • "He'll Have to Stay" – Jeanne Black • "I Count the Tears" - The Drifters • "Image of a Girl" • *The Safaris • *Mark Wynter • "I'm Sorry" – Brenda Lee • "Itsi Bitsi Petit Bikini" – Dalida • "It's Now or Never" – Elvis Presley • "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" – Brian Hyland • "I Love the Way You Love" – Marv Johnson • "I Love You" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "I Want to Be Wanted" – Brenda Lee • "Jealous of You (Tango della Gelosia) - Connie Francis • "Kommotion" – Duane Eddy • "Kookie Little Paradise" – Jo Ann Campbell • "L'Arlequin de Tolède" – Dalida • "Les Enfants du Pirée" – Dalida • "Let the Little Girl Dance" – Billy Bland • "Lonely Blue Boy" – Conway Twitty • "Lonely Teenager" – Dion • "Lonely Winds" - The Drifters • "Look for a Star" • *Garry Mills • *Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra • "Love You So" – Ron Holden • "Mama" – Connie Francis • "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" – The Shadows • "Many Tears Ago" – Connie Francis • "Mission Bell" – Donnie Brooks • "Mule Skinner Blues" – The Fendermen • "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" – Connie Francis • "My Home Town" – Paul Anka • "My Little Corner of the World" – Anita Bryant • "New Orleans" – Gary U.S. Bonds • "Nine Times Out of Ten" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "North To Alaska" – Johnny Horton • "Only the Lonely" – Roy Orbison • "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" – Jessie Hill • "'O sole mio" – Dalida • "Over You" – Aaron Neville • "Paper Roses" – Anita Bryant • "Please Don't Tease" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "Mr. Custer" – Larry Verne • "Question" – Lloyd Price • "Robot Man" – Connie Francis • "Romantica" – Dalida • "Rubber Ball" – Bobby Vee • "Running Bear" – Johnny Preston • "Sandy" – Larry Hall • "Save the Last Dance for Me" – The Drifters • "A Scottish Soldier" – Andy Stewart • "Shazam!" – Duane Eddy • "She's My Baby" – Johnny O'Keefe • "Shop Around" – The Miracles • "Sink the Bismark" – Johnny Horton • "Sixteen Reasons" – Connie Stevens • "Sleep" – Little Willie John • "Starry Eyed" – Michael Holliday • "Stay" – Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs • "T'aimer follement" – Dalida • "Tall Oak Tree" – Dorsey Burnette • "Teen Angel" – Mark Dinning • "Tell Laura I Love Her" • *Ray Peterson • *Ricky Valance • "That's All You Gotta Do" – Brenda Lee • "Theme from The Apartment" – Ferrante & Teicher • "A Thousand Stars" – Kathy Young with the Innocents • "Today I Sing the Blues" – Aretha Franklin • "Today's Teardrops" – Roy Orbison, written by Gene Pitney • "True Love Ways" – Buddy Holly • "The Twist" – Chubby Checker • "Walk, Don't Run" – The Ventures • "Walking to New Orleans" – Fats Domino • "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" – Freddy Cannon • "What in the World's Come Over You" – Jack Scott • "Where or When" – Dion and the Belmonts • "Why" – Frankie Avalon • "Wild One" – Bobby Rydell • "Young Emotions" – Ricky Nelson • "You're Sixteen" – Johnny Burnette • "You Talk Too Much" – Joe Jones

Published popular music

Other notable songs

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

Opera

Film

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Pulitzer Prize for Music