25 killer singles that are 60 years old

SEPTEMBER

“Remember (Walking in the Sand)” by the Shangri-Las

The Dixie Cups hit big with “Chapel of Love” earlier in the year. Girl groups were making inroads. Suzi Quatro and The Pleasure Seekers would help show that the women could crank out hard rock the following year, but first, the double sister act – the Shangri-Las – brought a toughness to the sweeter sounds that most girl groups were allowed to perform.

The New York band – comprised of Mary and Betty Weiss, and Marge and Mary Ann Ganser – had an even bigger hit with the excellent “Leader of the Pack.” But “Remember” trumps it in epic scope. It’s pop opera at its very best.

OCTOBER

“The Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel

This is the original, stripped-down version of one of Paul Simon’s earliest triumphs. The duo would later record a more elaborate version and name their second album for the song. But this is from their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.  This one just has the boys singing over a couple of acoustic guitars and a bass.

The re-recording would feature electric guitar and drums. Simon’s other original compositions from the debut album – especially the lovely “Bleecker Street” – could stand in here if you simply need to hear that electrified version of “The Sound of Silence.” (the one with the singular “Sound.”)

NOVEMBER

“Getting Mighty Crowded” by Betty Everett

Remember when I rather arbitrarily used “Devil With the Blue Dress” for my March entry? Well, I’m doing it again. See, I don’t have a November entry, and I don’t have a firm date for Betty Everett’s smooth funky soul ode to cutting dead weight and finding a better partner.

So it goes in November. Everett sometimes gets lumped into the “one-hit wonder” group because she never reached the heights of “The Shoop Shoop Song.” “Getting Mighty Crowded” – written by Van McCoy, who would score a major hit with “The Hustle” a decade later – proved she was more than that.

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