⇦ 1960

1962 ⇨

The Best Music of 1961

Here is a selection of the best albums and songs from 1961. Hall of Famers are highlighted in orange.

For a list of the top artists who made their debut recording in 1961, check out this list.

Albums (?)		Wikipedia
Aretha Franklin	Aretha	☆
Ben E. King	Spanish Harlem	☆
Bill Evans Trio	Explorations	☆
Bill Evans Trio	Sunday at the Village Vanguard	☆
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys	San Antonio Rose	☆
Bobby "Blue" Bland	Two Steps From The Blues	☆
Del Shannon	Runaway with Del Shannon	☆
Dion	Alone With Dion	☆
Dion	Runaround Sue	☆
Elvis Presley	Blue Hawaii	☆
Eric Dolphy	Out There	☆
Etta James	At Last!	☆
Freddie King	Freddy King Sings	☆
Freddie King	Let's Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddy King	☆
Gary U.S. Bonds	Dance 'Til Quarter to Three with U.S Bonds	☆
Harry Belafonte	Jump Up Calypso	☆
Jacques Brel	Marieke	☆
Jimmy Reed	Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall	☆
Joan Baez	Joan Baez, Vol. 2	☆
John Coltrane	My Favorite Things	☆
Judy Garland	Judy At Carnegie Hall	☆
Miles Davis	Someday My Prince Will Come	☆
Ornette Coleman	Free Jazz	☆
Patsy Cline	Showcase	☆
Robert Johnson	King of the Delta Blues Singers	☆
The Soul Stirrers	Jesus Be A Fence Around Me	☆
The Ventures	The Ventures	☆
Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane	☆

---

Songs (?)		Wikipedia
Audrey Hepburn	Moon River	☆
Ben E. King	Stand By Me	☆
Ben E. King	Spanish Harlem	☆
Bill Evans Trio	Haunted Heart	☆
Bill Lee	Cruella DeVil	☆
Billy Hall	Headin' For The River	☆
Bobby "Blue" Bland	Turn On Your Love Light	☆
Bobby "Blue" Bland	I Pity the Fool	☆
Bobby Lewis	Tossin' & Turnin'	☆
Bobby Vee	Take Good Care of My Baby	☆
Bruce Channel	Hey! Baby	☆
Chris Kenner	I Like It Like That	☆
Chubby Checker	Pony Time	☆
Chubby Checker	Let's Twist Again	☆
Connie Francis	Someone Else's Boy	☆
Del Shannon	Runaway	☆
Del Shannon	Hats Off to Larry	☆
Dick Dale and the Del-Tones	Let's Go Trippin'	☆
Dion	Runaround Sue	☆
Dion	The Wanderer	☆
Elmore James	Shake Your Moneymaker	☆
Elvis Presley	Can't Help Falling In Love	☆
Etta James	At Last	☆
Etta James	I Just Want to Make Love to You	☆
Faron Young	Hello Walls	☆
Fats Domino	Let the Four Winds Blow	☆
Freddie King	Hideaway	☆
Gary U.S. Bonds	Quarter to Three	☆
Gene Pitney	Town Without Pity	☆
Gladys Knight & the Pips	Every Beat of My Heart	☆
Harry Belafonte	Jump In Line (Shake, Shake Senora)	☆
Howlin' Wolf	I Ain't Superstitious	☆
Howlin' Wolf	Wang-Dang Doodle	☆
Hoyt Curtin, Joseph Barbera & William Hanna	Meet The Flintstones	☆
Jimmy Dean	Big Bad John	☆
Jimmy Reed	Big Boss Man	☆
Jimmy Reed	Bright Lights, Big City	☆
Joey Dee & The Starlighters	Peppermint Twist	☆
Link Wray & His Ray Men	Jack The Ripper	☆
Miles Davis	Someday My Prince Will Come	☆
Neil Sedaka	Calendar Girl	☆
Neil Sedaka	Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen	☆
Pat Boone	Moody River	☆
Patsy Cline	Crazy	☆
Patsy Cline	I Fall To Pieces	☆
Ray Charles	Hit The Road Jack	☆
Ray Charles	Unchain My Heart	☆
Ray Charles	Hallelujah I Love Her So	☆
Ricky Nelson	Travelin' Man	☆
Ricky Nelson	Hello Mary Lou	☆
Rita Moreno & George Chakiris	America	☆
Roy Orbison	Crying	☆
Roy Orbison	Running Scared	☆
Sam Cooke	Cupid	☆
The Impressions	Gypsy Woman	☆
The Jive Five	My True Story	☆
The Kingston Trio	Where Have All the Flowers Gone?	☆
The Marcels	Blue Moon	☆
The Marvelettes	Please Mr. Postman	☆
The Ornette Coleman Double Quartet	Free Jazz	☆
The Regents	Barbara Ann	☆
The Shirelles	Dedicated to the One I Love	☆
The Shirelles	Mama Said	☆
The Tokens	The Lion Sleeps Tonight	☆
The Velvets	Tonight (Could Be the Night)	☆

⇦ 1960

1962 ⇨