The year in music

Best Songs of 1961

Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me”, Del Shannon’s “Runaway”, and Motown’s first number one, “Please Mr. Postman”. Bob Dylan arrives in New York.

Stand by Me
Play 1961

12 songs

1961 on Music By Decade

The catalogue holds 12 songs first released in 1961. Soul, Pop and R&B lead the year. Ray Charles, Ben E. King and Bobby Vee are among the voices of 1961.

Artists of 1961

The sound of 1961

More of that time