Top 60s Pop and Rock Bands – Guitar Songs You’ll Love to Play

This page celebrates 10 of those unforgettable bands with 22 classic songs you can learn to play on your acoustic guitar.

Whether you grew up in the '60s or are just discovering these vintage gems, you'll enjoy diving into easy-to-follow chord lessons, helpful demos, and full tutorials for each track.

Never My Love was released in 1967 was the 2nd most played song on radio and television during the 20th century in the US. Many artists recorded this song thru the years.

The song can be found on their album "Inside Out". 

Windy was actually written about a man according to Ruthann Freidman and in 1967 the song was a #1 hit for The Association. Later on she changed the story and said the song was written about herself.

This track can be found on their "Inside Out" album as well.

Because is a track from the 1964 album "American Tour". The song was a B-side in the UK release but an A-side in the US.

The song peaked at #3 in the US, Canada and New Zealand. Julian Lennon covered the song in 1855.

Everybody Knows is a 1967 song by the Dave Clark Five, also known as "Everybody Knows (You Said Goodbye)." The song features lead vocals by Lenny Davidson, which is unusual for the band.

It was a major hit in the UK, reaching number two on the charts. It also made the Top 10 in Ireland and New Zealand, peaking at number six in both countries. In the U.S., it reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their final entry among their two dozen hits.

Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again was co-written by three writers of The Fortunes and was a top 40 hit for the group back in 1971.

The song hails from the album of the same name.

Here It Comes Again was a #4 in Canada and the UK in 1965 and peaked at #27 in the US.

You've Got Your Troubles is a song by The Fortunes that was released in 1965 as a single by The Fortunes, a British pop rock band.

"You've Got Your Troubles" was written by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, who were a prolific songwriting duo known for their contributions to the British pop music scene. The song became a major hit for The Fortunes, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

The Fortunes' version of the song remains the most well-known and successful rendition.

Build Me Up Buttercup featured the bands new lead singer Colin Young and with it, their first big hit with this song. The song reached #3 in the US and # 2 in the UK.

The track is from the album of the same name which was released back in 1968.

I'd Wait a Million Years from the bands 1969 album called Leaving It All Behind. The song was written by Gary Zekley and Mitchell Bottler, and it became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart

"I'd Wait a Million Years" has since become a classic of the pop rock genre and has been covered by other artists, including Wayne Newton and Neil Sedaka.

Midnight Confessions was released as a single in 1968. The song was written by Lou T. Josie and became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Midnight Confessions" has since become a classic of the pop rock genre and has been covered by other artists, including The Everly Brothers and Meco Monardo.

Sooner Or Later was released in 1971 as a single form the album Their 16 Greatest Hits. The song was written by Dennis Provisor, who was a keyboardist and vocalist for the band.

"Sooner Or Later" was released as a single in 1971 and reached #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It was the bands last top 10 in the US.

Things I Should Have Said was recorded by the American rock band The Grass Roots in 1967. The song was written by group members Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan, who also produced the track.

This track was released as a single in 1967 and reached #23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song remains a beloved classic of the pop-rock genre and has been covered by other artists, including The Monkees.

Two Divided By Love is a song by The Grass Roots, a popular band from the 1970s. It was written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh.

The song talks about the pain of love when two people feel separated from each other. It was released as a single in 1971 and was part of their album called "Move Along."

The song did well on the music charts, reaching number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Unchained Melody was a song in a 1955 film of the same name. The Righteous Brothers recorded their version in 1965. Of course these two lads were not actually brothers at all. Bobby Hatfield won a coin toss with his duet partner Bill Medley and took the lead vocals on this song as both wanted to sing the lead.

Phil Spector put this "throw away" song on a B-side assuming it would not get played but the DJ's proved him wrong and the song went to #4. It can be found on the album "Just One In My life.

You've Lost That Lovin Feeling was a huge #1 hit in both the UK and the US when it was released in 1964.

The song can be found on the album of the same name.

Love Potion No. 9 is a well known song by The Searchers, released in 1963. It was first written and recorded by others, but The Searchers' version became the most popular.

The song tells a funny story about a man who gets a love potion from a gypsy. After drinking it, he has some crazy love experiences. The Searchers' version has their special guitar sound and good singing together.

It was a big hit, reaching number three in both the UK and US charts. This helped make The Searchers more famous during the time when many British bands were becoming popular in America.

Needles And Pins is one of The Searchers' most famous songs, released in 1964. It was written by Sonny Bono and Jack Nitzsche, but The Searchers made it a hit.

The song did very well on music charts, reaching number one in the UK and number 13 in the US. It's about the pain of losing someone you love. The song's catchy tune and emotional lyrics made it popular with many people.

"Needles and Pins" is still loved today and has been performed by other musicians, including Tom Petty. It's an important part of The Searchers' history and shows how they helped shape 1960s music.

What Have They Done To The Rain was actually one of the first protest songs towards the environment when it was released back in 1964 by The Searchers.

They have a #2 in Canada and a #13 in the UK and a #29 in the US.

When You Walk in the Room is a famous song by The Searchers, originally written by Jackie DeShannon in 1963. The Searchers' version, released in 1964, became a big hit.

It's a happy, upbeat song about how someone special can light up a room. The song did very well on music charts, reaching number three in the UK and number 35 in the US.

The Searchers were known more for their hit singles than full albums, but they did release several albums in the early 1960s.

While "When You Walk in the Room" wasn't on their original albums, it's often included in collections of their best songs because so many people love it.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight is a song from the band The Tokens. They were an American doo-wop group that gained fame in the 1960s. They are best known for their hit single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1961.

The song is a reworking of a South African Zulu song titled "Mbube" by Solomon Linda.

Happy Together was released as a single by The Turtles back in 1967 and reached #1 in the US market although they did have a few top 10 hits.

This one hails from the album "Happy Together".

You Baby is a song by The Turtles that was released in 1966. It was written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who were renowned songwriters and producers during the 1960s. The song became one of The Turtles' notable hits, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Turtles' rendition of "You Baby" became a radio favorite and contributed to their growing popularity during the mid-1960s.

It's worth noting that "You Baby" has also been recorded by other artists, including The Lovin' Spoonful and Cher, further showcasing its appeal and versatility as a well-loved song from the era.

She's Not There was the first single in 1964 from The Zombies, a British rock band. It's a song that would become very famous.

You can find this song on their first album called "Begin Here." The song was written by their keyboard player, Rod Argent.

"She's Not There" did really well on the music charts. In the United States, it climbed all the way to the second position on the Billboard Hot 100, which is quite high!

In the United Kingdom, it reached the 12th spot on the UK Singles Chart. This means a lot of people were listening to this song and liked it very much.

Tell Her No is a song that was released in the same era, during the 1960s, when The Zombies making a name for themselves in the music world. "Tell Her No" was one of their most well-known songs.

Just like "She's Not There," "Tell Her No" also did really well on the music charts. In the United States, it reached the 6th position on the Billboard Hot 100, which is a great achievement for a band. It was a catchy tune that a lot of people enjoyed listening to.

This song was written by Rod Argent, the same member who wrote "She's Not There." He was the band's keyboard player and a talented songwriter.

"Tell Her No" left a lasting legacy. It's considered one of the classics from the 1960s. Over the years, different artists and bands have covered this song because it's such a great tune.

Time Of The Season also had a lot of success on the music charts. In the United States, it became a massive hit, reaching the 3rd position on the Billboard Hot 100. This showed how much people loved this song and the band's music.

The track was written by Rod Argent, the talented keyboard player of The Zombies. He was not only good at playing the keyboard but also at creating wonderful songs

"Time of the Season" is not just a song from the past; it's a timeless piece of music that has left a lasting mark on the world of rock and pop.