A massive influx of all-girl singing groups influenced by soul and pop became popular in the early 1960s. The most prominent included the Supremes, the Ronettes, the Shangri-las, the Secrets and the Breakaways, with more than 750 other such groups featuring on the U.S. and U.K. charts from 1960 to 1966.
The early 1960s saw the continued popularity of the rock 'n' roll sound that characterized much of the decade. Buddy Holly, who died in a tragic plane crash at the peak of his popularity in 1958, was known as the pioneer of this movement. Elvis Presley, "the King of rock 'n' roll," also released hits such as "Stuck on You" and "Surrender" in the early 1960s while The Beatles and the Rolling Stones burst onto the rock 'n' roll scene with international No. 1s from 1963.
With the outbreak of the Vietnam War in 1959 and civil rights tensions at the forefront of the American consciousness, a folk music revival and the emergence of protest music voiced the concerns of the nation throughout the early '60s. This included the increase in popularity of both old school traditionalists such as Pete Seeger and Harry Belefonte and new on the scene musicians such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez writing their own lyrics to traditional folk melodies.
The Motown record label had its heyday in the early 1960s, following the recent establishment of its own brand of soul, with a distinct pop influence. Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, the Miracles, the Contours and the Four Tops all had hits in the early 1960s.