Girl Power: Girl Groups of the 60s ☀
Tucked in between the 1960s roaring sounds of rock and roll artists such as, Chuck Berry & Jerry Lee Lewis and the rise of The British Invasion was the phenomenon better known as, “Girl Groups”.
Girl groups were composed of three to four young women joined together creating rich harmonies along with passionate lead vocals that sang about “the perfect guy” and “teenage romance”. This new wave of music was embraced by many audiences and this distinct sound had found their way to the top of the charts – which had previously been dominated by male artists. Groups such as The Shirelles, The Ronettes, The Shangri-Las, The Chiffons, and many others had risen to popularity during the 1960s.
As the scene was shifting and females were making their way on the charts, along came a new era of female songwriters. Songwriters such as Carole King, who wrote the 1963 hit “One Fine Day”, Ellie Greenwich, who wrote “Be My Baby,” Cynthia Weil, who wrote “Walking in the Rain”, and more were making their way to the spotlight.
(Sidebar: Ellie Greenwich along with husband (at the time), Jeff Barry formed the group, The Raindrops and recorded the single “The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget” which is like one of my favorites. Such a cute little song. Just thought I’d share…)
These girl groups were responsible for some of the biggest hits of this time, for example, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles & “My Boyfriends Back” by The Angels and many more. These song lyrics focused on not only the perfect guy, romance and marriage, but also about the one who got away or the one who did them wrong. Girl groups at the time helped pave the way for future generations of women using their voice and entering the music industry.
Here’s a list of girl groups of the 50’s & 60’s (who I absolutely love) and left their mark in the music world with their hits.
The Chiffons
The Chiffons was formed in The Bronx and ended up picking their name, “The Chiffons” out of a hat. The group had recorded their single, “He’s So Fine” (produced by The Tokens) which made its way to the #1 spot on the charts in March 1963.
Some of their hits included, “One Fine Day”, “He’s So Fine”, & “Sweet-Talking Guy”
The Angels
Originally called “The Starlets”, now-called “The Angels” formed back in 1961 in Orange, New Jersey. The trio is most known for their hit, “My Boyfriend’s Back”. They ended up going on tour in = America and Europe in 1964, performing with acts like Gerry and the Pacemakers. The girls had also provided back up vocals for other singers, including Jackie Wilson and Lou Christie.
Some of their hits included, “My Boyfriend’s Back” & “I Adore Him”
The Supremes
The group had formed in 1959 under the name, “The Primettes” in Detroit, Michigan. They had signed with Mowtown Records in 1960 and the following year they had changed their name to “The Supremes”. The trio had then went on to score five U.S. number one hits in a row between 1964 and 1965. This powerful girl group was one of the most successful Motown’s acts and the most successful American vocal groups.
Some of their hits included, “Come See About Me”, “Stop! In the Name of Love”, “Where Did Our Love Go”, & “Baby Love”
The Crystals
The girl group, The Crystals, formed in New York City in 1960. Produced by Phil Spector, The Crystals had many, many hits from 1961 to 1964 including, “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)”, “Uptown”, “He’s Sure the Boy I Love”, “He’s a Rebel”, and more.
Some of their hits included, “Da Doo Ron Ron”, “Then He Kissed Me”, & “He’s a Rebel”
The Shangri-Las
The Shangri-Las was an American pop girl group that formed in 1963 in New York City. This group is well known for their hit, “Leader of the Pack”, which showed edge and rebellion in their lyrics as leader singer sings about love and heartbreak of falling for a “bad boy”.
Some of their hits included, “Leader of the Pack”, “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” (song that went viral on TikTok), & “I Can Never Go Home Anymore”
The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes were another Motown girl group that rose to fame in the 60s. Formed in 1961, the group consisted of four high-school friends from the Detroit suburbs. After auditioning for Motown Records, the girls were told to work on some original material, which had resulted in the hit, “Please Mr. Postman”. The song went to the top of the pop charts, and it gave Motown its first number one pop single.
Some of their hits included, Please Mr. Postman”, “Don’t Mess With Bill” & “Playboy”
The Ronettes
Originating from Washington Heights, New York, was the group “The Ronettes” in 1959. In 1963, the group, which consisted of Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and theeir cousin Nedra Talley, signed with producer, Phil Spector, who had helped reshape their image and applied his production style to the trio’s music. The group ended up releasing hits like, “Baby, I Love You”, “(The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up,” “Walking in the Rain,” and “Be My Baby,”.
Some of their hits included, “Be My Baby”, “Baby, I Love You” & “Walking in the Rain”
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were a girl group that formed in New Jersey in 1956 and consisted of all high school friends. The group had entered their school’s talent show, and ended up being discovered by Florence Greenberg, the owner of Tiara Records, who had then set up an audition with the girls. Carole King had written one of their most famous hits in 1960, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”. The Shirelles were the first African American female group to top any charts.
Some of their hits included, “Dedicated to the One I Love”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, “Mama Said”, & “Baby It’s You”
Martha & The Vandellas
This girl group was formed in 1960 and consisted of school friends in Detroit. Martha Reeves of the group had been working as a secretary at Motown Records and landed the girls a chance to provide backing vocals for recording sessions by Marvin Gaye in 1962. Martha & The Vandellas then ended up signing with Motown Records and releasing hit after hit with songs like “Dancing in the Street,” “Heat Wave,” “Come and Get These Memories,” “Jimmy Mack,” “Nowhere to Run,” “I’m Ready for Love,” and “Bless You.”
Some of their hits included, “Heat Wave”, “Dancing in the Street” & “Quicksand”
Who are some of your favorite girl groups? What songs do you love from them? Let me know! I’d love to hear!
Maddie ☮︎
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