The Ultimate 1960s Bracket
Sixteen of the biggest songs of the 1960s go head to head. Pick a winner in every match, crown your champion, then submit to see how everyone else voted.
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How the seeds were chosen
The year-end No. 1s of the 1960s are the top seeds, in order of year, followed by each year's No. 2, then No. 3, until there are sixteen different songs. Seed 1 plays seed 16, seed 8 plays seed 9, and so on, as in a sports tournament. ▶ plays a 30-second preview, so you can settle a tough match by ear.
| Seed | Song | Artist | Year-end finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theme From "A Summer Place" | Percy Faith | No. 1 of 1960 |
| 2 | Tossin' And Turnin' | Bobby Lewis | No. 1 of 1961 |
| 3 | Stranger On The Shore | Mr. Acker Bilk | No. 1 of 1962 |
| 4 | Sugar Shack | Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs | No. 1 of 1963 |
| 5 | I Want To Hold Your Hand | The Beatles | No. 1 of 1964 |
| 6 | Wooly Bully | Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs | No. 1 of 1965 |
| 7 | The Ballad Of The Green Berets | Sgt. Barry Sadler | No. 1 of 1966 |
| 8 | To Sir With Love | Lulu | No. 1 of 1967 |
| 9 | Hey Jude | The Beatles | No. 1 of 1968 |
| 10 | Sugar, Sugar | The Archies | No. 1 of 1969 |
| 11 | He'll Have To Go | Jim Reeves | No. 2 of 1960 |
| 12 | I Fall To Pieces | Patsy Cline | No. 2 of 1961 |
| 13 | I Can't Stop Loving You | Ray Charles | No. 2 of 1962 |
| 14 | Surfin' U.S.A. | The Beach Boys | No. 2 of 1963 |
| 15 | She Loves You | The Beatles | No. 2 of 1964 |
| 16 | I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) | The Four Tops | No. 2 of 1965 |