1963
The year in music, movies, TV, fads & memories
In 1963, “Surfin' U.S.A.” by The Beach Boys topped the Billboard year-end Hot 100 and Please Please Me by The Beatles and The Freewheelin' by Bob Dylan were on every turntable. Cleopatra, The Birds and The Great Escape were in theaters, and Doctor Who premieres, The Fugitive and General Hospital were on TV.
The headlines: JFK assassinated in Dallas. New that year: Push-button Touch-Tone phone. Fads of the year: Troll dolls craze and Surfing craze. Gas was 31¢ a gallon, a stamp was 5¢ and a movie ticket ran ~85¢.
🎂 What music raised you?
Drop your birthday and we'll rewind to your golden era — the years the songs imprinted for life.
🔙 Backtrack — 1963
The world around the music — what was on screen, and what was on the shelf.
🎬 At the movies
📰 Headlines
- JFK assassinated in Dallas
- March on Washington, 'I Have a Dream'
- Birmingham campaign
- Lee Harvey Oswald shot
- 'Hot line' to Moscow set up
💡 Tech & Firsts
- Push-button Touch-Tone phone
- Philips compact cassette
- Polaroid instant color film
- Easy-Bake Oven debuts
- Kodak Instamatic camera
🏆 Sports
- Dodgers sweep the World Series
- Bears win the NFL title
- Celtics win the NBA Finals
- Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup
- Koufax World Series MVP
🤪 Crazes & fads
- Troll dolls craze
- Surfing craze
- The limbo
- Beach Boys surf sound
- G.I. Joe in the works
👖 Clothes
- The bouffant flip hairdo
- Madras plaid
- White go-go boots
- Pillbox hats
- Mod looks arriving
💵 What it cost
- Gas: 31¢/gal
- Stamp: 5¢
- Movie ticket: ~85¢
- New car avg: ~$3,200
- Median home: ~$12,650
Billboard Year-End Hot 100
📊 Full chart →- 1
Surfin' U.S.A.The Beach Boys - 2
The End of the WorldSkeeter Davis - 3
Rhythm of the RainThe Cascades - 4
He's So FineThe Chiffons - 5
Blue VelvetBobby Vinton - 6
Hey PaulaPaul & Paula - 7
Fingertips (Pt. 2)Stevie Wonder - 8
Can't Get Used to Losing YouAndy Williams - 9
My Boyfriend's BackThe Angels - 10
SukiyakiKyu Sakamoto - 11
So Much in LoveThe Tymes - 12
Puff, the Magic DragonPeter, Paul & Mary - 14
Wipe OutThe Surfaris - 15
I Love You BecauseAl Martino - 16
Wild WeekendRockin' Rebels - 17
You're the Reason I'm LivingBobby Darin - 18
Walk Like a ManThe Four Seasons - 19
MockingbirdInez and Charlie Foxx - 20
I Will Follow HimLittle Peggy March - 21
PipelineThe Chantays - 23
It's My PartyLesley Gore - 24
Blame It on the Bossa NovaEydie Gorme - 25
You Can't Sit DownThe Dovells - 26
Heat WaveMartha Reeves & The Vandellas - 27
DeniseRandy & The Rainbows
More from 1963
🎤 Big in 1963
🎚️ 1963 genres
🎛️ Behind the boards & the pen — 1963
The hands behind 1963 — the producers and songwriters who actually shaped that year's records. Phil Spector was on 2 of them.
🎚️ Related vibes
All themes →Themed rooms that lean on the sound of 1963.
What does 1963 remind you of?
The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of 1963.
Community Memories
How well do you remember 1963?
7 quick questions — the songs, the artists, the year. No cheating. 😏
📀 Take this record with you
Build this in your own Spotify in two taps — free, no account needed here. (For Apple Music or YouTube, open songs one-by-one below.)
Then open the free helper
🎵 1963 albums on vinyl
Affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate and an 80sTees affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Details
📻 60s gear
Affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate and an 80sTees affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Details