The 5 Albums Of 1960 With The Most Hit Singles

There was an undercurrent of rock music bubbling up through the mainstream in 1960, creating a market for albums that held a surprising surplus of hit singles. The switch over from more adult- and family-oriented fare like German bandleader Bert Kaempfert and choral master Ray Conniff to the teen-friendly sounds of Fats Domino and the Everly Brothers was a pronounced change. Even crooners Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte couldn't find purchase on the singles chart, as higher energy tunes began driving radio airplay and record sales. Younger audiences were pushing a drastic alteration in tastes, and 1960 became a pivotal year for the boomer consumer with record money to spend.

Several standout acts in the world of early-'60s rock music released albums with a ton of memorable hit singles as part of the package. Fats Domino was a mover and shaker in the game, and the Everly Brothers launched two albums with a stunning 10 charting singles between them. Echoes of the past resounded, however, when then-newcomer Etta James entranced listeners with a hit-producing LP of her own, proving that the grown-ups still had a bit of pull. More than anything, in a time of notable cultural upheaval that brought about a vibrant musical evolution, the albums that churned out the most hit singles in 1960 were a harbinger of things to come.

Old-style vocal groups were holding their own when the calendar flipped the page to 1960, and none were more welcomed into listeners' hearts that year than the Platters. This harmonic quintet presented a water-themed album called "Reflections" that posted three sweet compositions into the Billboard Hot 100, all destined to become key songs from the era of high class and higher fashion. The grace and elegance displayed in each piece was a callback to the sophistication of musical acts that would soon lose footing to more raucous rock artists and the pop culture shift to less refined sounds. But for this shining moment, the Platters captivated listeners with a trio of classics.

Though none of the singles matched the No. 1 status of their biggest hit, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," from 1959, this follow-up year proved the mellifluous tones and thoughtful arrangements still had the magic. March 1960 saw the Platters spin out the album's highest ranker, "Harbor Lights," which sailed to No. 8 and gave them a shiny new Top 10 single. "Ebb Tide" followed in its wake in May 1960, making it to No. 56, while "Red Sails in the Sunset" bested that mark by cruising to No. 36 in August 1960. Though the group had years of smooth sailing ahead, these three stunners made for a banner Platters year.

With her silky tones and stylish aura, Etta James gave the world an array of classics that have added romance to all of life's most auspicious occasions. Her 1960 debut LP "At Last!" was a sterling selection of songs that made hearts swell and tears well. Four of these tunes placed high in the Billboard Hot 100, with three breaking into the Top 40. An extended schedule of singles kept the bluesy mood rolling from summer 1960 into spring 1961. Thanks to her quartet of cool, jazzy works, James became one of the big players in the music sphere. She kept it classy when others were choosing to rock, and her elegance here made her a standout.

James jumped onto the charts with a No. 33 pick called "All I Could Do Was Cry" in June 1960; it would take six months before the follow-up, "My Dearest Darling," cracked the Top 40 and landed at No. 34. With its silvery strings and premium vocals that's made weddings and anniversary parties more special, the timeless and often-covered '60s tune "At Last" was the third single released in February 1961. Despite its status as a vocal competition show-stopper, it topped out at No. 47, not a bad showing but surprisingly low considering how much of a classic it's become. The last single from the album, "Trust in Me," became the collection's biggest hit, settling at No. 30 in April 1961. A debut like that was nothing short of stunning.

Thanks to a catch-up album that gave three orphaned singles an LP to live on, the 1960 release "The Fabulous Style of The Everly Brothers" became a home for three popular songs from 1959 while offering three entirely new hit singles. All six songs made the Top 40, with three breaking into the Top 10. The harmonies and ultra-smooth tune-smithing from real-life brothers Don and Phil decorated some of the '60s best love songs. Their musical prowess was on full display in 1960 with a collection that reads like a golden era greatest hits package.

In May 1959 alone, the brothers had two major singles: "Take a Message to Mary," which flew to No. 16, and "Poor Jenny," which cracked the Top 20 to hold the No. 16 spot. In September 1959, the later-blooming "('Til) I Kissed You," became a No. 4 smash and foretold of more hits to come the following year.

February 1960 saw yet another Top 10 hit, this time the moody, pleading "Let it Be Me," which reached No. 7 and joined the Everly Brothers' best-known songs collection. But July of that year was when the scorcher "When Will I Be Loved" set the summer on fire, becoming a No. 8 classic that Linda Ronstadt would take to No. 2 a decade and a half later. By November 1960, the last single from the album, "Like Strangers," had taken the No. 22 spot.

The Everly Brothers were cooking in 1960, cranking out a second album, "A Date with the Everly Brothers," that gave the pop world nearly as many hit singles as their other release that year. Similar their other scorching LP, there were memorable tunes aplenty this time around too. The odd overlapping of releases meant singles were spinning all over the place from this release as well as the other, creating a torrent of unforgettable music that made the dapper harmonizers one of the most celebrated acts of their time.

A fantastic four tunes became new favorites for fans. The brothers scored their one and only No. 1 tune in May, the eternally wistful "Cathy's Clown." It took over the summer of 1960 and brought the duo an all-time career high during their most successful era. Another release, "Always It's You," snatched the No. 56 spot in May 1960 as well. A cover of Little Richard's classic "Lucille" was given the Everly treatment and turned into a No. 21 single in October of 1960, clocking in as the third hit that year from the album.

The hits rolled into the following year, too. In June 1961, the brothers dropped a summertime hit called "Stick With Me Baby," which barely missed breaking into the Top 40 when it stopped at No. 41. Still, it rounded out a mind-blowing year of albums filled with high-performing Everly Brothers hits.

Shuffling piano rocker Fats Domino was killing the game in 1960, thanks to an album called "... A Lot of Dominos!" that hurled out six successful singles. That would be an inconceivable feat for any act in an entire year, but Domino did it in the last five months, proving his early rock 'n' roll arrangements had a magic formula for musical success in a whole new decade. He was one of rock 'n' roll's earliest movers and shakers, a Black artist making space in a predominantly white industry, and the unforgettable hits he produced in the course of a single album was a Herculean feat in any era.

Domino got the hits cranking in August 1960 with "Don't Come Knockin'," a No. 21 bop, then gave the world "Walking to New Orleans," that same month — a No. 6 smash and the highest-charting of the set. By September, he'd hit No. 58 with "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey," the lowest-ranking of all the album's releases. But by October, Domino had added a No. 15 crusher called "Three Nights a Week" to his collection of smash singles. December 1960 saw two more solid outings from the rock legend, "My Girl Josephine" at No. 14 and "Natural Born Lover" at No. 38. The title of the album was no joke; this was a lot of Dominos for one LP!