Before the girl group era came into its own, women artists accounted for somewhere around fifteen percent of charted singles.

In 1963, just a few months before the Beatles and their countrymen attacked our shores, the girl group trend peaked, with females representing a full forty percent of the Top 100. Ironically, The Beatles covered a large number of girl-group songs on their albums, thus displacing the girl group trend…with material by the girl groups!

In the Spring of 1963, pop music contained a diverse mix of girl groups, jazz, instrumentals, soul and easy listening pop.

Featured tracks include:

He’s So Fine – The Chiffon

Can’t Get Used to Losing You – Andy Williams

Hitch Hike – Marvin Gaye’      

If You Wanna Be Happy – Jimmy Soul

Pipeline – The Chantays

On Broadway – The Drifters

Watermelon Man – Mongo Santamaria

It’s My Party – Lesley Gore

Da Doo Ron Ron – The Crystals

Hello Stranger – Barbara Lewis

Another Saturday Night – Sam Cooke

Prisoner of Love – James Brown

Ain’t That a Shame – The Four Seasons