3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1960s I Remember Desperately Searching for at My Local Record Store

When you went record shopping back in the day, there were certain songs you just needed to look for, find, and purchase. You knew walking in through the shop’s front door that you had to get what you were hoping for.

Here below, we wanted to dive into that very phenomenon. We wanted to highlight three tunes that were at the top of any shopping list. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1960s I remember hunting for rabidly in my local record store.

“Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers from ‘The Original Monster Mash’ (1962)

Music fans would need to buy this single, CD, cassette, or vinyl album every time the leaves turned color. Fall is a season for going back to school and for dressing up in your favorite Halloween costume. And when that happens, you need good music! Indeed, “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett is the quintessential Halloween song. Whether you’re dressing up for your school Halloween parade or preparing to go out at night trick-or-treating, this 1962 track is essential for your physical media playlist.

“Wipe Out” by The Surfaris from ‘Wipe Out’ (1963)

If you ever need to put a smile on your face, we suggest one thing. Surf rock songs. The subgenre is often playful and energetic. The kind of thing that can turn your bad mood upside down. So, when we went to our local record shops to hunt for classic tracks from the 1960s, we felt like we should put on our swimming trunks and take our surfboards down to hang ten. And when it’s time to hang ten, it’s time for the ultimate surf rock song, “Wipe Out” by The Surfaris.

“Batman Theme” by Neal Hefti from ‘Batman Theme And 11 Other Bat Songs’ (1966)

Back in the day, two things were true. Record stores were great, and there were lots of sitcom reruns on television. Well, if you were a fan of the original Batman TV show, then you were likely a fan of its theme song. The fast-paced blues riff always set the stage for Batman and Robin to go out and catch the bad guys. But if you watched the show long enough, the music gets really in your psyche. You might have even needed to go out and buy the single (just like us)!

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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