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Welcome to a new 1960s Wedding series #4:

1960s Soul & R&B
1960s Pop
1960s Rock & Pop-Rock
1960s Doo-Wop
1960s Folk & Country
1960s Jazz & Easy Listening

This week, I’m diving into the decade’s sweetest sound: 1960s Doo-Wop and Early Pop Harmony.

I’m replacing the driving anthems of rock with the innocent romance and lush harmonies of the early ‘60s. These tracks, featuring groups such as The Dixie Cups, The Penguins, and The Four Seasons, are ideal for creating a nostalgic and heartwarming atmosphere.

Table of Contents

Cocktail/Dinner Songs – 15 songs
Early-Set Dance Floor Warm-Up – 9 songs
Spotify Playlist – 24 songs

1960s Doo-Wop Wedding Songs

Cocktail/Dinner Songs

These songs have a faster tempo and a great beat. They inject energy without demanding everyone rush the dance floor, working well as lively background music or for a spontaneous dance moment.

Be My Baby - The Ronettes

1963 - The main vocalist is none other than Ronnie Spector. The song is an example of the “Wall of Sound” technique, which he described as “having dozens of musicians playing the same parts in a small studio, then layering the sound with heavy echo and reverb. It hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Blue Moon - The Marcels

1961 - The song was originally written by legendary composers Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934. A promotion man obtained a demo tape and gave it to influential New York DJ Murray “The K” Kaufman, who reportedly played it up to 26 times. It hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart.

Chapel of Love - The Dixie Cups

1964 - The Dixie Cups’ “Chapel of Love” knocked The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” out of the #1 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was originally recorded by Darlene Love and not released until 1991. The track appeared in Father of the Bride (1991), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Shrek 2 (2004).

Duke Of Earl - Gene Chandler

1961 - The song spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold over a million copies in the first month! The track is recognized for its historical importance, being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

He’s So Fine - The Chiffons

1963 - The track hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song’s publisher, Bright Tunes Music, sued George Harrison of The Beatles, claiming his 1970 solo hit, “My Sweet Lord”, had plagiarized the melody of “He’s So Fine”. In a landmark ruling, the judge found that Harrison was indeed guilty of “subconscious plagiarism”.

Heart And Soul - Cleftones

1961 - The Cleftones took an old 1930s hit and completely transformed it from a slow ballad into an energetic, uptempo smash. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was featured on the 1973 film American Graffiti soundtrack and in an iconic scene in the 1988 film Big, where Tom Hanks dances on the giant floor piano at FAO Schwarz.

I Love You - Volumes

1962 - “I Love You” is a one-hit wonder and peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The legendary Detroit musician Richard “Popcorn” Wylie reportedly played the drum rhythm by beating on a suitcase! It was on the soundtrack of the 1979 film The Wanderers.

My Guy - Mary Wells

1964 - “My Guy” made history as the first solo female artist’s song for the Motown label to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles.

Some Kind Of Wonderful - The Fourmost

1965 - The Fourmost’s version of “Some Kind Of Wonderful” was written by the legendary American songwriting duo Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded and released by The Drifters. The track reached #32 on the US pop chart.

Stay - Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs

1960 - “Stay” holds the distinction of being the shortest song ever to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It clocks in at a minuscule 1 minute and 36 seconds. The track received a massive second life when it was featured in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing.

Sugar, Sugar - The Archies

1969 - The Archies were a fictional rock band composed of characters from the popular Archie Comics. The music was recorded entirely by a group of talented studio musicians. “Sugar, Sugar” was the #1 song for all of 1969 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens

1961 - The song was originally written, composed, and recorded in 1939 by South African Zulu musician Solomon Linda. The original title was “Mbube”, which means “lion” in Zulu, and was later titled “Wimoweh. The Tokens heard The Kingston Trio’s version of “Wimoweh” and decided to record their own upbeat version and retitled it “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss) - Betty Everett

1964 - “The Shoop Shoop Song” became a double-sided hit alongside her original song “You’re No Good”. It was Everett’s most successful single, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cher recorded a cover for the soundtrack of her movie, Mermaids, in 1990.

Tonight (Could Be The Night) - The Velvets

1961 - The group’s founder and lead singer, Virgil Johnson, was an eighth-grade English teacher, and the other four members were students. The Velvets were discovered by Roy Orbison. The song was the group’s biggest hit, peaking at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Tonight I Fell In Love - The Tokens

1961 - The song peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was their second-highest charting song. It starts with a classic, slow doo-wop ballad style, but then dramatically shifts into a much faster, driving rock and roll beat.

Early-Set Dance Floor Warm-Up

While you asked for a cocktail/dinner, these are generally too energetic for background music. They are perfect for transitioning from dinner to dancing or for filling the first 30 minutes of the dance set to get the party going.

🎵 1960s Doo-Wop Wedding Songs

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