The '60s

aka: The Sixties

There's a good reason they're called the "Stormy Sixties".

"Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'."

— Bob Dylan, "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

The Swinging Sixties hold a special place in popular culture, mostly because the people who came of age in that decade cannot stop talking about how great it was.

The Theme Park Version of the Swinging Sixties includes: "free love" and beehive and bouffant hairdos, hippies and southern sheriffs, Psychedelic Rock and girl groups, marijuana and the pill, sexy male spies in tuxedos and sexy female spies in leather catsuits (or in miniskirts with go-go boots, or in leather miniskirt catsuits), the Charlie Brown Christmas special, Peter Fonda dropping acid in a graveyard, prim newscasters speaking in clipped tones about those wild youngsters having too much fun, and everybody doing "The Twist".

In Britain it includes the rise of Carnaby Street (inevitably accompanied by The Kinks' "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"), Mary Quant (the Mother who Made Miniskirts Mainstream), Harold Wilson, the satire boom, and a bunch of Buccaneer Broadcasters demolishing The BBC's radio monopoly. It was all about the music: Mop-topped mods and cock-walking rockers all the rage, and the British were cool for the first time in recorded history. Except to the British, who were way into India. The Sixties gave us Woodstock, three days of peace and music. At the same time, there's the Harlem Cultural Festival, which is the cultural high point of black pride and the Civil Rights movement concentrated in six weeks of music. And then a little later, Altamont, roughly six hours of skull-cracking brutality set to music.

Of course, much of this great music was made in the context of political unrest: Escalation of The Vietnam War was met with a powerful protest movement, admired (or vilified, depending on your viewpoint) to this day for stopping the war dead in its tracks just nine years later. President John F. Kennedy narrowly averted an end-of-the-world nuclear showdown, then was shot dead. Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X gave voice to the Civil Rights Movement, and then were shot dead. Robert F. Kennedy renewed the country's spirits with a message of hope and unity, and then was shot dead. Really, the only important political figures who survived the 60s alive were LBJ and Tricky Dick (Ronald Reagan was also on the rise, but he didn't count just yet). And he got shot too. Hell, not even the musicians of this decade were spared - even one of The Beatles was shot dead!^note Albeit in The '80s. This was the era of COINTELPRO, with Government Agents surveilling, infiltrating and discrediting Anti-War and other groups to the point of sowing distrust and paranoia among these groups to Philip K. Dick levels. This was not limited to the United States. France nearly had a revolution in May of 1968, with West Germany having massive protests as well. Social unrest in Italy ballooned into the Years Of Lead in the 1970s, as well as the Red Army Faction in Germany while Canada had Quebec separatist riots and terrorist bombings. Czechoslavakia attempted a Velvet Revolution, but the Soviet Union invaded to suppress the social change in 1968. In China, Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966, and the country soon fell into chaos.

The Swinging Sixties were also the time of The Space Race — Following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the first manned launches took place in 1961 (first Russian Yuri Gagarin in April, followed closely by Alan Shepard in May). The idea of people actually entering space for the first time led to a new fascination with Science, and a corresponding boom to Science Fiction. John F. Kennedy ordered the seemingly impossible — putting men on the Moon. After his death, America's resolve was steeled, and the course was set. The route to the Moon was very nearly derailed by the disastrous Apollo 1 fire, claiming the lives of three American astronauts in a test. Over a year of unmanned testing went on, trying to repair the mistakes. A return to space flight in late 1968 led to an epic Christmas flyby of the Moon by Apollo 8, one of the most watched television broadcasts in history. Finally, in 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon, fulfilling Kennedy's mission and marking the first time a human being had walked on another celestial body.

That's what you learn watching TV and movies about the Sixties. No Sixties Montage is complete without them. If not set to Jimi Hendrix playing "All Along the Watchtower" or "The Star-Spangled Banner", then "Get Together" by the Youngbloods.

But if you watch TV and movies from the Sixties, it's as if half of that stuff never happened. Some of the decade's landmark events, such as the Stonewall Riots in 1969 that kicked off the gay rights movement, were barely acknowledged until the 1990s. Our cultural memory has selected The Grateful Dead and Aretha Franklin from a musical landscape that had a lot more Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass than seems sonically possible; and the squares of the first half of the decade actually dressed a lot cooler than the hippies of the latter half, who frankly come off as a little grimy. A standout example of this is The Andy Griffith Show, whose title actor portrays a Southern sheriff and in which not a whisper of the civil rights movement is mentioned.

Nonetheless, the sheer volume of memorable songs, shows, books, and movies from the Sixties is testament to the creativity of its artists. The decade did give us Star Trek: The Original Series, Doctor Who, James Bond (the films, anyway), Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Woody Allen, The Graduate, The Prisoner, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, James Brown, Motown, Yves Saint Laurent, Underground Comics... the list goes on. Their continued popularity ensures the Sixties will be around for a long time.

Politically speaking, it began on August 28, 1963 with the March on Washington and the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 and ended with the kidnapping of Patty Hearst on February 4, 1974, President Richard Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974 and the Fall of Saigon on April 29, 1975.^note  Technically, the decade's political end actually came on May 12-15, 1975 with the S.S. Mayaguez incident which was the final battle of The Vietnam War. Scientifically speaking, it begins with the launching of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957 and ending with the last Moon landing by Apollo 17 on December 14, 1972. Culturally speaking, it began with the release of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho on September 8, 1960 and the US debut of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, and ended with the Tate-LaBianca murders on August 8 and 9, 1969, the disastrous Altamont Free Concert on December 6, 1969, and the breakup of The Beatles on April 10, 1970.

Economically, the Swinging Sixties was considered by economists the end of the post-war golden age for the Western world and also for a lot of the East, especially in the Iron Curtain. ^note This was the height of the post-war consensus, where workers had their highest wages, where the nurturing of a welfare state and planned economy in multiple nations led to a great reduction of unemployment. Some nations like France, during its Les Trentes glorieuses (Glorious Three Decades) could even boast "full employment". ^note This was also the era of mass redistribution of wealth as per Thomas Piketty, where the US and other European nations instituted taxes on the wealthy and invested it in public services, such as England's NHS, and Lyndon B. Johnson could declare a "war against poverty" without it sounding like a utopian claim. In England, this was an era of true class and social mobility, where a bunch of working class kids from Liverpool (like The Beatles) could become "bigger than Jesus" and certainly bigger than the Royal Family. As much as everyone associates The '50s with post-war stability and prosperity, The '60s was actually the truly flush era. Some critics blame the decade and the youth for ending the good times, while supporters insist people chose Liberty Over Prosperity. ^note Some historians and cultural commentators argue that part of the reason for the youth revolt and experimentation of this time was the greater sense of stability which allowed young people to think and engage critically with the parts of society, namely the nuclear family, the heteronormative norms and other unquestioned assumptions, that a more difficult period would otherwise not give them room to think greatly about. So yes, the stereotype about the "Greatest Generation" father mocking sixties kids for being spoiled and pampered is Right for the Wrong Reasons.

See Also: The Roaring '20s, The Great Depression, The '40s, The '50s, The '70s, The '80s, The '90s, Turn of the Millennium, The New '10s, and The New '20s.

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Popular tropes from this time period are:

• '60s Hair: Aside from the beehive, we have the bouffants, moptops, and geometric bangs that came and were popularized from this decade.
• All Bikers are Hells Angels: While the Hells Angels already existed since 1947 they become more recognizable and feared during the 1960s.
• Beehive Hairdo: A popular haircut for women.
• British Rock Star: A creation of this decade, with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger as the main examples. David Bowie also got his start in this decade (his first international hit was "Space Oddity" in 1969) but really hit it big in the next decade.
• Buccaneer Broadcaster: Many illegal radio stations popped up that operated on boats just outside the coastlines, particularly in the U.K., where they couldn't get prosecuted. They owed their popularity to the fact that they played rock in a time when most mainstream radio stations didn't.
• Commune: Hippies form them.
• Conscription: Many men were drafted in the USA and sent off to Vietnam. To an extent: most American servicemen in Vietnam were enlisted. Even at the height of the war, most Americans who were drafted were sent to bases in Europe, East Asia, or stateside. And even then, only a small minority of those eligible for the draft were ever called up. However, the memory of World War II and The Korean War (which had seen much larger numbers of men drafted) colored people's fear of being conscripted.
• Cool Car: After the Ford Mustang was unleashed in 1965, the muscle car movement in America kicked off before stalling briefly from the oil crisis of The '70s.
• Dance Sensation: The first half of the decade was prominent with new dance crazes, particularly with partnerless dances, such as the Twist, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Pony, the Loco-Motion the Jerk, and many more.
• Darker and Edgier: Compared to The '50s. War, the Civil Rights Movement, many protests, the president was assassinated, hippies, need we say more? 1968 stands out as being one of the most Grimdark years in recent American history: MLK Jr. and RFK were both gunned down, riots in more than 100 cities, anti-war protests, a flu pandemic, Vietnam was at its lowest point, and the chaos at the Democratic National Convention.
• Foreign Culture Fetish:
  • In a Bookend of sorts, California was the place to go. Starting off with beach parties and surfing at the beginning of the decade, and ending with flower power and the Summer of Love at the end.
  • In the middle of the decade following The British Invasion, the young people would look upon England, with stuff like mods, James Bond, Monty Python, Twiggy, and The Beatles coming from places such as Carnaby Street, Kings Road, and Abbey Road in London, and northern cities like Liverpool and Manchester. Its high point came with England winning The World Cup in 1966. On a lesser note, the famous "Flying Scotsman" locomotive visited the United States in 1969.
  • From 1965 on, South Asian music, philosophy and religion became increasingly popular in the West. Ravi Shankar played at rock festivals and gurus like the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Hara Krishna movement gained a huge following. As Salman Rushdie described it: "Being Indian made you extremely sexy in the 1960s." Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen and the I-Ching also gained popularity.
  • In the late 1960s, there was a brief wave of Japanophilia in the United States, owing to the popularity of Kaiju films at the time.
• The Generation Gap: Already prominent in the 1950s, but became more noticeable during the 1960s, when parents' and adults' old-fashioned values contrasted heavily with those of the young people who were in favor of social change.
• Granola Girl: Your standard hippie chick.
• Greaser Delinquents: Very common in Real Life and to a much lesser extent, pop culture, although nowhere near as common as they were in The '50s, in both the real 1960s and portrayals of it in later fiction.
• High-Class Gloves: This was the last decade that gloves were a ubiquitous high fashion accessory (save for the most formal events).
• Hippie Van: A popular vehicle for hippies travelling to California or Katmandu.
• Hollywood Thin: The buxom, curvaceous bombshell look of the ‘50s was phased out for the waifish, wispy, bug-eyed crane-legged look.
• Limited Animation: Animation became less and less sophisticated due to budget restraints.
• Messy Hair: The Beatles haircut and longer hair styles became popular and raised concern, not to mention fear, among many adults. Long hair on men was associated with homosexuality like Oscar Wilde, besides the Biblical prohibition^note 1 Corinthians 11:14 so many adults couldn't understand why a straight boy would want to wear his hair long. It was also a symbol of the anti-war movement and thus, to many adults, Communism.
• Music of the 1960s: Since the widespread popularity of rock music around the world, and with America's losing interest with classic Rock & Roll, newer musicians stepped up to the scene to kick it with a new flavor. Rock subgenres and other genres include:
  • Alternative Rock and Avant-Garde Music: Rock finally got his alternative/avant-garde movement, with The Fugs, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart among the most important acts.
  • Afrobeat: African artists start to emulate Afro-American funk with traditional African music.
  • Baroque Pop: One of the pop music styles to debut during this decade.
  • Blues Rock: Blues experienced an enormous revival, with many white youngsters starting their own rock version of the genre, The Rolling Stones, Cream, John Mayall,... being the most famous examples.
  • Boy Band: Popularized by The Beatles.
  • The British Invasion: Rock got an enormous revitalization thanks to the success of British rock bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks and Pink Floyd.
  • Folk Music: Experienced a revival in interest, spearheaded by the popularity of Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, Donovan,... and others.
  • Funk: James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone made it very popular.
  • Girl Group: Girl groups existed before, but they become more prominent during this era, with The Marvelettes, The Ronettes, The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas,... as prime examples.
  • Garage Rock: Garage bands come into prominence.
  • Heavy Metal: The genre got its start in the late 1960s, which bands like Blue Cheer and Led Zeppelin. Also, the three bands that make up the "unholy trinity of Heavy Metal", the aforementioned Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple are formed in 1968.
  • Motown: Its sound brought on a wave of black musicians impacting pop culture.
  • Outsider Music: In 1968 more artists who can't sing start to gain a cult following, like Wild Man Fischer. The Shaggs recorded their first album in 1969, but nobody (except Frank Zappa) heard it, and they wouldn't be rediscovered until the 1980s.
  • Progressive Rock: Starts to get in vogue near the end of the 1960s, but will become more prominent in the 1970s.
  • Protest Song: A staple of 1960s Folk Music, usually advocating peace and civil rights, while targeting the Vietnam War.
  • Protopunk: From 1967 on some rock bands start to make music with a darker, louder and more minimalistic sound that can be seen as the forerunner of punk and thus will only get very popular in the 1970s.
  • Psychedelic Rock: From the mid 1960s on rock started using more psychedelic elements, influenced by hallucinogenic drugs like marijuana and LSD. The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Grateful Dead being the most famous examples.
  • Reggae: Between 1968 and 1969 the genre evolves out of rocksteady, but it remains a Caribbean phenomenon. From the 1970s on it will become global.
  • Ska: Between 1962 and 1965 it's the most popular music style in Jamaica and highly popular in the UK too.
  • Soul: The most popular Afro-American music style during this era, lead by James Brown, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, et al.... Even white singers got into the melody, paving way for the blue-eyed soul subgenre.
  • Rooftop Concert: Done first by the Beatles in 1969, on the roof of the Abbey Road Studios, as documented in Let It Be.
  • Surf Rock: Between 1961 and 1964 rock artists like The Beach Boys and Dick Dale become popular with music fit for the surf culture.
• New-Age Retro Hippie: The age of the hippie culture.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: Having the illusion of eyes bigger than the wrists was big in the decade; from Margaret Keane's paintings, to Twiggy's Innocent Blue Eyes, to Osamu Tezuka's doe-eyed heroes. Women’s makeup often focused completely on the eyes, and layers of dramatic false eyelashes with Cleopatra eyeliner were an everyday look.
• Sci-Fi Bob Haircut: Codified by the hairstylist Vidal Sassoon to implicate a futuristic feel of the Mod scene.
• Scooter-Riding Mod: Mod culture orginated in this decade.
• Shared Universe: Though not a new concept in comics or pop culture at large, the popularisation of the shared universe craze can be seen in Marvel Comics' revived superhero output in the 1960s, as the setting was more holistically interconnected compared to other mainstream comics. Surreptitious crossover encounters between New York's protectors were frequent.
• Spaghetti Western: Old westerns lose their popularity as the grittier and more violent westerns of Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci become cult successes. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Franco Nero and Charles Bronson owe their career to them.
• Spy Catsuit: A popular outfit for women in spy dramas. Think Emma Peel in The Avengers (1960s).
• Spy Drama: James Bond launched the popularity of a lot of spy dramas, with I Spy, Danger Man, Thunderbirds, The Saint, and The Avengers (1960s) as the most well-known examples. The genre in turn spawned a well-known parody in Get Smart and a deconstruction (maybe?) in the form of The Prisoner.
• Supermarionation: Gerry Anderson's use of articulated marionettes in science fiction television.
• There Are No Therapists (The anti-psychiatry movement emerged in the 1960s, and was when it had the most steam).
• This is the Decade on Drugs: No other decade in The 20th Century brought more euphoric experimentation than this. A famous quote about the decade is that "if you remember the '60s, you really weren't there." Along with hippies and mods, it gave us:
  • Higher Understanding Through Drugs: As marijuana and LSD became more popular among young people, many used it under the excuse that they were searching for a higher meaning of life or artistic progress. The innocence of casual drug use got more sour from 1968 on, when harder drugs made their entrance and the first drug-related deaths were reported, like Brian Jones in 1969. A popular trope is the Erudite Stoner who is in favor of social change, but does not do anything except get high and listen to Psychedelic Rock all the time.
  • Junkie Prophet: Some people advocated drug use as Higher Understanding Through Drugs, with Timothy Leary and his message of "Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out" as the most famous example.
  • Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: The introduction of the combined oral contraceptive pill (often known as just "the Pill", to give some idea of its impact) made it easier for women to not get pregnant, thus paving the way for the Sexual Revolution.
  • The Stoner and the Erudite Stoner: Many movies and songs were made to capitalize on the popularity of marijuana and LSD among young people, with Ode to Intoxication messages and psychedelic effects.
  • Stoner Flick: A movie genre that took off in the late 1960s.
  • Watch It Stoned: Many counterculture movies and albums were made with the purpose of being experienced while high.
• Trope Makers and Trope Codifiers: Pressing on with the experimental and the avant-garde on film and television, tropes that had been spoofed to death are:
  • Abbey Road Crossing: The often parodied cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road made its introduction during this decade.
  • Also sprach Zarathustra: The success of 2001: A Space Odyssey made Richard Strauss' "Sunrise" from "Also Sprach Zarathustra" the Standard Snippet to play when characters do "important things" in pop culture.
  • Bigger Than Jesus: John Lennon's claim in 1966 that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ ^note  which was taken out of context, seeing that Lennon merely meant it as a sad realization, not as a Blasphemous Boast caused a huge scandal. He apologized for it, but the phrase entered pop culture soon afterwards.
  • Bond Gun Barrel: Turned into a Stock Parody thanks to the success of James Bond.
  • Borrowing the Beatles: Stock Parodies of The Beatles.
  • The Elevator from Ipanema: "The Girl from Ipanema" would forever be linked as standard elevator music, and has been the subject of Stock Parody since it was released in 1964.
  • Ennio Morricone Pastiche: The success of Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western epics made spoofs of Ennio Morricone's music during western scenes a staple of pop culture.
  • The Monolith: 2001: A Space Odyssey popularized the image of a monolith in science fiction stories.
  • Horror Hippies: Charles Manson and the Manson Family being the primary inspiration for most evil hippies in fiction.
  • How the Character Stole Christmas: Naturally became a Stock Parody thanks to How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
  • "Psycho" Strings and "Psycho" Shower Murder Parody: The shower scene in Psycho had a huge cultural impact, exemplified by the countless parodies, spoofs and homages it inspired.
  • Riding the Bomb: A Stock Parody popularized by Dr. Strangelove.
  • Sgt. Pepper's Shout-Out: Spoofing or referencing the cover of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band became a Stock Parody from this decade on.
  • Supermarionation: Shows like Stingray and Thunderbirds popularize it.
  • Tuxedo and Martini: Popularized by James Bond.
  • Where No Parody Has Gone Before: The popularity of Star Trek made references to the series a Stock Parody.
  • You Are Number 6: While the motif of replacing someone's identity with a numeral is much older, its most common usage as a signifier of a cozy dystopia was codified by the Trope Namer, The Prisoner.
  • You Meddling Kids: A Stock Parody popularized by Scooby-Doo.
• Unconventional Wedding Dress: Daring brides in the second half of the decade wore a plethora of experimental styles to church, such as mini dresses, lacy Victorian revival dresses with wide-brimmed hats traded for veils, back-to-nature dresses of many colors with flowers in their hair, and even a crocheted dress designed by Yves Saint Laurent which unintentionally resembled a tampon.
• Underground Comics: A counterculture of comics came into existence, tackling taboo subjects like sex, drugs and politics. The most prominent being Fritz the Cat and The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.
• Unkempt Beauty:
  • After being dominated by makeup, curlers, and other beauty products for four decades now, and with the influence of the Hippie movement, women started to put their makeup off and put down their bouffants and curls, and let out their natural looks.
  • For the men, they discarded the razors and let their hair grow longer and their beards grow thicker.

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Works made during this time period include:

• Anime and Manga of the 1960s
• Comic Books of the 1960s
• Fanfics Pre-2000
• Films of the 1960s
• Literature of the 1960s
• Music of the 1960s
• Radio of the 1960s
• Series of the 1960s
• Theatre of the 1960s
• Early Video Games
• Western Animation of the 1960s

Advertising

• Cap'n Crunch
• Charlie the Tuna
• Morris the Cat
• Mr. Whipple
• Pebbles Cereal
• Quisp and Quake
• Toucan Sam

Eastern European Animation

• Adventures of Mowgli
• Gustavus
• The Little Mermaid
• Mézga család

Magazines

• Cosmopolitan. Originally started in 1886, entered its current form in 1965.
• Ranger Rick (began publication in 1967)

Toys

• The Hot Wheels toy franchise began in 1968.
• Licca-chan: Launched in 1967.
• Wacky Packages: Launched in 1967.

Works set (but not made) during this time period include:

Anime & Manga

• The Bush Baby takes place in 1960s Kenya, shortly after it announces itself an independent state. This was the first World Masterpiece Theater production to take place after World War II.
• Children Who Chase Lost Voices is implied to be set sometime in the 60s due to Morisaki (who appears to be in his late 30s or early 40s) mentioning that he fought in the European theatre of World War II, Arch Angel's modified AH-1 Cobra helicopter, and the presence of typewriters and vehicles common during the era.
• Code Geass, set in a (technologically advanced) Alternate History version of what we would recognize as the 1960s; more specifically AD 1962-63. The spin-off Code Geass: Akito the Exiled takes place around the same time as the original series in an alternate E.U.
• From Up on Poppy Hill is set in a realistic 1963.
• You can clearly tell Igano Kabamaru takes place in the 60s-early 70s Japan because of the pop culture references (Tono, for example, calls Japanese Giants player Shigeo Nagashima one of his favourite baseball players) and the cars.
• Kids on the Slope begins in the summer of 1966.

Comic Books

• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina takes Sabrina the Teenage Witch back to being in the sixties, more specifically 1968.
• Fantastic Four: Life Story: The 2021 mini-series began in 1961 (the same year the original comics was published).
• Goldie Vance takes place vaguely in the 1960s.
• JFK Secret Ops is set in an Alternate History where Kennedy survived his assassination. Part of the comic is set in 1965.
• The Lost Boy: Set in the early 60s, as evident when someone says John F. Kennedy's president.
• March, a comic about the life of African-American US Congressman John Lewis and his participation in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s (though the 50s are prominently featured too).
• Marvel Comics: While it's true that the company that would later be known as Marvel (Atlas) existed before then, the Marvel universe proper didn't exist until 1961. And once it did, Marvel would prove to be one of the most well-known, influential, and (at the time) ground-breaking comic companies not just of that era, but decades later. Even today, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't at least heard of Marvel.
• Secret Path (2016) is mainly set during 1966, when Chanie Wenjack is walking along the train tracks trying to get home.
• Spider-Man: Life Story: The 2019 mini-series starts off in 1966, four years into Peter Parker's superhero career and at the height of The Vietnam War.
• Stuck Rubber Baby, a 1995 graphic novel set during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Superboy thanks to DC's sliding timeline was moved up to this decade with his Superboy 1980 title relaunch. Various references to 1960s popular culture were made, including: Clark and Lana going to a concert featuring a long-haired rock group; the Kents watching an Apollo moonshot on TV; and Superboy (in flashbacks to earlier in the decade) meeting President Kennedy.
  • A Mind-Switch in Time is a time-travel story where Superman finds himself stuck in 1969.
• Zot!! is set in a world where the year is always 1965.

Films — Animation

• Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders: Made in 2016, set during the era of the Batman (1966) TV series from 1966-1968.
• Batman vs. Two-Face: 2017 sequel of the above.
• Frankenweenie: 2012 film set in this decade.
• Fritz the Cat
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Made in 2018, The Stinger has Miguel O'Hara time traveling to the 60s cartoon.
• Tower: Documentary released in 2016, features rotoscoped reenactments and archive footage of the University of Texas tower shooting on August 1, 1966.

Films — Live-Action

• 61*: 2001 Mickey Mantle Bio Pic.
• Across the Universe (2007)
• Air America
• Almost Famous: Made in 2000 and is set in 1973, but prologue is in 1969.
• Ali: Made in 2004, set from 1964-1974.
• An American Crime: 2007 film set in 1965.
• American Gangster: Made in 2007, set in 1968.
• American Graffiti: Made in 1973, set in 1962.
  • More American Graffiti: Made in 1979, set between 1964-1967.
• Animal House
• Annabelle (most of the film set in 1969)
• Annabelle: Creation: Made in 2017 and set in 1955, the final scene is set in 1967.
• Apocalypse Now
• Apollo 13
• Austin Powers, partially
• Awakenings
• Bad Times at the El Royale: 2018 film set in 1969.
• Big Eyes: Made in 2014, most of the story takes place from 1963-1965.
• Birdy
• Blade: Made and set in 1998, prologue set in 1967.
• Blast from the Past: The story starts off in 1962.
• Blow: Made in 2001, parts of the story takes place in 1968 and 1969.
• Blue Sky (1994)
• The Boat That Rocked, released in America as "Pirate Radio"
• Bobby: 2006 Robert F. Kennedy Bio Pic.
• The Book of Manson, about the Manson Family.
• Born on the Fourth of July, partially
• The Boys in Company C
• Bridge of Spies
• Brighton Rock (The Film of the Book made in 2010, was set in 1964.)
• Brokeback Mountain, partially
• A Bronx Tale
• The Butler: Made in 2013, third quarter of the film set in various points in this decade.
• Capote
• Captain Marvel (2019): Made in 2019 and set in 1995, but flashbacks to the eponymous protagonist's childhood set somewhere in this decade.
• Casualties of War: Made in 1989, set during The Vietnam War.
• Catch Me If You Can: 2002 film set from 1963-1967.
• Chappaquiddick: 2017 film about the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969.
• Che: 2008 Bio Pic of Che Guevara.
• City of God: Made in 2002, first quarter of the film set in this decade.
• The Classic: 2003 film set in that year but with a Framing Device to 1968.
• Click: Made and set in 2006, the protagonist travels back to the time his parents are conceiving him.
• Cooley High: Made in 1975, set in 1964.
• Cruella: 2021 prequel of the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians and its 2000 sequel.
• The Debt (Most of it)
• The Deer Hunter
• Detroit: Made in 2017, set in 1967.
• The Dirt: Made in 2019 and set mostly in The '80s and 90s, a flashback occurs during Nikki Sixx's childhood set in 1967.
• Dirty Dancing
• The Dish
• Dogfight
• The Doors
• Down with Love
• The Dreamers
• Dreamgirls
• Duke of Groove: 1996 film set in 1969-1970.
• Eddie and the Cruisers
• An Education
• Elvis (2022): 2022 Elvis Presley Bio Pic set in 1997 with a Framing Device that tackles 1947-1977.
• Eve's Bayou
• The Eyes of Tammy Faye: 2021 Tammy Faye Messner Bio Pic.
• Female Trouble (specifically, 1960-1970)
• First Man: Made in 2018, set from 1961-1969.
• The Flamingo Kid
• Flipped: The Film of the Book is set from 1957-1963, instead of the canonical 1994-2000.
• Fly Me to the Moon: 2024 film set against the Space Race of the 60s.
• Ford V Ferrari: 2019 film set from 1963-1966.
• Forrest Gump, partially
• The Founder: 2016 Bio Pic about McDonald's, the story's second half mostly takes place in this decade.
• Frequency, partially
• Full Metal Jacket
• A Futile and Stupid Gesture: Made in 2018, set from 1964 to 1980.
• Get On Up: Made in 2014, most of the film takes place during James Brown's heyday in this decade.
• Ghost Ship: Made in 2002, prologue set in 1962.
• Girl, Interrupted
• Glory Road: Made in 2006, set during the events leading to the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship
• Good Morning, Vietnam
• Goodfellas: Made in 1990, film set from 1955-1980.
• Grace of My Heart
• The Great Santini: Made in 1979, set in 1962.
• Green Book: Made in 2018, set in 1962.
• Halloween (1978), partially
• Hairspray (1988)
• Hairspray (2007)
• The Hairy Bird
• Hamburger Hill
• The Hanoi Hilton, partially
• Hawking: 2004 Stephen Hawking Bio Pic.
• Heaven & Earth: Made in 1993, set during The Vietnam War.
• Heaven Help Us
• The Help
• Hidden Figures
• Hoffa: 1992 Jimmy Hoffa Bio Pic.
• The Hollywood Knights
• Hulk: Made in 2003, prologue set in 1966.
• Ida: Made in 2013, set during the aftermath of the Holocaust in 1961.
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• The Irishman: 2019 Frank Sheeran Bio Pic.
• Jackie: Made in 2016, set during the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.
• JFK
• Judas and the Black Messiah
• Judy (2019): 2019 Judy Garland Bio Pic set in 1968.
• Jumanji: About one-third of it is set in 1969.
• The Kid (2000): The protagonist and his past self time travels to the latter's home era in 1968 near the end of the film.
• Lady in White
• The Last Emperor: Made in 1987, final arc of the film set in 1967.
• The Last Letter From Your Lover: 2021 film set in the middle of the decade.
• Last Night in Soho: Made in 2021, set around 1965.
• Legend (2015): Made in 2015, set throughout the decade.
• The Life and Death of Peter Sellers: 2004 Peter Sellers Bio Pic.
• Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows: 2001 Judy Garland Bio Pic.
• Losin' It
• Love Field
• Loving (2016): 2016 Bio Pic about the passing of the Loving v. Virginia act.
• Malcolm X: Made in 1992, climax of the film takes place in 1965.
• The Many Saints of Newark: 2021 film set from 1967-1972.
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
• Matinee, at the start of the (Cuban Missile Crisis)
• Men in Black 3: J travels back in time to 1969 to stop an Alien Invasion in the present.
• The Mercy
• Mermaids (1990)
• Millennium (1989), partially
• Miranda's Victim: 2023 film set in 1963.
• Mississippi Burning
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Moonwalkers
• Mr. Holland's Opus: Made in 1995, film begins in 1965.
• Novitiate: 2017 film about the Second Vatican Council from 1962-1965.
• Nowhere Boy: 2009 Bio Pic of John Lennon.
• On Chesil Beach: Set in 1962.
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Made in 2019, set in 1969.
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• Ouija: Origin of Evil: Made in 2014, set in 1967.
• Outbreak: Made and set in 1995, the prologue is set in 1967.
• The Outsiders
• Parkland: 2013 film about JFK's assassination.
• Path to War
• Pawn Sacrifice: 2014 biopic of Bobby Fisher.
• Peggy Sue Got Married: Made in 1986 and set on 1985, the protagonist mental time travels to 1960 for much of the film.
• A Perfect World: Made in 1993, set in 1963.
• Platoon
• Purple Hearts: Made in 1984, set in Vietnam during the war.
• Raging Bull: Made in 1980, set in 1964.
• Ray: Made in 2004, Bio Pic about Ray Charles.
• Red Zone Cuba. Released in 1966, set in 1961. Depicts the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
• Riding in Cars with Boys: Made in 2001, story starts off in 1961.
• Respect (2021): A 2021 musical biopic of Aretha Franklin.
• Rocketman (2019): A 2019 Elton John biopic.
• The Rum Diary: Made in 2011, set in 1960.
• The Sandlot
• The Sapphires
• Saving Mr. Banks
• Secretariat: Made in 2010, prologue set in 1969.
• Selma: Made in 2014, set during the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965.
• A Serious Man
• Shampoo
• The Shape of Water: Made in 2017, set in 1962.
• The Shawshank Redemption: The second half of the film takes place in the latter half of the decade.
• Sleepers: Made in 1996, first half set from 1967-1968.
• Splash: Made and set in 1984, the protagonists get A Minor Kidroduction in 1964.
• Stoned
• Streamers
• Sucker Punch: Made in 2011, set somewhere in this decade (and the deepest thoughts of the characters).
• Sully: 2016 film set in 2009, with flashbacks to 1967.
• Taking Woodstock
• Teen Beach Movie
• Temple Grandin
• That Thing You Do!
• The Theory of Everything: Made in 2014, the story starts off with Stephen Hawking doing his graduate studies in 1962.
• Thirteen Days
• tick, tick... BOOM!: 2021 film set in 1990 and 1992, with flashbacks to 1968 and 1975.
• Tin Men
• Tomorrowland: Made and set in 2015, the deuteragonist gets A Minor Kidroduction in 1964.
• The Toolbox Murders
• The Trial of the Chicago 7: 2020 film set from 1968-1970.
• Trumbo: Made in 2015, the film's final arc is set in 1960.
• Unbreakable: Prologue set in 1961.
• Unfrosted: Set in the early 60s.
• Vice (2018): Made in 2018 and set from 2001-2009, flashbacks happen around the latter parts of the decade.
• Volunteers
• A Walk on the Moon
• Walk the Line: Made in 2005, Bio Pic about Johnny Cash.
• The Wanderers
• The Ward
• Watchmen: Occasionally flashes back to the titular group's prime during the late 1960s.
• The Wife: Made in 2017, second quarter of the film happens from 1962-1968.
• Withnail and I
• Women Is Losers: The film starts in 1967, moving to 1973.
• X-Men: First Class: Made in 2011, set in 1963.
• The Year of Living Dangerously: Made in 1982, set in 1965.
• Zodiac

Literature

• The Abortion by Richard Brautigan is subtitled "A Historical Romance 1966", but it was not published until 1971.
• American Pastoral: Made in 1997, set mostly from 1947-1970.
• Born on the Fourth of July: Published in 1976, set mostly during The Vietnam War''.
• Dark Harvest: Published in 2006, set on Halloween night in 1963.
• The Darkest Darl: Published in 2016, set in the summer of 1969.
• The Devil All the Time: 2011 novel set from the end of World War II up to this decade.
• Devil May Care — Written in 2008, set in 1967.
• Eye of a Fly — Published in 2019, set in this decade.
• The Ghost Writer: The story starts during this period.
• Go Ask Alice
• Hearts in Atlantis
• The Help (also a movie)
• Hullo Russia, Goodbye England
• Inherent Vice
• Norwegian Wood
• The Odessa File
• Paris in the Twentieth Century — Written in 1863, but set in 1960.
• Replay — Spans 25 years. Several times.
• Revolternas år by Solveig Olsson-Hultgren.
• The Secret Life of Bees: Made in 2004, set in 1964.
• The Secret Life of Kitty Granger: Published in 2021, set in an unspecified year.
• A Single Man
• Where the Crawdads Sing: Published in 2018, set partly during this decade and partly in The '50s.

Live-Action TV

• 11/22/63: The 2016 TV adaptation of the 2011 novel has the protagonist travelling back to 1960 instead of 1958 to prevent John F. Kennedy's assassination..
• An Adventure in Space and Time, about the original creation of Doctor Who.
• American Dreams
• American Horror Story: Asylum: Made in 2012, half of the story takes place in 1964.
• American Horror Story: Freak Show: Made in 2014 and is set in the early 50s, but a Flash Forward to 1961 happens to show how one of the characters ended up in the aforementioned Asylum. The show's Distant Finale also happens in 1960.
• The Astronaut Wives Club: Made in 2015, set during the aftermath of Alan Shephard's successful venture into space in 1961.
• Aquarius
• Brides of Christ is set during the Sixties, but avoids many of the stereotypes.
• Call the Midwife, from Series 4 onwards.
• China Beach was a War/Medical Drama that ran on ABC from 1988 to 1991. It featured a group of characters serving at the real China Beach Rest and Recreation (R & R) station and the fictional 510th Evacuation Hospital during The Vietnam War.
• Michael Mann's mid-1980s Crime Story was a gritty series pitting lawmen against mobsters in the Rat Pack-era early '60s.
• Cobra Kai: Seasons 3 and 4 have several flashbacks to The Vietnam War.
• Crime Story
• The Crown (2016): The second half of the second season covers the retirement of Queen Elizabeth II's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 as well as the birth of Prince Edward in 1964. The third season will continue from 1964.
• Action comedy Danger 5 pits the eponymous team against Stupid Jetpack Hitler in a '60s Alternate History. Deliberately produced so it looks like it's made in the 60s.
• Dark Skies
• Doom Patrol (2019): Flashback to Larry Trainor's Super Hero Origin happened in 1961.
• Endeavour
• Fellow Travelers: 1968 is the setting of most of the past scenes in episode 6.
• Feud: Made in 2017, set during the lead up to the release of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1962.
• Forever (2014): The flashbacks in "The Wolves of Deep Brooklyn" take place in 1965. They show Henry’s reluctance to accept Abe's entry into the army during the Vietnam War.
• The story of Fosse/Verdon begins in 1969.
• From the Earth to the Moon, about the Apollo space program.
• Happy Days started out in The '50s but had gotten to the mid-'60s (i.e., the beginning of The '60s in a cultural sense) by the end of its run.
• The Ghosts (US) episodes “Flowers Article”, “Dumb Deaths” and “A Date to Remember” have flashbacks set in this decade.
• Heartbeat
• I Am the Night is set during the Civil Rights Movement.
• The first five episodes of the Philippine television drama Ikaw Lamang are set in 1964.
• I'll Fly Away is set in the American South during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Inspector George Gently uses the social upheaval of the sixties as the basis of some of its plots, such as how birth control was only legal if one was married.
• The Jacksons: An American Dream: Jackson 5 Biopic.
• Jimmy Macdonald's Canada, which dealt with the mental breakdown of one of the aforementioned newscasters in the face of change.
• The Kennedys: Made in 2011, set throughout the decade with the Cold War shown via the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion, and the fifth episode dealing with the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation.
  • ''The Kennedys After Camelot: 2017 sequel set after John F. Kennedy's assasination.
• The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 is entirely set in the 60s and Klaus accidentally time travels back to the Vietnam War, 1969 in season 1.
• Laverne & Shirley: Spin-Off of the aforementionedHappy Days.
• Legends of Tomorrow: The titular team time travels to this decade Once a Season; 1960 in the first, 1967 in the second, and 1969 in the third.
• Lessons in Chemistry: 2023 series set in the decade.
• Mad Men, which sort of charts the transition from the '50s to the '60s. The series starts in March 1960, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was still President and the cultural vibe was very much '50s. At the end of Season 3, JFK gets shot, and Season 4 (starting on Thanksgiving 1964 and going into 1965) features SCDP in a very Sixties office (much of the furniture and interior design looks like it was done by Eero Saarinen) with at least one character doing some very Sixties things. Finally, the last season, set in 1969,^note So far; it may extend slightly into 1970 sets the stage for the transition to the disillusionment and chaos of The '70s.
• Masters of Sex
• Oliver Beene
• Our Friends in the North: A nine episode miniseries that chronicles thirty years in the life of four friends. The first three episodes are respectively set in 1964, 1966, and 1967.
• Pan Am: Made in 2011, set from 1963-1964.
• Pennyworth: An origin story for Alfred Pennyworth set during the decade.
• The Playboy Club is set in 1961 Chicago.
• Ang Probinsyano (2015): Much of the flashbacks to Lola Flora's youth is set in this decade.
• Project Blue Book: Series that premiered in 2019 set during the USAF's investigations of alleged UFO sightings during the early 50s-late 60s.
• Project UFO: 1978-1979 series set during the USAF's investigations of alleged UFO sightings during the early 50s-late 60s.
• Public Morals is 1965 New York City
• Ripley is mainly set in 1960s Italy (though begins in 1960s USA).
• Rock & Chips
• Serangoon Road is set in Singapore in the mid-1960s.

• The Sarah Jane Adventures: The episode “What Happened to Sarah Jane?” has The Trickster creating an alternate timeline by going to 1964 to make a deal with Andrea, that will exchange her life for Sarah Jane's. She later takes the deal back, which resulted in her death in 1964, to save the world from destruction and restore the original timeline.
• A TV movie aptly titled The Sixties (1999) starring Julia Stiles. The characters manage to hit all the high points of the decade, set to an Awesome soundtrack composed of Nothing but Hits.

• The Spoils of Babylon: 2014 miniseries set in 1976 with flashbacks to The Roaring '20s up to The '60s.
• State of Grace
• Tour of Duty
• The Vietnam War: A 10-part American television documentary series about the Vietnam War written by Geoffrey C. Ward and directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. The first episode premiered on PBS on September 17, 2017.
• Why Women Kill: Made in 2019, 1/3 of the story takes place in 1963.
• The Wonder Years

Music

• Quadrophenia
• Sugarland: The music video for their 2018 single "Babe" is inspired by Mad Men and is set in this decade. It tells the story of a woman (lead singer Jennifer Nettles) whose husband (Brandon Routh) is having an affair with his secretary (Taylor Swift).

Pinball

• Austin Powers: Despite its Time Travel aspects, it is predominantly set in the Sixties, with a playfield decorated in rainbow colors, bright flowers, and groovy lettering.
• The Beatles is very specifically themed after the Beatles' visit to America in 1964, along with the Beatlemania that followed.
• The opening shot of Godzilla (Stern) proclaims that it takes place on December 19th, 1965. (This is a reference to the date Invasion of Astro-Monster, the film the game's antagonists come from, was released in Japan.)

Tabletop Games

• The Fall of DELTA GREEN: A prequel of Delta Green that uses the GUMSHOE system. The book comes with information about the The Vietnam War, the society, government and geopolitical situation of the era. The art of the book also tries to mimmick the style of that era.

Theater

• All the Way
• Dogfight
• Doubt
• Dreamgirls
• Fly by Night
• Hairspray
• Jersey Boys: Made in 2005 and got a 2016 movie adaptation. It's about the career of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
• Kennedy's Children

Video Games

• 007: From Russia with Love: 2006 video Game adaptation of the 1963 film of the same name.
• BioShock, which despite being set in 1960 has a very 1930s feel to it.
• BioShock 2: Set in 1968, eight years after the previous game.
• The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, set in 1962.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops is primarily set in early 1968, though with the first mission set in 1961 and the next three in '63, as well as one Flash Back to late 1945.
• Dead Secret: Set in 1965.
• Deathwish Enforcers: Set in 1969.
• Destroy All Humans! 2: Set in 1969.
• Evil Genius: Set in an alternate 1960s.
• Five Nights at Candy's 3: The main game is set in 1962, while the post-night cutscenes are set in 1961.
• Gate Keepers: Set in an alternate 1969.
• Grand Prix Legends: The initial release consisted of most of the cars and tracks of the 1967 Formula One World Championship, set during that year. Later, mods were released with other F1 cars (and some tracks) during those years, as well as Can-Am, Sports Cars, and a few other disciplines/series of the time.
• Grand Theft Auto (Classic): Has two Expansion Packs that are both set in the United Kingdom during 1961 and 1969.
• Graviteam Tactics: Zhalanashkol is set in August 1969, during the Sino-Soviet border conflict.
• Hotel Dusk: Room 215: Set in 1979, but flashbacks to various points of this decade is integral to the plot.
• Iron Storm: Set in an alternate 1964.
• JFK: Reloaded: Set in November 22, 1963 during, well, you know.
• Girl Detective: Sweet Sixties
• Mafia III: Set in 1968.
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater: Set in 1964 during the Cold War.
• The New Order Last Days Of Europe: A Hearts of Iron IV mod set in an alternate 1962 where the world is locked in a three-way cold war between America, Germany, and Japan after the Axis won World War II. Soon, Germany plunges into outright civil war after the death of Adolf Hitler causes a Succession Crisis and things change for better or for worse.
• No One Lives Forever
• The Raven: 2013 game set in 1964.
• Rising Storm 2: Vietnam: Several maps are set in South Vietnam in the mid-late 60s during The Vietnam War.
• Ride to Hell: Retribution: Released in 2013, set in 1969.
• Street Rod: First game was released in 1989, set in the summer of 1963. The sequel was released in 1990 and set in the summer of 1969.
• Team Fortress 2: While its Myth Arc spans over a century, the main setting is your bog standard Black Comedy Spy Drama... filtered through the lens of an incredibly warped Raygun Gothic, Dieselpunk version of the late 1960s and early 1970s, featuring Mad Science, Magic, the supernatural, and anachronisms out the wazoo.
• We Happy Few: A world with an Alternate History set in the middle of the decade.
• Wolfenstein: The New Order: Set in a Nazi-occupied America in 1960, with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus pushing into 1961.

Web Animation

• Over The Hills. Made in the 2010s, set in the mid-1960s.

Web Comics

[[folder]]

• Though the graphic novel When Heaven Spits You Out is set primarily in the seventies, there are instances where the series flashes back to the early childhood of main character Ryan Hanson, who was born in 1960.

Western Animation

• Camp Lazlo appears to be set in this decade due to the technology and vintage style of the camps shown.

Works set and made during this time period (at least mostly, as some say The Sixties lasted until the early '70s):

Anime & Manga

• Himitsu no Akko-chan. Manga started in July 1962, Anime in January 1969.
• Cyborg 009. The Manga started in 1964, the Anime in April 1968.
• Sally the Witch. The Manga started in July 1966, the Anime in December, 1966.
• Kimba the White Lion. The Anime started in October, 1965.
• Speed Racer. The manga started in June 1966, the anime in April, 1967.
• Lupin III. Started as a manga character. First appeared in August, 1967.
• GeGeGe no Kitarō. The Manga started in 1966, as a reboot of the earlier Hakaba Kitarō. The anime adaptation(s) started in January 1968.
• Attack No. 1. Manga started in January 1968, Anime started in December 1969.
• Laughing Salesman. Manga started in 1968.
• Tiger Mask. Manga started in 1968, Anime started in October 1969.
• Sazae-san. Adaptation of the comic strip. Series started in October, 1969.

Comic Books

• Agent 327 (1967-1983) (2000-...)
• Although it actually started a few years earlier, The Silver Age of Comic Books mostly took place in the Sixties:
  • Marvel Comics got into superheroes in this era, and never looked back. With the exception of Captain America and Wolverine, practically every well-known Marvel character was created in this era, in comics written by Stan Lee, and drawn by either Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko. Characters dating from this era include: the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Mighty Thor, Iron Man, The Avengers, the X-Men, Daredevil and Doctor Strange, as well as most of their iconic villains. Lee's scripts created a number of the tropes still prevalent in comics today, loosely characterised as "superheroes with real problems".
  • Not to be outdone, DC Comics revived many of their characters in this era as well. The Barry Allen The Flash, Hal Jordan Green Lantern and Ray Palmer Atom were new characters sharing only the names and powersets of their predecessors (or in the Atom's case not even that), but many other DC characters were simply retooled for the new era, including their Long-Runners like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
• Tintin. Series started in 1929.
  • Tintin In Tibet (1960).
  • The Castafiore Emerald (1963).
  • Flight 714 (1968).
• Spirou & Fantasio. Series began in 1938.
• Superman. Series began in 1938.
  • How Luthor Met Superboy. Published in April, 1960.
  • Superman's Return to Krypton. Published in 1960.
  • "The Phantom Superboy". Published in April, 1961.
  • The Death of Superman (1961). Published in November, 1961.
  • The Last Days of Superman. Published in October, 1962.
  • The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Superman Blue. Published in July, 1963.
  • The Super-Revenge of Lex Luthor. Started in January, 1966.
  • The Leper from Krypton. Started in May, 1968.
• Tom Poes. Series began in 1941.
• Suske en Wiske. Series began in 1945.
• Blake and Mortimer. First appeared in 1946.
• Lucky Luke. Series began in 1947.
• Piet Pienter en Bert Bibber. Series began in 1950.
• Jommeke. Series began in 1955.
• Supergirl. First appeared in 1959.
  • Supergirl's Three Super Girl-Friends. Story published in May, 1961.
  • The Unknown Supergirl. Storyline started in July, 1961.
  • The Death of Luthor. Storyline published in March, 1962.
  • Supergirl's Greatest Challenge. Storyline published in April, 1962.
  • "The Super-Steed of Steel". Storyline started in September, 1962.
  • The Girl with the X-Ray Mind. Storyline started in December, 1962.
  • "Supergirl's Big Brother". Story published in August, 1963.
  • The Untold Story of Argo City. Storyline began in February, 1964.
  • Brainiac's Blitz: Story published in July, 1966.
  • The Supergirl-Batgirl Plot. Story published in September, 1967.
• Justice League of America. Debuted in February-March, 1960.
• Captain Atom/Allen Adam. First appeared in March, 1960.
• Mickey Mouse Comic Universe
  • Trudy Van Tubb. First appeared in March, 1960.
  • Dangerous Dan McBoo and Idgit the Midget. First appeared in October, 1966.
• Elongated Man. First appeared in April, 1960.
• Buster started May 1960.
• Disney Ducks Comic Universe:
  • Brigitta MacBridge. First appeared in July, 1960.
  • Jubal Pomp. First appeared in February, 1961.
  • Ludwig von Drake. First appeared in September, 1961. In both comics and Animation.
  • Magica De Spell. First appeared in December, 1961.
  • Ms. Emily Quackfaster. First appeared in December, 1961.
  • John D. Rockerduck. First appeared in December, 1961.
  • Fethry Duck. First appeared in August, 1964.
  • Emil Eagle. First appeared in April, 1966. Joined the Mickey Mouse Comic Universe in March, 1968.
• Benoit Brisefer. First appeared in December, 1960.
• Hawkman
  • The Pre-Hawkworld version of Hawkman/Katar Hol. First appeared in February/March, 1961.
  • The Pre-Hawkworld version of Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl/Shayera Hol. First appeared in February/March, 1961.
• Batgirl
  • Bat-Girl/Betty Kane. First appeared in April, 1961.
  • Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. First appeared in January, 1967.
• Sinestro. First appeared in August, 1961.
• The Atom/Ray Palmer. First appeared in September, 1961.
• Marvel Universe. The "modern" incarnation of it was launched in November, 1961.
  • Fantastic Four. First appeared in November, 1961.
    • Mister Fantastic. First appeared in November, 1961.
    • Invisible Woman. First appeared in November, 1961.
    • Human Torch. First appeared in November, 1961.
    • The Thing. First appeared in November, 1961.
• Ant-Man
  • Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym. First appeared in January, 1962.
  • Hank Pym assumed the Ant-Man identity in September, 1962.
• Metal Men. Debuted in March-April, 1962.
• Archie Comics
  • "Big" Ethel Muggs. Debuted in May, 1962.
• The Incredible Hulk. First appeared in May, 1962.
• Doctor Doom. First appeared in July, 1962.
• Spider-Man. First appeared in August, 1962.
  • The Spider-Man franchise also started in this decade, with the first animated adaptation.
  • Doctor Octopus. First appeared in July, 1963.
  • Mysterio. First appeared in June, 1964.
  • Norman Osborn
    • Green Goblin. First appeared in July, 1964.
    • The face of Norman Osborn, first appeared in April, 1965. The character remained unnamed.
    • Norman Osborn received his name in June, 1966.
    • Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin were revealed to be the same person in September, 1966.
  • Kraven the Hunter: First appeared in August 1964.
  • Mary Jane Watson: First mentioned in August 1964, but first made a proper appearance in November 1966.
  • Scorpion: First appeared in December 1964.
  • Gwen Stacy: First appeared in December 1965.
• The Mighty Thor by Marvel Comics. First appeared in August, 1962.
• Doctor Solar. First appeared in October, 1962.
• Loki. First appeared in October, 1962.
• Sabrina the Teenage Witch. First appeared in October, 1962.
• The Steel Claw. First appeared in October, 1962.
• Diabolik. First appeared in November, 1962.
• Josie And The Pussy Cats
  • Josie McCoy. First appeared in Winter, 1962.
  • Melody Valentine.First appeared in Winter, 1962.
  • Alexander "Alex" Cabot III. First appeared in February, 1963.
  • Alexandra Cabot. First appeared in September, 1964.
  • Alan M. Mayberry. First appeared in August, 1969.
  • Valerie Brown. First appeared in December, 1969.
• Iron Man. First appeared in March, 1963.
• Doom Patrol. First appeared in June, 1963.
• The Wasp/Janet van Dyne. First appeared in June, 1963.
• Doctor Strange. First appeared in July, 1963.
• The Avengers. First appeared in September, 1963.
• X-Men. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Uncanny X-Men. Series started in September, 1963.
  • Beast. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Cyclops. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Iceman. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Jean Grey. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Warren Worthington III. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Professor X. First appeared in September, 1963.
  • Magneto. First appeared in September, 1963.
• Walter Melon. First appeared in November, 1963.
• Quicksilver. First appeared in March, 1964.
• Scarlet Witch. First appeared in March, 1964.
• Hela. First appeared in March, 1964.
• Lady Sif. First appeared in March, 1964.
• Black Widow. First appeared in April, 1964.
• Daredevil. First appeared in April, 1964.
• Blue Beetle
  • A new version of Dan Garrett, revamped from a cop to an archaeologist. First appeared in June, 1964.
  • Blue Beetle II/Ted Kord. First appeared in November, 1966).
• Teen Titans. Debuted in July, 1964.
• Mighty Samson. First published in July, 1964.
• Hawkeye. First appeared in September, 1964.
• Wonder Man. First appeared in October, 1964.
• Zatanna. First appeared in October-November, 1964.
• Sarge Steel. First appeared in December, 1964.
• Ric Hochet, First published in 1955. Debuted in 1964 in albums.
• The Spider. First appeared June, 1965.
• Hercules by Marvel Comics. First appeared in October, 1965.
• Hydra. First appeared in August, 1965.
• S.H.I.E.L.D.. First appeared in August, 1965.
• Animal Man. First appeared in September, 1965.
• T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. First appeared in November, 1965.
• The Inhumans. First appeared in December, 1965.
  • Medusa. First appeared in March, 1965.
  • Gorgon. First appeared in November, 1965.
  • Black Bolt. First appeared in December 1965.
  • Karnak. First appeared in December 1965.
  • The rest of the prominent Inhumans first appeared in December, 1965.
• Dial H for Hero. Series started in January, 1966.
• Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt. Series started in January, 1966.
• Agent 13. First appeared in March, 1966.
• Peggy Carter. First appeared in May, 1966.
• Galactus. First appeared in March, 1966.
• Silver Surfer. First appeared in March, 1966.
• Black Panther. First appeared in July, 1966.
• Peacemaker. First appeared in November, 1966.
• Hunter's Hellcats. First appeared in March, 1967.
• The Question. First appeared in June, 1967.
• The Kingpin. First appeared in July, 1967.
• "Him". First appeared in September, 1967. He was eventually reinvented as Adam Warlock.
• M.O.D.O.K.. First appeared in September, 1967.
• Nightshade. First appeared in September, 1967.
• Deadman. First appeared in October, 1967.
• Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell). First appeared in December, 1967.
• Black Knight (Dane Whitman). First appeared in December, 1967.
• Green Lantern
  • Green Lantern (1960). Series began August, 1960.
  • Guy Gardner. First appeared in March, 1968.
• Carol Danvers. First appeared in March, 1968. She would become better known as Ms. Marvel.
• Poison Ivy. First appeared in June, 1966.
• The Creeper. First appeared in April, 1968.
• Cubitus. First appeared in April, 1968.
• Motu Patlu. Began publication in the magazine Lotpot in 1969.
• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. First appeared in May, 1968.
• Ultron. First appeared in July, 1968.
• Red Tornado/"John Smith". First appeared in August, 1968.
• Angel and the Ape. First appeared in September, 1968.
• Polaris. First appeared in October, 1968.
• The Vision. First appeared in October, 1968.
• Mephisto. First appearance in December, 1968.
• The Falcon. First appeared in September, 1969.
• Vampirella. First appeared in September, 1969.
• Whizzer and Chips. Magazine launched in October, 1969.

Comic Strips

• Paulus de Boskabouter. Series began in 1946.
• Nero . Series began in 1947.
• The Family Circus. First appeared in February, 1960.
• Spy vs. Spy. Characters debuted in January, 1961.
• Apartment 3-G. First appeared in May, 1961.
• Sam's Strip. Ran from October, 1961 to June, 1963.
• Mafalda. Character created in 1962. Regular comic strip series debuted in September, 1964.
• Modesty Blaise. First appeared in May, 1963.
• The Wizard of Id. First appeared in November, 1964.
• Boner's Ark. First appeared in March, 1968.
• The Lockhorns. First appeared in September, 1968.
• Fred Basset. First appeared in July, 1963.

Eastern Animation

• Cheburashka
• Dziwne Przygody Koziolka Matolka
• Film, Film, Film
• The Key
• Mitten
• Nu, Pogodi!
• The Nut (1967)
• Piesek W Kratkę
• Przygody Gapiszona
• Reksio
• Town Musicians of Bremen
• Vinni Pukh
• Zaczarowany Olowek

Magazines

• Creepy Magazine. First published in 1964.
• Penthouse, First published in 1965.
• Reason, First published in 1968.

Music Genres That Started in the Sixties

• Afrobeat
• Alternative Rock. Started around 1965, with The Fugs as the first example.
• Arena Rock. Invented when the Beatles performed at Che Stadion in the USA.
• Baroque Pop.
• Boy Band.
• Blues Rock. Took off in 1960, when many old blues artists where rediscovered.
• The British Invasion. Begun by The Beatles' breakthrough in the United States.
• Bubblegum: A genre of Rock & Roll and Pop influenced by The British Invasion, Phil Spector's production style and Garage Rock.
• Funk
• Garage Rock. A musical genre created by teenagers influenced by The Beatles and other British Invasion bands.
• Girl Group
• Outsider Music. The oldest examples date from 1968.
• Progressive Rock. King Crimson's 1969 debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, is sometimes considered the Ur-Example of the genre.
• Proto Punk
• Psychedelic Rock. A genre that originated in the middle of the decade.
• Reggae. Began circa 1968.
• Ska. Flourished in Jamaica between 1962 and 1965.
• Space Rock
• Surf Rock
• Synth-Pop, created in 1966 by Perrey and Kingsley.

Pinball

• Mayfair (1966)
• Slick Chick (1963)

Professional Wrestling

• Abdullah the Butcher
• General Skandor Akbar. Debuted in 1963.
• Captain Lou Albano
• André the Giant. Debuted in 1964.
• Giant Baba. Debuted in 1960.
• Freddie Blassie
• Bobo Brazil
• Haystacks Calhoun
• The Crusher
• Dick the Bruiser
• James J Dillon: Debuted in 1963
• The Fabulous Moolah
• Jackie Fargo
• Ed "The Sheik" Farhat
• Pampero Firpo
• Dory Funk Jr.. Debuted in 1963.
• Terry Funk. Debuted in 1965.
• Giant Haystacks/Loch Ness. Debuted in 1967.
• Karl Gotch
• Eddie Graham.
• The Grand Wizard. Debuted in this decade.
• Bobby Heenan. Debuted in 1960.
• King Curtis Iaukea. Debuted in 1962.
• Paul Jones. Debuted in 1961.
• Ivan Koloff. Debuted in 1965, started the gimmick in 1967.
• Gene LeBell
• Mark Lewin
• Chief Wahoo McDaniel. Started wrestling in the football offseason, turned full-time by the end of the decade.
• The Missing Link. Debuted in the 1960s in Toronto as Dewey Robertson.
• Mr. Fuji. Debuted in 1965.
• Gorilla Monsoon
• Pedro Morales
• Harley Race. Debuted in 1960.
• Dusty Rhodes. Debuted in 1968.
• Pat Roach: Debuted in 1960.
• Antonino Rocca
• Johnny Rodz. Debuted in 1961.
• "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
• Gordon Solie. Started as an announcer in this decade.
• Stan Stasiak
• George Steele. Debuted in this decade.
• "Exotic" Adrian Street
• Lou Thesz
• Uncle Elmer
• Nikolai Volkoff. Debuted in 1967.
• The Bushwhackers. Debuted in 1964.
• The Fabulous Kangaroos
• Von Erich Family
• All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. Established in 1968.
• American Wrestling Association. Formed in 1960.

Puppet Shows

The Supermarionation series of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson began in this decade.

• Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
• Fireball XL5
• Joe 90
• Stingray
• Supercar
• The Secret Service (hybrid with live-action)
• Thunderbirds

Radio

• As It Happens
• The Firesign Theatre
• I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again (grew out of the Theatre revue Cambridge Circus)
• Round the Horne

Theatre

• Barefoot in the Park
• The Boys in the Band
• Don't Drink the Water
• Hair: The original Rock Opera musical, of course.
• The Odd Couple
• Promises, Promises
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Works made, but not set, during the sixties

Anime & Manga

• Astro Boy. Series started in 1963. Adaptation of the manga. Set in the Turn of the Millennium.
• Gigantor. Series started in 1963. Set in the Turn of the Millennium.
• Marine Boy. Series started in 1965. Set in The Future.
• Princess Knight. Series started in 1967. Set in a Medieval European Fantasy world.
• Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968). Film, set in Iron Age Scandinavia.

Card Games

• Thoth Tarot Deck (1969)

Comedy

• I Started Out as a Child (1964)
• Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America (1961)

Comic Books

• Iznogoud. First appeared in January, 1962. Set in the "Arabian Nights" Days.
• The Legion of Super-Heroes gained its own series in September, 1962. Set in The Future.
  • The Death of Lightning Lad. Storyline started in January, 1963. Set in the 30th century.
  • The Condemned Legionnaires. Story Published in October, 1963.
  • "The Unknown Legionnaire": Story published in July, 1965.
• Nick Fury. First appeared in May, 1963. His original series was set in World War II.
• Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. First appeared in May, 1963. Set in World War II.
• Enemy Ace. First appeared in February, 1965. Set in World War I.
• Judomaster. First appeared in November, 1965. Set in World War II.
• Unknown Soldier. First appeared in June, 1966. Set in World War II.
• Valérian. First appeared in November, 1967. This is a Time Travel series with no "present" setting.
• Les Tuniques Bleues. First appeared in August, 1968. Set in The American Civil War.
• Guardians of the Galaxy. First appeared in January, 1969. Set in The Future.
• Judge Colt. First appeared in November, 1969. Set in The Wild West.
• The Invaders. First appeared in December, 1969. Set in The '40s.

Eastern Animation

• Cossacks

Music

• 1776 by Sherman Edwards. Debuted in 1969.
• Tommy (The album, not the movie)
• Jesus Christ Superstar (original concept album released 1970)

Rides & Attractions

• Carousel of Progress (1964)
• The Enchanted Tiki Room (1963)
• The Haunted Mansion (1969)
• "it's a small world" (1964)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (1967)
• Studio Tour (1964)

Video Games

• Lunar Lander. The first version of the game was created in 1969.
• Space Travel. Created in 1969.
• Spacewar!. The first version of the game was created in 1962.

Theatre

• Marat/Sade (1963)

Theme Parks

• SeaWorld San Diego opened on March 21st, 1964.
• Six Flags Over Texas (the first of the chain) was founded on August 5th, 1961.
• Universal Studios Hollywood was made into a part-studio/part-theme park on July 15th, 1964.

Western Animation

• Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines
• The Dot and the Line
• The Flintstones
• The Jetsons
• The Jungle Book
• The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
• The Sword in the Stone
• Wacky Races

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If you can remember the 60s, you didn't live in them.

If you don't remember the '60s, you lived in them.

If you didn't live in the '60s, you remember them.

Therefore, only people who weren't alive in the '60s can remember the '60s.

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