6 of the 60s: 10/14/14 (1960)

On this week's 60's trip, I'll be serving up a half-dozen more nuggets from 1960, the year African nations Nigeria and Cameroon both gain independence from the United Kingdom...

Paul Anka - "Puppy Love"
from the album Paul Anka Sings His Big 15 (1959)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2
Songwriter: Paul Anka

The Canadian singer and songwriter, a true teen "idol" hadn't even turned 20 years old yet when he scored his sixth top-10 hit in America with his ladykiller.

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Anita Bryant - "Paper Roses"
from the album Hear Anita Bryant In Your Home Tonight (1960)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5
Songwriters: Fred Spielman, Janice Torre

Oh, Anita, I'm glad your alive to see the day when you self-immolating views on LGBT rights come full circle with the inevitable fall of the dominoes as marriage equality comes to America. I hope your festering soul of that era has mellowed in its old age and mulitple marriages.

Annette (Funicello) - "O Dio Mio"
from the album Italianette (1960)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10
Songwriters: Al Hoffman, Dick Manning

The teen star and former Mouseketeer goes back to her roots decades before we got Epcot.

Neil Sedaka - "You Mean Everything To Me"
from the album Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits (1961)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #17
Songwriters: Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka

The prolific songwriter landed a top-40 hit with both sides of the single with b-side "Run Samson Run" making the grade as well..

Bobby Darin - "Artificial Flowers"
from the album The Bobby Darin Story (1961)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #20
Songwriters: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick

Bobby was the best of the "idols", able to shift between pop and swing and traditional fare like no one since Sinatra.

Frankie Avalon - "Swingin' On A Rainbow"
from the album Swingin' On A Rainbow (1959)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #39
Songwriters: Peter DeAngelo, Bob Marcucci

Now for someone with less, erm, musical prowess, trying the same as Darin wasn't quite as successful..

Tomorrow I'll be back with 7 more from 1970...