(The Root) — The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the months surrounding the historic March on Washington in August 1963. These pop jingles, R&B tunes and girl anthems boomed out of transistor radios and filled dance halls. They provided an impromptu soundtrack to a period fraught with much transition, protest and activism.
'I Will Follow Him'
Little Peggy March (David Redfern/Getty Images)
"What do teenagers know about love?" people ask. A then 15-year-old Little Peggy March crooned about being devoted to her man.
'If You Wanna Be Happy'
Jimmy Soul (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Jimmy Soul cheerfully described how to be happy for the rest of your life.
'It's My Party'
Lesley Gore (Keystone/Getty Images)
Lesley Gore's anthem encouraged girls to express their emotions about their unfaithful boyfriends, singing, "You would cry, too/If it happened to you."
'Easier Said Than Done'
The Essex (GAB Archive/Redferns)
The Essex's only female member, Anita Humes, took the lead on this hit, singing about how acting on love can be difficult.
'So Much in Love'
The Tymes (Echoes/Redferns)
The Tymes' syrupy tune about being in love.
'Fingertips, Part 2'
Stevie Wonder (James Kriegsmann/Getty Images)
Motown Record's youngest act at the time, Little Stevie Wonder, performed this crowd pleaser with his famed harmonica in tow.
'He's So Fine'
The Chiffons (Gilles Petard/Redferns)
The Chiffons offered a tune for when lusting after eye candy: "He's so fine/I wish he were mine."
'She Loves You'
The Beatles (Popperfoto/Getty Images)
The Beatles, the world's leading teen heartthrobs at the time, chimed, "She loves you/Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
'Be My Baby'
The Ronettes (Fred Mott/Getty Images)
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