The article highlights three rock-and-roll songs from 1960 that it says remain especially familiar to baby boomers: Roy Orbison’s “Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)”, Dion’s “Lonely Teenager” and The Ventures’ “Walk, Don’t Run”. It presents them as examples of the period when rock and roll was developing towards the sound later known as classic rock, with Orbison’s vocal drama and The Ventures’ guitar-led style described as particularly influential.

– “Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)” reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped several UK charts.
– Dion’s “Lonely Teenager” peaked at number 12 on the US Hot 100.
– The Ventures’ instrumental “Walk, Don’t Run”, a reworking of Johnny Smith’s 1954 jazz-influenced composition, reached number two and was kept from the top spot by Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now Or Never”.