1 TELSTAR – TORNADOS (DECCA)
Written by the pioneering music producer Joe Meek to celebrate the launch of communications satellite Telstar 1, which had blasted into orbit atop a Thor-Delta rocket that summer, this otherworldly hit remains one of the most instantly recognisable tunes of the decade. A record that perfectly captured the global fascination for all things science fiction at the time, the single features the futuristic sound of a clavioline. Much like a Moog synthesizer, the instrument uses electronic circuitry to create a unique noise and it was this otherworldly element that helped rocket the single to the top of the charts where it sat for five weeks. It also made The Tornados, featuring bassist Heinz Burt, drummer Clem Cattini and guitarists George Bellamy and Alan Caddy, the first British pop group to conquer the Hot 100 in the United States, and the second UK instrumental of the year to make No.1 across the pond after Acker Bilk’s Stranger On The Shore.