14 Musical Acts From the 1960s That Are Still Touring

There aren't many careers that have the longevity of music. Though performing live music requires stamina, dexterity, and memory, there's a surprising number of popular musical acts formed decades ago that are still touring like young, hungry bands. There are plenty of artists who continue to be productive into their twilight years but their work schedules hardly compare to the grueling tours undertaken by some older musicians.

Musical acts like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons have been playing live continuously since before the Vietnam War. Bands like the Rolling Stones have battled addiction and destructive lifestyles while maintaining touring schedules that would make even the most road-tested band wince. Let's take a look at some of the musical acts from the 1960s that are still touring. Some will likely surprise you. (For disastrous concerts, learn about 10 live shows that took a tragic turn.)

To compile a list of musical acts from the 1960s that are still touring, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of entertainment, history, and music publications including HubPages, Rock'N'Roll Unravelled, and GQ Magazine. Next, we picked the biggest musical acts from the 1960s that still regularly hit the road and perform. From there, we confirmed aspects of our research, particularly tour dates, using sites like Britannica and various band websites. These include Ringo Starr's and Santana's official websites.

Even today, The Temptations are one of the most popular music groups. Formed in the late 1950s, the band scored their first hit with "Cloud Nine" in 1968. They followed with a string of increasingly successful songs including the No. 1 hit "My Girl," as well as "Just My Imagination" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." A core Motown Records act, The Temptations have weathered the shifts in decades and musical taste with ease. In the process, they've earned four Grammy Awards and induction into the R&B Music Hall of Fame.

Remarkably, The Temptations have kept touring the entire time. Their gigs have been sparser in recent years but they still make impressive showings around the world. In 2022, The Temptations released the album "Temptations 60," which suggests they don't plan on slowing down. Otis Williams is the only surviving original member of the band but he manages to put on great performances at age 82.

Ringo Starr made his name as the minimalist but innovative drummer for '60s phenoms The Beatles. During that time, he lent his unique vocals to several Beatles songs that grew into classics. Upon the band's demise in the early 1970s, Starr refused to rest on his laurels. Within a year, he released the single "It Don't Come Easy," with a series of critically acclaimed songs and albums that followed. He also gained a reputation for cultivating what he called "All Starr Bands," featuring legendary musicians like Billy Preston and Joe Walsh. Since embarking on a solo career, Starr has earned nine Grammy Awards. He remains one of the only people to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice.

Despite being 84 years old, Starr looks great and plays as well as he did in the '60s. Besides making regular television and movie appearances, he just announced a full-length country album slated to be released in January 2025. Though he just finished an American tour, Starr announced several live dates in Nashville, Tennessee, to coincide with the release of his new album.

The Four Seasons was formed in 1960 in Newark, New Jersey. By the time they became Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, they were one of the most popular music acts around. Their first No. 1 single was "Sherry" in 1962. They followed up with a series of hit songs like "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," and "Rag Doll." Though they played a style of music that fell out of favor with the explosion of rock 'n' roll, Franki Valli and The Four Seasons kept churning out songs well into the 1970s, racking up an incredible 71 chart hits in the process. Decades on, their music remains an audience favorite. So much so, that their story served as the basis for the immensely successful Broadway Musical, "Jersey Boys."

While lead singer Frankie Valli remains the only original member, the Four Seasons show no sign of slowing. What's more, Valli is 90 years old and still commands the stage wherever he goes. The Four Seasons still regularly tour, playing dozens of gigs per year.

Patti LaBelle first made her name as lead singer for the vocal group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. The group scored their first chart-topping single and crossover hit with "Down the Aisle" in 1963. After that, the group continued to find chart placement well into the 1970s with hits like "Lady Marmalade." When the Bluebelles split up in 1976, LaBelle embarked on a successful solo career.

In the process, she continued to release chart-topping hits, sold over 50 million records worldwide, and became known as the "Godmother of Soul." Besides music, LaBelle found success in the realm of acting with roles in Oscar-nominated films as well as countless television appearances. Though she's 80 years old now, LaBelle still tours with a schedule that would intimidate more youthful acts. Her schedule shows performances across the United States before the year's end.

After forming in 1961 in St. Albans, United Kingdom, The Zombies won a cash-prize battle of the bands' style competition sponsored by the London Evening News. This helped them secure a record contract and catalyzed the release of their first single, "She's Not There." While it peaked at No. 12 on the U.K. charts, it grew into a true hit stateside, reaching No. 2 and selling over a million copies. They followed up with other hit singles like "Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season." By the late '60s, The Zombies broke up after experiencing declining demand for live performances. Band members Ron Argent and Colin Blundstone, however, embarked on successful solo careers.

Over the following decades, members of The Zombies periodically reunited and played shows. Presumably spurred on by their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, Argent and Blundstone reunited in earnest. After announcing an extended world tour in 2021, the band took a rest before returning to full form in 2023. As of this writing, The Zombies are slated to perform in their hometown of St. Albans at the beginning of November.

You know you're a great guitarist when the band names itself after you. Such was the case for Carlos Santana and his band Santana, a legendary '60s act formed in San Francisco that pioneered a fusion between rock and Latin American jazz. After scoring their first hit with "Evil Ways" in 1969, the band followed up with songs like "Oye Como Va," "Black Magic Woman," and "Everything's Coming Our Way." The band went in a new direction in the '70s but Carlos continued to play with them and embarked on his incredibly successful solo career. After experiencing a resurgence in the late 1990s, Santana scored his biggest hit ever with "Supernatural" featuring Rob Thomas. He has won ten Grammy Awards and sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Despite changes in band lineup, musical direction, and tastes, Santana keeps chugging along without showing any signs of slowing. Now 77 years old, Santana maintains a residency at the Las Vegas House of Blues when he's not embarking on massive tours. His current touring schedule puts him in Las Vegas well into November.

Unlike other acts on this list, The Monkees originated from a television show. After answering an ad looking for four wild boys for a TV show, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Mickey Dolenz, and Michael Nesmithwere cast as The Monkees. Arguably the first manufactured boy band, The Monkees TV show debuted in 1966 and catapulted its members into stardom. They became one of the most popular acts of the '60s, scoring hits with "I'm a Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," and "Daydream Believer." In the process, they sold over 75 million records worldwide. Due to internal disputes and growing rumors surrounding their playing of instruments, The Monkees broke up in 1970.

By the late 1980s, however, The Monkees experienced something of a resurgence, and renewed interest in their music resulted in a 20th anniversary reunion tour. Since then, the band has periodically reformed and toured. Jones, Tork, and Nesmith have since passed away but Dolenz continues to carry The Monkees' torch. The reformed Monkees will play select dates on the East Coast in the next several months. (For other moments from the era, discover the top headlines from 1970.)

Not to be confused with The Four Seasons, vocal group The Four Tops found marked success in the 1960s and helped make Motown Records a household name. Backed by the innovative songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Four Tops scored several No. 1 hits including "I Can't Help Myself" and "Reach Out I'll Be There." Ranging in genre from soul and disco to swing and jazz, The Four Tops continued to crank out hits well into the 1980s.

Unlike other acts on this list, The Four Tops maintained a remarkable staying power for decades. Band members Levi Stubbs,Abdul "Duke" Fakir,Renaldo "Obie" Benson,andLawrence Payton continued playing together from 1953 until 1997. Though the final original member, Fakir, died earlier this year, a version of The Four Tops continues to play select gigs around the country.

No one changed the face of popular music quite like Bob Dylan. After emerging from the Greenwich Village folk scene, Dylan found early success with songs like "The Times Are-A Changin'" and "Blowin' in the Wind." As the '60s progressed, Dylan courted controversy but gained critical appreciation for his increasingly introspective and politically charged music. A true poster child of the era, Dylan embarked on a period of reclusion following a bad motorcycle accident in 1966. He came back in full form, however, earning countless accolades for his explorations of folk, country, and Americana soundscapes. Throughout his career, Dylan has released dozens of albums and sold over 125 million records. In 2016, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his songwriting.

Though an enigma in interviews, Dylan is anything but elusive when it comes to live performances. Since the late 1980s, he's continuously toured with a schedule that puts even emerging acts to shame. Incredibly, he's slated to perform almost every day for the next two months. Dylan is 83 years old but shows no sign of slowing down.

No band embodied the simultaneously destructive and transcendental power of rock 'n' roll quite like The Who. Formed in London in 1964 and comprised of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon, The Who found early success with the top 10 single "I Can't Explain." They followed up with a slew of hit songs, bestselling albums, and a reputation for fierce and wild live performances. From there, they embarked on a more experimental path, pioneering the rock opera with "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia."

After the untimely death of drummer Moon, the band faced some speedbumps. Presumably having grown weary of each other, The Who split up in 1983. Within two years, however, they briefly reunited for a lauded performance at 1985's Live Aid. When bassist Entwistle died in 2002, plans for a new album met delays until 2006. Since then, however, The Who continues to tour sporadically with surviving members Daltrey and Townshend.

While rock 'n' roll began to spread like a virus through popular music, one West Coast band drew on older music forms to find success. Formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, the Beach Boys were comprised of mostly family: brothers Dennis, Brian, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and a neighborhood friend named Al Jardine. Thanks to their mellifluous vocal harmonies, the band found early success with the song "Surfin' U.S.A."

They followed up with a plethora of top 10 singles including "California Girls," "Barbara Ann," and "Good Vibrations." In the process, they grew into true musical innovators, with bandleader Dennis Wilson being praised in particular. By the late '60s, the Beach Boys' commercial success began slipping. In the '70s, with Carl Wilson at the helm, the band embarked on a rebranding and met a growing demand for live shows. Still, they remain one of the most popular music acts of all time, having sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

Along the way, various members of the Beach Boys died, including Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998. Suffice it to say, rights over the Beach Boys' name remain complicated. After rights were ceded to Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine continued to tour as a separate entity while still being official members of the Beach Boys. To this day, Brian Wilson and Mike Love regularly play concerts featuring all the Beach Boys' hits.

William "Smokey" Robinson got his start in music as the founder and frontman of Motown group The Miracles. For nearly two decades, he led the band, which saw several chart-topping releases. In the mid-1970s, Robinson quit the band and became vice president of Motown Records. Yearning for music, Robinson returned to performing within a year, a role he has continued up until now. In the process, he gained a reputation as a true purveyor of the soul genre. For his musical success, Robinson has won Grammy Awards, a Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, Robison continued to release new music. His latest release, "Gasms," from 2023, features nine brand-new songs. Despite being 84 years old, Robinson looks better than ever. He is scheduled to perform over a dozen concerts around the country in the next six months.

After rock 'n' roll made serious headway into the music scene, bands like Deep Purple took the formula, revamped it, and pioneered increasingly intense sounds that gave way to genres like heavy metal. Formed in London in 1968, Deep Purple found their first success with a cover of Joe South's "Hush," which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. From there, the band released increasingly acclaimed albums and helped usher in the heavy metal explosion of the 1970s and '80s. Once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "globe's loudest band," Deep Purple has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

Over the decades, Deep Purple endured a series of lineup changes. In fact, they've had so many lineup changes that the band's career is noted by several eras ("Mark I-IV"). By 2002, however, the band solidified a lineup that has lasted well into the current day. Their first drummer Ian Paice remains the oldest original member. As of this writing, Deep Purple will be playing over a dozen shows around Europe throughout the next month.

No band has found early success and held onto it quite like The Rolling Stones. The band formed in 1962 in London, comprised of members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. At first, The Rolling Stones played mostly covers thanks to their love of early blues and Americana music. When the cultural phenomenon of the British Invasion hit in 1964, they became a poster child of the movement and became increasingly identified with counterculture. Once they started playing their own songs, they found runaway success with early No. 1 hits like "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Get Off of My Cloud," and "Paint It Black." The band explored increasingly psychedelic soundscapes as the '60s progressed but remained in the public eye.

When Jones died in 1969, the band replaced him with guitarist Mick Taylor. After that, they enjoyed increasing success throughout the 1970s with critically and commercially successful albums like "Sticky Fingers," "Exile on Main St.," and "Some Girls." Though they stopped putting out as much new music, The Rolling Stones remains one of, if not the bestselling live band in history. Indeed, by 2007 they had broken the record for the all-time highest-grossing concert tour three times. Furthermore, they have sold over 250 million records worldwide.

Despite living incredibly intense rock 'n' roll lifestyles rife with addiction, The Rolling Stones still put on incredible performances even with the band members now well into their 80s. While their future concert dates are unknown, The Rolling Stones just finished a 100-plus date worldwide tour. (For music made by family members, discover legendary family acts in the world of music.)