Inspired by the 1962 launch of the first telecommunications satellite, British music producer Joe Meek wrote this ode to the new frontier and got the popular instrumental band The Tornadoes to record it. Propelled by the chunky sound of a valve-driven organ called a clavioline, “Telstar” became an international hit, and was the first #1 pop song ever by a British band on the US music charts.
Despite these sterling credentials, however, we’ve chosen to include the version by proto-surf band The Ventures. Why? Because of the guitars, silly; if The Tornadoes captured the immediacy of the historic event, it was The Ventures that explored the future in a shimmering six-string style.
