3 Classic Rock Singers From the 1960s Who Are Known by Just One Name

Whenever a new performer is preparing to hit the stage, there is always one question to answer: What will I call myself? A name can be important—but just how important? For some, all stage names are dumb until they aren’t. Others wonder, What’s in a name? A rose smells as sweet whatever you call it. Here below, we wanted to explore three times an artist got the name part right. We wanted to highlight three occasions when a concise moniker helped to lead the way for a career. Indeed, these are three classic rock singers from the 1960s who were known by just one name.

Elvis

January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley grew up to be the biggest name in music in the 1950s. That was thanks to several studio releases and soundtracks, including his self-titled debut LP. But while Presley released three albums in the 1950s, he released seven more studio LPs and more than a dozen film soundtracks in the 1960s. Indeed, while rockers like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were rising in the 1960s, the single-named solo artist Elvis was everywhere during the decade, too.

Donovan

Born May 10, 1946, in Scotland, the songwriter and performer Donovan Phillips Leitch was known strictly as Donovan. Because of his poetic, acoustic-driven rock style, Donovan was often compared to the American Bard, Bob Dylan, which is an unfair comparison no matter your talent among singers. Still, the artist fared well during his career. He released seven records in the 1960s and about two dozen more throughout his lengthy career, which is still going on today. In 2022, Donovan released his latest LP, Gaelia.

Santana

The Mexican-born songwriter and performer Carlos Santana rose to popularity first locally in the Bay Area. There, he worked and played and then nationally after his set during the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Indeed, after that wild, mind-bending performance, Carlos Santana was a star and he began to be known more simply as Santana. His debut studio, Santana, which he released in 1969, remains a classic amongst classic rock fans even now.

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