“Telstar” made The Tornados a US one-hit wonder after reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.
The instrumental was written and produced by Joe Meek and recorded by The Tornados, an English instrumental group. Its electronic sound effects and prominent keyboard melody were inspired by the futuristic excitement surrounding the Telstar communications satellite.
Telstar 1 was launched by AT&T and NASA in July 1962. The satellite transmitted television signals and telephone calls across the Atlantic, making it a powerful symbol of the space-age era.
The record became the first single by a British group to top the US Billboard Hot 100. The Tornados had additional success in Britain, but “Telstar” was their only American number-one hit and their defining international recording.