I Have modern versions of both Canoe & British Sterling.
Palmolive was one of the biggest brands
My father used Aqua Velva and Old Spice in the 60s when I was a kid, and I know they were around long before that. They were the drugstore/bathroom standards of that era. I remember English Leather from then as well. Every barbershop used Clubman and Bay Rum. There were some others I'm sure, but nothing close to the plethora of choices we enjoy today.
I think aqua velva and old spice are the classics. The Pinaud products were around, but I think of them as more of a barbershop brand. If you want to go in that direction, the most popular were probably clubman and lilac vegetal. Bay rum is another that I associate more with barbers than bathrooms, but the classic brands seem to be Pinaud, Masters, and Stephans.