If I understand your question correctly, you want to retrieve the first attached image to each post & use the thumbnail size, rather than parsing the content for embedded images & using timthumb?
If so, set your thumbnail size to the required size (60×60) in the media options page, make sure you’ve drag n dropped the attachments into the required order, then use the following code (note that I’m not a fan of query_posts, I much prefer using get_posts).
$args = array(
'meta_key' => 'views',
'orderby' => 'meta_value_num',
'order' => 'DESC',
'posts_per_page' => 9
);
$popular_posts = get_posts( $args );
if ( $popular_posts ) {
echo '<h2>Popular Posts</h2>';
echo '<ul>';
foreach ( $popular_posts as $popular_post ) {
$kids_args = array(
'post_parent' => $popular_post->ID,
'post_type' => 'attachment',
'post_status' => null,
'post_mime_type' => 'image',
'orderby' => 'menu_order',
'order' => 'ASC',
'posts_per_page' => 1
);
$kids = get_posts( $kids_args );
echo '<li>';
if ( $kids ) {
foreach ( $kids as $kid ) {
$img = wp_get_attachment_image_src( $kid->ID );
printf( '<a href="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s" title="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s"><img src="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s" width="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s" height="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s"></a>',
get_permalink( $popular_post->ID ),
esc_attr( get_the_title( $popular_post->ID ) ),
$img[0],
$img[1],
$img[2]
);
}
} else {
printf( '<a href="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s" title="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s"><img src="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s" width="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s" height="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/47354/%s"></a>',
get_permalink( $popular_post->ID ),
esc_attr( get_the_title( $popular_post->ID ) ),
get_bloginfo( 'template_url' ) . '/images/default.jpg',
60,
60
);
}
echo '</li>';
}
echo '</ul>';
}
I’m writing from memory, not in a position to test it now, so hopefully it works!