• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

C.S. Elston

Worshipper, Husband, Author, Screenwriter, Home Cook, Fan

  • About C.S. Elston
  • Life of Elston
  • C.S. Elston Books
  • Contact

Some of My Favorite Music From 1960-1964

February 6, 2018 By C.S. Elston

Although it’s been a while, this is the third installment of the “Some of My Favorite Music” series. We’re heading into the 1960s now, which may very well be my favorite decade for music and I think it’s time to start splitting those decades in half. So, this time, I’ll be focusing on the 1960-1964.

Chuck Berry, songs: “Nadine (Is It You?),” “No Particular Place to Go,” “You Never Can Tell,” “Little Marie” and “Promised Land” (1964)

Ben E. King, songs: “This Magic Moment,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “I Count the Tears” and “Spanish Harlem” (1960,) “Stand by Me” and “Amor” (1961,) “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” (1962) and “I (Who Have Nothing)” (1963)

Johnny Cash, songs: “Seasons of My Heart” and “Second Honeymoon” (1960,) “The Rebel – Johnny Yuma” and “Tennessee Flat Top Box” (1961,) “The Big Battle,” “In the Jailhouse Now,” “Bonanza” and “Busted” (1962,)  “Ring of Fire” and “The Matador” (1963) “Understand Your Man” and “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” (1964)

Nat King Cole, songs: “Time and the River” (1960,) “Ramblin Rose,” “Dear Lonely Hearts” and “The Christmas Song” (1962,) “All Over the World,” “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer” and “That Sunday, That Summer” (1963) and “My True Carrie Love,” “I Don’t Want to Be Hurt Anymore” and “I Don’t Want to See Tomorrow” (1964)

Howlin’ Wolf, songs: “Spoonful” (1960,) “Wang-Dang Doodle,” “Goin’ Down Slow” and “The Red Rooster” (1961) and “I Ain’t Superstitious” (1962)

Etta James, songs: “All I Could Do Was Cry” and “My Dearest Darling” (1960,) “At Last,” “Trust in Me” and “Don’t Cry Baby” (1961,) “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and “Stop The Wedding” (1962,) “Pushover” (1963) and “Loving You More Every Day” (1964)

James Brown, songs: “I’ll Go Crazy,” “Think,” “You’ve Got the Power,” “This Old Heart” and “The Bells” (1960,) “Bewildered,” “I Don’t Mind,” “Baby You’re Right,” “Just You and Me, Darling” and “Lost Someone” (1961,) “Night Train,” “Shout and Shimmy,” “Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.” and “Three Hearts in a Tangle” (1962,) “Like a Baby,” “Prisoner of Love,” “These Foolish Things” and “Signed Sealed and Delivered” (1963) and “Oh Baby Don’t You Weep,” “Please, Please, Please” and “Have Mercy Baby” (1964)

Ray Charles, songs: “Let the Good Times Roll,” Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’,” “Just for a Thrill,” “Tell the Truth” and “Come Rain or Come Shine” (1960)

Sam Cooke, songs: “Wonderful World” and “Chain Gang” (1960,) “That’s It, I Quit, I’m Movin’ On” and “Cupid” (1961,) “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “Bring It on Home to Me,” “Having a Party,” “Nothing Can Change This Love,” “Somebody Have Mercy” and “Send Me Some Lovin’” (1962,) “Another Saturday Night,” “Frankie and Johnny” and “Little Red Rooster” (1963) and “Good News,” “Good Times,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “That’s Where It’s At,” “Cousin of Mine,” “Shake” and “A Change Is Gonna Come”

B.B. King, songs: “Sweet Sixteen, Pt. 1” and “Walking Dr. Bill” (1960,) “Someday” and “Peace of Mind” (1961,) “My Sometime Baby” (1962) and “How Blue Can You Get,” “Beautician Blues,” “Help the Poor,” “Rock Me Baby” and “Never Trust a Woman” (1964)

Elvis Presley, songs: “Stuck On You,” “Fame and Fortune,” “It’s Now or Never,” “A Mess of Blues,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and “I Gotta Know” (1960,) “Surrender,” “Lonely Man,” “Flaming Star,” “I Feel So Bad,” “Wind in the Country,” “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame,” “Little Sister” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961,) “Rock-A-Hula Baby,” “Good Luck Charm,” “Anything That’s Part of You,” “Follow That Dream,” “She’s Not You,” King of the Whole Wide World” and Return to Sender” (1962,) “One Broken Heart for Sale,” “(You’re The) Devil in Disguise,” “Bossa Nova Baby” and “Witchcraft” (1963) and “Kissin’ Cousins,” “It Hurts Me,” “Kiss Me Quick,” “What’d I Say,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “Such a Night,” “Ask Me” and “Ain’t That Loving You Baby” (1964)

The Shirelles, songs: “Tonight’s The Night” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960,) “Mama Said,” “A Thing of the Past,” “Big John (Ain’t You Gonna Marry Me)” and “Baby It’s You” (1961,) “Soldier Boy,” “Welcome Home, Baby,” “Stop the Music” and “Everybody Loves a Lover” (1962,) “Foolish Little Girl” and “Don’t Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye” (1963)

Nina Simone, songs: “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (1960) and “Trouble in Mind” (1961)

Ike & Tina Turner, songs: “A Fool in Love” (1960,) “I Idolize You” and “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” (1961,) “Poor Fool” and “Tra La La La La” (1962)

Jackie Wilson, songs: “A Woman, a Lover, a Friend,” “Night,” “Alone at Last,” “Doggin’ Around,” “Am I the Man” and “(You Were Made For) All My Love” (1960,) “My Empty Arms,” “The Tear of the Year” and “I’m Comin’ on Back to You” (1961) and “Baby Workout” (1963)

The Crystals, songs: “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)” (1961,) “Uptown,” “He’s a Rebel” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” (1962) and “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” and “Then He Kissed Me” (1963)

Del Shannon, song: “Runnaway” (1961)

The Beatles, songs: “My Bonnie” (1961,) “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love You” (1962,) “Please Please Me,” From Me to You,” “She Loves You,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” (1963) and “From Me to You,” “All My Loving,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout,” “You Can’t Do That,” “Do You Want to Know a Secret?,” “Thank You Girl,” Ain’t She Sweet,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “I’ll Cry Instead,” “And I Love Her,” “If I Fell,” “Matchbox” and “Slow Down”

Patsy Cline, songs: “I Fall to Pieces” and “Crazy” (1961,” “She’s Got You,” “When I Get Through with You,” “So Wrong” and “Heartaches” (1962) and “Leavin On Your Mind” (1963)

Marvin Gaye, songs: “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” and “Hitch Hike” (1962,) “Pride and Joy” and “Can I Get a Witness” (1963) and “You’re a Wonderful One,” “Once Upon a Time,” “What’s the Matter with You Baby,” “Try It Baby,” “Baby Don’t You Do It” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” (1964)

The Isley Brothers, song: “Twist & Shout” (1962)

Booker T. & the MG’s, song: “Green Onions” (1962)

Louis Armstrong, songs: “Mack the Knife” (1962) and “Hello, Dolly” (1964)

The Kingsmen, song: “Louie Louie” (1962)

The Rolling Stones, songs: “Come On” and “I Wanna Be Your Man” (1963) and “Not Fade Away,” “Tell Me,” “It’s All Over Now,” “Time Is on My Side,” “Little Red Rooster” and “Heart of Stone” (1964)

Martha and the Vandellas, songs: “Come and Get These Memories” and “Heat Wave” (1963) and “Quicksand,” “Live Wire” and “In My Lonely Room” (1964)

The Animals, song: “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964)

The Four Tops, songs: “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “Without the One You Love (Life’s Not Worth While)” (1964)

Little Richard, songs: “Crying in the Chapel” (1963) and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Goodnight Irene” and “Blueberry Hill” (1964)

The Kinks, song: “You Really Got Me” (1964)

The Righteous Brothers, song: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)

The Shangri-Las, songs: “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” “Leader of the Pack” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” (1964)

The Sonics, song: “The Witch” (1964)

The Supremes, songs: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love” and “Come See About Me” (1964)

The Zombies, song: “She’s Not There” (1964)

Well, now you probably understand why I decided to start cutting the decades in half. So much great music . . . And, so much more to come . . . After all, the early 1960s primarily continued the pop and rock ‘n’ roll trend of the 1950s but the second half of the 1960s would see the evolution of rock.

Filed Under: Blog, Home, Music Tagged With: (Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame, (You Were Made For) All My Love, (You’re The) Devil in Disguise, 1960, 1960-1964, 1960s, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, A Change Is Gonna Come, A Fool in Love, A Hard Day’s Night, A Mess of Blues, A Thing of the Past, A Woman a Lover a Friend, Ain’t She Sweet, Ain’t That Loving You Baby, All I Could Do Was Cry, All My Loving, All Over the World, Alone at Last, Am I the Man, And I Love Her, animals, Another Saturday Night, Anything That’s Part of You, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Ask Me, At Last, B.B. King, Baby Don’t You Do It, Baby I Need Your Loving, Baby It’s You, Baby Love, Baby Workout, Baby You’re Right, band, Beatles, Beautician Blues, Bewildered, Big John (Ain’t You Gonna Marry Me), Blueberry Hill, Bonanza, Booker T. & the MG’s, Bossa Nova Baby, Bring It on Home to Me, Busted, Can I Get a Witness, Can’t Buy Me Love, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Chain Gang, Chuck Berry, Come and Get These Memories, Come On, Come Rain or Come Shine, Come See About Me, country and western, country music, Cousin of Mine, Crazy, Crying in the Chapel, Cupid, Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home), Dear Lonely Hearts, Del Shannon, Do You Want to Know a Secret?, Doggin’ Around, Don’t Cry Baby, Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’, Don’t Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye, Elvis Presley, Etta James, Everybody Loves a Lover, Fab Four, Fame and Fortune, Flaming Star, Follow That Dream, Foolish Little Girl, four tops, Frankie and Johnny, From Me to You, Give Him a Great Big Kiss, Goin’ Down Slow, Good Luck Charm, Good News, Good Times, Goodnight Irene, Green Onions, Have Mercy Baby, Having a Party, He’s a Rebel, He’s Sure the Boy I Love, Heart of Stone, Heartaches, Heat Wave, Hello Dolly, Help the Poor, Hitch Hike, How Blue Can You Get, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), Howlin Wolf, I Ain’t Superstitious, I Don’t Mind, I Don’t Want to Be Hurt Anymore, I Don’t Want to See Tomorrow, I Fall to Pieces, I Feel So Bad, I Gotta Know, I Idolize You, I Saw Her Standing There, I Should Have Known Better, I Wanna Be Your Man, I Want to Hold Your Hand, I’ll Cry Instead, I’ll Go Crazy, I’m Comin’ on Back to You, If I Fell, Ike & Tina Turner, Ike and Turner, Ike Turner, In My Lonely Room, In the Jailhouse Now, Isley Brothers, It Hurts Me, It’s All Over Now, It’s Gonna Work Out Fine, It’s Now or Never, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Just for a Thrill, Just You and Me Darling, king of rock 'n' roll, King of the Whole Wide World, kingsmen, kinks, Kiss Me Quick, Kissin’ Cousins, Leader of the Pack, Leavin On Your Mind, Let the Good Times Roll, Like a Baby, Little Marie, Little Red Rooster, Little Richard, Little Sister, Live Wire, Lonely Man, Lost Someone, Louie Louie, Louis Armstrong, Love Me Do, Loving You More Every Day, Mack the Knife, Mama Said, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Mashed Potatoes U.S.A., Matchbox, Music, musical group, My Bonnie, My Dearest Darling, My Empty Arms, My Sometime Baby, My True Carrie Love, Nadine (Is It You?), Nat King Cole, Never Trust a Woman, Night, Night Train, Nina Simone, No Particular Place to Go, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, Not Fade Away, Nothing Can Change This Love, Oh Baby Don’t You Weep, Once Upon a Time, One Broken Heart for Sale, P.S. I Love You, Patsy Cline, Peace of Mind, Please, Please Please Me, Please Please Please, Poor Fool, Pride and Joy, Prisoner of Love, Promised Land, Pushover, Quicksand, Ramblin Rose, Ray Charles, Remember (Walking in the Sand), Return to Sender, righteous brothers, Ring of Fire, rock, rock 'n' roll, rock 'n' roll music, Rock Me Baby, Rock-A-Hula Baby, Roll Over Beethoven, rolling stones, Runnaway, Sam Cooke, Seasons of My Heart, Second Honeymoon, Send Me Some Lovin’, Shake, She Loves You, She’s Got You, She’s Not There, She’s Not You, Shirelles, Shout and Shimmy, Signed Sealed and Delivered, singer, Slow Down, So Wrong, Soldier Boy, Somebody Have Mercy, Someday, Something’s Got a Hold on Me, song, songs, sonics, Spoonful, Stop the Music, Stop The Wedding, Stubborn Kind of Fellow, Stuck On You, Such a Night, supremes, Surrender, Sweet Sixteen Pt. 1, Tell Me, Tell the Truth, Tennessee Flat Top Box, Tennessee Waltz, Thank You Girl, That Sunday That Summer, That’s It I Quit I’m Movin’ On, That’s Where It’s At, The Animals, The Ballad of Ira Hayes, the Beatles, The Bells, The Big Battle, The Christmas Song, The Crystals, The Four Tops, The House of the Rising Sun, The Isley Brothers, The Kingsmen, The Kinks, the man in black, The Matador, The Rebel - Johnny Yuma, The Red Rooster, The Righteous Brothers, The Rolling Stones, The Shangri-Las, The Shirelles, The Sonics, The Supremes, The Tear of the Year, The Witch, The Zombies, Then He Kissed Me, There’s No Other (Like My Baby), These Foolish Things, Think, This Old Heart, Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer, Three Hearts in a Tangle, Time and the River, Time Is on My Side, Tina Turner, Tonight’s The Night, Tra La La La La, Trouble in Mind, Trust in Me, Try It Baby, Twist & Shout, Twist and Shout, Twistin’ the Night Away, Understand Your Man, Uptown, Viva Las Vegas, Walking Dr. Bill, Wang-Dang Doodle, Welcome Home Baby, What’d I Say, What’s the Matter with You Baby, When I Get Through with You, Where Did Our Love Go, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Wind in the Country, Witchcraft, Without the One You Love (Life’s Not Worth While), Wonderful World, You Can’t Do That, You Never Can Tell, You Really Got Me, You’re a Wonderful One, You’ve Got the Power, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, zombies

Some of My Favorite Music From the 1950s

October 6, 2017 By C.S. Elston

 

This is the second installment of the “Some of My Favorite Music” series. This time, I’ll be focusing on the 1950s. It was a great decade for music, dominated by doo-wop, country and western, rockabilly, blues, swing, pop, rhythm and blues, and the adolescence of the emerging rock and roll scene that was born in the late 1940s.

Since the last post in this series ended up being something of a list in paragraph form, and the length is even greater this time around, I’m going to make the body of this one a straight up list with the occasional and (hopefully) interesting anecdote.

Patti Page, songs: “Tennessee Waltz” (1950,) “Would I Love You,” “Mockin’ Bird Hill” and “Mister and Mississippi” (1951,) “I Went to Your Wedding,” “You Belong to Me,” “Come What May” and “Once in a While” (1952,) “How Much is That Doggie in the Window” and “Changing Partners” (1953,) “Cross Over the Bridge” (1954,) “Allegheny Moon” (1956) and “Old Cape Cod” (1957.)

  • Page was the top-charting female vocalist and top-selling female artist of the 1950s.
  • In a six-decade career, she sold over 100 million records.

Hank Williams, songs: “I Just Don’t Like This Kind of Living,” Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” “Why Don’t You Love Me,” “They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me,” and “Moanin’ The Blues,” (1950,) “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Howlin’ at the Moon,” “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You,” “Hey Good Lookin’,” “Crazy Heart” and “Baby, We’re Really in Love” (1951,) “Honky Tonk Blues,” “Half as Much,” Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” “Settin’ the Woods on Fire” and “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive” (1952,) and posthumously, “Kaw-Liga,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” Take These Chains From My Heart” and “I Won’t Be Home No More” (1953.)

  • Williams delivered seven number one hits in a six-year career before his death at the age of 29.

Fats Domino, songs: “The Fat Man” (1950,) “Ain’t That A Shame” & “Blueberry Hill” (1956)

  • “The Fat Man,” technically recorded in late 1949, is largely considered the first rock and roll record to sell a million copies.

Johnny Otis, songs: “Double Crossing Blues,” “Mistrustin’ Blues,” & “Cupid’s Boogie” (1950,) and “Willie and the Hand Jive” (1958)

  • Otis also discovered many other successful artists including “Etta James, Johnny Ace, Little Willie John and Jackie Wilson.

Nat King Cole, songs: “Unforgettable” (1951,) “Pretend” (1953,) “Smile” (1954,) “A Blossom Fell” and “Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup” (1955) and “When I Fall in Love” (1956)

Elmore James, songs: “Dust My Broom” (1951,) “I Believe” (1953,) “Standing at the Crossroads” (1954,) “Dust My Blues” (1955) and “It Hurts Me Too” (1959)

Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm / Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats, song: “Rocket 88” (1951)

  • “Rocket 88” was originally credited to Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats and considered by many to be the first rock and roll record (still hotly debated by rock and roll historians) but, Ike Turner, who plays piano on the track, later disputed the matter, saying that it was he and his band with Jackie Brenston sitting in on vocals, and he won.

Ray Charles, songs: “Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand” (1951,) “Kissa Me Baby” (1952,) “Mess Around” (1953,) “I Got a Woman” (1954,) “Hallelujah I Love Her So” (1955,) “What’d I Say” (1959)

Howlin Wolf, songs: “How Many More Years” and “Monin’ at Midnight” (1951,) “Who Will Be Next” (1955) and “Smokestack Lightning” and “I Asked For Water” (1956)

Jonnie Ray, songs: “Cry” and “The Little White Cloud That Cried” (1951,) “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” (1952) and “Just Walkin’ in the Rain” (1956)

  • A pioneering figure in the development of rock and roll, Ray’s music was heavily influenced by both jazz and blues and seemed to alternate between R&B and classic pop.

B.B. King, songs: “3 O’Clock Blues” (1952,) “Every Day I Have the Blues” & (1955,) “Sweet Little Angel” & “Rock Me Baby” (1956)

  • King’s career began in 1949 with Bullet Records but his first number one single on the R&B chart was “3 O’Clock Blues.”

Lloyd Price, songs: “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” (1952,) “Stagger Lee” (1958,) “Personality” and “I’m Gonna Get Married” (1959)

Big Mama Thornton, song: “Hound Dog” (1952)

  • You’ll eventually notice that this song is on here twice. Elvis had the most popular version of it but, the original is arguably unbeatable.

Clarence “Frogman” Henry, song: “Ain’t Got No Home” (1952)

  • The R&B; song was featured in the movies “Diner,” “The Lost Boys” & “Casino”

Johnny Ace, songs: “My Song” (1952,) and “Pledging My Love” (1955)

  • “Pledging My Love” was a posthumous hit because Johnny had died weeks earlier due to a game of Russian Roulette gone wrong.

Junior Parker, song: “Mystery Train” (1953)

The Drifters, song: “Money Honey” (1953)

Muddy Waters, songs: “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Just Make Love To Me” and “I’m Ready” (1954,) “Mannish Boy” (1955,) “Trouble No More,” “Forty Days and Forty Nights,” and “Got My Mojo Working” (1956)

The Spaniels, song: “Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite” (1954)

Bill Haley & His Comets, songs: “Rock Around the Clock” and “Shake Rattle and Roll” (1954) and “See You Later, Alligator” (1956)

The Penguins, song: “Earth Angel” (1954)

Frank Sinatra, songs: “Young at Heart” (1954,) “Love and Marriage” (1955,) “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1956,) “All the Way” and the cover of the Rodgers and Hart show tune from the musical Babes In Arms “The Lady is a Tramp” (1957,) “Come Fly with Me” (1958,) and “Cheek to Cheek” (1959)

Dinah Washington, songs: “Teach Me Tonight” (1954,) “Unforgettable” & perhaps most importantly, her Grammy winning cover of “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes” (1959)

Elvis Presley, songs: “That’s All Right” (1954,) “I Forgot to Remember to Forget “ (1955,) “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender” (1956,) “Too Much,” “All Shook Up,” “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” and “Jailhouse Rock” (1957,) “Don’t,” “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” and “Hard Headed Woman” (1958) and “A Fool Such as I” (1959)

  • The King was told he would never make it as a singer and became one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century.

Sonny Boy Williamson, song: “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” (1955)

  • Williamson had blues heavyweights Willie Dixon on bass and Muddy Waters on guitar for this song.

The Platters, songs: “Only You” and “The Great Pretender” (1955)

Chuck Berry, songs: “Maybellene” (1955,) “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956,) “Rock and Roll Music” and “School Days” (1957,) “Johnny B. Goode” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958)

  • Berry is considered another rock and roll pioneer, having refined R&B into the major elements that distinguish rock and roll;
  • His guitar solos and showmanship influenced the future of rock and roll for generations that haven’t even been born yet;
  • “Maybellene” was an adaptation of a traditional country fiddle tune called “Ida Red” that was made famous in 1938 by Bob Willis and his Texas Playboys.

Jimmy Reed, songs: “You Don’t Have to Go” (1955,) “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby” and “You’ve Got Me Dizzy” (1956,) “Little Rain” & “Honest I Do” (1957,) “I’m Gonna Get My Baby” (1958)

  • Reed influenced many other musical acts including The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, The Animals, Neil Young, The Steve Miller Band and Elvis Presley.

Little Willie John, songs: “All Around the World” (1955) and “Need Your Love So Bad” and “Fever” (1956)

  • “Fever” has been covered by many artists including Peggy Lee, Madonna, Beyonce, George Clinton and The Doors.

Smiley Lewis, song: “I Hear You Knocking” (1955)

Bo Diddley, songs: “I’m a Man,” “Bo Diddley” and “Sixteen Tons” (1955,) “Who Do You Love?” and “Pretty Thing” (1956) and “Say Man” (1959)

  • Diddley was an R&B singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll;
  • He influenced artists such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Who, Jimi Hendrix and The Clash.

Julie London, song: “Cry Me a River” (1955)

The Cadillacs, songs: “Speedoo” (1955) and “Peek-A-Boo” (1958)

Little Richard, songs: “Tutti Frutti” (1955,) “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up” (1956,) “Lucille,” Jenny, Jenny,” and “Keep A-Knockin’” (1957,) “Good Golly, Miss Molly” (1958,) and “Whole Lotta Shakin’” (1959.)

  • Probably not even necessary to say this but, Little Richard was a rock and roll pioneer in both performance and music style – even performers like Elton John, Cee Lo Green and rockers like Kiss and Alice Cooper owe him some gratitude.

Johnny Cash, songs: “Hey Porter,” “Cry! Cry! Cry!,” “So Doggone Lonesome” and “Folsom Prison Blues” (1955,) “I Walk the Line,” “Get Rhythm” and “There You Go” (1956,) “Next in Line,” “Give My Love to Rose” and “Home of the Blues” (1957,)  “Ballad of a Teenage Queen,” “Big River,” “Guess Things Happen That Way,” “The Ways of a Woman in Love” and “All Over Again” (1958) and “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town,” “Frankie’s Man, Johnny,” “I Got Stripes” and “Little Drummer Boy” (1959)

The Dells, song: “Oh What a Night” (1956)

Carl Perkins, song: “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956)

  • This song, like “Hound Dog” before it, is another original that was also done by Elvis.

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, song: “Who Do Fools Fall in Love” (1956)

James Brown, songs: “Please, Please, Please” (1956) and “Try Me” (1958)

  • For the record, while I’m only listing two songs in the 1950s, the hardest working man in show business was just getting started.

The Five Satins, song: “In the Still of the Night” (1956)

  • The classic song has been covered by the likes of both Boyz II Men and Debbie Gibson;
  • It was also featured in Dirty Dancing and The Buddy Holly Story

Shirley & Lee, song: “Let the Good Times Roll” (1956)

Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps, songs: “Be-Bop-A-Lula” and “Bluejean Bop!” (1956,) “Lotta Lovin’” (1957) and “Dance to the Bop” (1958)

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, song: “I Put a Spell on You” (1956)

Miles Davis, albums: ’Round About Midnight (1957) and Kind of Blue (1959)

  • ’Round About Midnight was greeted with a lukewarm reception upon its release but has since been recognized as a masterpiece of the hard bop genre and one of the greatest jazz albums of all time;
  • Kind of Blue is considered by many to be Davis’ greatest album and features the songs “So What,” “All Blues” and the atypical subtle ballad “Blue in Green”)

Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio, song: “Train Kept A-Rollin’” (1956)

  • This song was originally recorded by jazz and R&B musician Tiny Bradshaw in 1951 but, this cover was a decidedly more guitar riff-driven rendition

Paul Anka, songs: “Diana” (1957,) “It’s Time to Cry” and “(All Of a Sudden) My Heart Sings” (1958)

Buddy Holly, songs: “That’ll Be the Day,” Peggy Sue,” “Everyday,” “Oh, boy!” and “Not Fade Away” (1957,) “Maybe Baby,” “Rave On,” “Think It Over,” “Early in the Morning,” “It’s So Easy,” “Real Wild Child” and “Heartbeat” (1958) and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” (1959)

Elizabeth Cotten, song: “Freight Train” – 1957

  • 50 years after she wrote it at the age of 12, Cotten finally got her song out there and had her time in the spotlight;
  • it was later covered by country star Chet Atkins and folk legend Joan Baez;
  • Cotten was a self-taught, left-handed guitar player who played a right-handed guitar upside down which gave her a unique, signature alternating bass sound that has since become known as “Cotten Picking”

Sam Cooke, songs: “You Send Me” (1957,) “Win Your Love For Me” (1958) and “Love You Most Of All,” “Everybody Likes To Cha Cha Cha,” “There, I’ve Said it Again” and “Only Sixteen” (1959)

Eddie Cochran, songs: “Twenty Flight Rock” and “Sittin’ in the Balcony” (1957) and “Summertime Blues” and “C’mon Everybody” (1958)

Huey “Piano” Smith and His Clowns, songs: “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” (1957,) “Don’t You Just Know It (1958) and “Sea Cruise” (1959)

The Teen Kings, song: “Ooby Dooby” (1957)

  • While this record peaked at 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, it sold 200,000 copies and introduced us to the sound of Roy Orbison who would explode onto the scene in the 1960’s.

Patsy Cline, song: “Walkin’ After Midnight” (1957)

  • That’s it for the fifties but she resurged in 1961.

The Coasters, song: “Searchin’” (1957,) “Yakety Yak” and “Charlie Brown” (1958) and “Along Came Jones” and “Poison Ivy” (1959)

Dale Hawkins, song: “Susie Q” (1957)

Link Wray, song: “Rumble” (1958)

  • Rumble was featured in the movie Pulp Fiction and is one of the earliest recordings to explore distortion and feedback;
  • Link Wray was ranked at number 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine;
  • Wray is the man who invented the power chord so, just about every modern rock guitarist owes him a thank you and, without him, we would never have gotten punk or heavy rock.

The Everly Brothers, songs: “Bye Bye Love” and “Wake Up Little Susie” (1957,) “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Bird Dog” and “Problems” (1958)

Jackie Wilson, songs: “Reet Petite” (1957) & “Lonely Teardrops (1958)

The Champs, song: “Tequila” – 1958

  • The Champs are a prime example of the one-hit-wonder but they delivered a Latin-tinged instrumental with serious staying power.

Danny & the Juniors, song: “At the Hop” (1958)

Ritchie Valens, songs: “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna” and “La Bamba” (1958)

  • Valens’ recording career only lasted eight months before he tragically died in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper

Jerry Lee Lewis, songs: Covers of “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Jambalaya,” “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Goodnight Irene,” as well as the original “High School Confidential” were all from his first, self-titled album in 1958; Other 1950’s hit singles included “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On” and “Great Balls of Fire” (1957,) and “Breathless” (1958)

The Shirelles, songs: “I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)” (1958) and their cover of “Dedicated to the One I Love” (1959)

Nina Simone, songs: “I Loves you, Porgy” & “My Baby Just Cares For Me” – 1958

  • Not unlike James Brown, the career of Nina Simone was just getting started.

Cliff Richard and The Shadows, song: “Move It” (1958)

  • This song is considered the UK’s first authentic rock and roll record.

The Big Bopper, song: “Chantilly Lace” (1958)

The Dave Brubeck Quartet, album: Time Out (1959)

  • This was the first jazz album to sell more than a million copies. It included the songs “Take Five,” “Blue Rondo a la Turk” and “Three to Get Ready.”

The Isley Brothers, song: “Shout” (1959)

Johnny Preston, song: “Running Bear” (1959)

The Flamingos, song: “I Only Have Eyes For You” (1959)

Dion & The Belmonts, song: “A Teenager in Love” (1959)

  • This pop group preceded their biggest hit with “I Wonder Why,” No One Knows,” & “Don’t Pitty Me;”
  • “A Teenager in Love” was followed up with “Where or When” & “That’s My Desire”

The 1950s came to a tragic end with an event that would later inspire the 1971 smash hit song “American Pie” by Don McLean. The song dubbed the event “the day the music died.” Buddy Holly, who had parted ways with the Crickets toward the end of 1958, had put together a band that consisted of Tommy Allsup, Carl Bunch and Waylon Jennings for his “Winter Dance Party” tour with opening acts Dion & The Belmonts, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. The long, cold bus rides between gigs had left several of the musicians sick and Holly decided to charter a plane.

Dion DiMucci was offered a seat but declined because he said that the $36 cost was too much because that’s what his parents paid for a month of rent in his childhood apartment. The Big Bopper had the flu so, Waylon Jennings gave up his seat for his sick colleague. Valens and Allsup flipped a coin for the final seat and Valens won.

The plane took off from Mason City Iowa at 12:55 am on February 3, 1959 under conditions of light snow, six miles of visibility and 20-30 mile-per-hour winds. Within minutes, radio contact had been lost. Later that morning, the owner of the charter company took off in another plane to retrace the flight path. He spotted the wreckage only six miles northwest of the airport.

Losing The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly was a tragic end to an excellent decade of music and we’ll never know what music we lost with them. However, we do know some of the music we were blessed with because of who did not wind up on that plane. Dion had not recorded “A Teenager in Love” yet and both he and Waylon Jennings were still meant to give us some excellent music in the decade ahead. In fact, for my money, the sixties were even better than the fifties. But, we’ll save that for a future post . . .

Filed Under: Blog, Home, Music Tagged With: (All Of a Sudden) My Heart Sings, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, 1950, 1950s, 1950s music, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1971, 3 O’Clock Blues, A Blossom Fell, A Fool Such as I, A Teenager in Love, adaptation, Ain’t Got No Home, Ain’t That A Shame, Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby, album, Alice Cooper, All Around the World, All I Have to Do Is Dream, All Over Again, All Shook Up, All the Way, Allegheny Moon, Along Came Jones, American Pie, artists, At the Hop, B.B. King, Babes In Arms, Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand, Baby We’re Really in Love, Ballad of a Teenage Queen, bass, Be-Bop-A-Lula, Beyonce, Big Mama Thornton, Big River, Bill Haley, Bill Haley & His Comets, billboard, Bird Dog, Blue Rondo a la Turk, Blue Suede Shoes, Blueberry Hill, Bluejean Bop!, Blues, blues music, Bo Diddley, Bob Willis and his Texas Playboys, Boyz II Men, Breathless, Buddy Holly, Bye Bye Love, C’mon Everybody, Capital Records, Carl Bunch, Casino, Cee Lo Green, Changing Partners, Chantilly Lace, Charlie Brown, Cheek to Cheek, Chess Records, Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry, Clarence Frogman Henry, Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Cold Cold Heart, Come Fly with Me, Come On Let’s Go, Come What May, Cotten Picking, country & western music, country and western, country and western music, country music, cover song, Crazy Heart, Cross Over the Bridge, cry cry cry, Cry Me a River, Cry The Little White Cloud That Cried, Cupid’s Boogie, Dale Hawkins, Dance to the Bop, Danny & the Juniors, Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup, Debbie Gibson, Dedicated to the One I Love, Diana, Dinah Washington, Diner, Dion, Dion & The Belmonts, Dirty Dancing, Don McLean, Don’t, Don’t Be Cruel, Don’t Pitty Me, Don’t Start Me Talkin’, Don’t Take Your Guns to Town, Don’t You Just Know It, Donna, doo-wop, doo-wop music, Double Crossing Blues, drums, Dust My Blues, Dust My Broom, Early in the Morning, Earth Angel, Eddie Cochran, Elizabeth Cotten, Elmore James, Elton John, Elvis, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Every Day I Have the Blues, Everybody Likes To Cha Cha Cha, Everyday, Fats Domino, favorite music, Fever, folk, folk music, Folsom Prison Blues, Forty Days and Forty Nights, Frank Sinatra, Frankie’s Man Johnny, Freight Train, Gene Vincent, Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps, George Clinton, Get Rhythm, Give My Love to Rose, Good Golly Miss Molly, Goodnight Irene, Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite, Got My Mojo Working, Grammy, Grateful Dead, Great Balls of Fire, greatest hits, Guess Things Happen That Way, guitar, guitarist, Half as Much, Hallelujah I Love Her So, Hank Williams, Hard Headed Woman, hard rock, Heartbeat, Heartbreak Hotel, heavy metal, Hey Good Lookin’, Hey Porter, High School Confidential, hit song, Home of the Blues, Honest I Do, Honky Tonk Blues, Hoochie Coochie Man, Hound Dog, How Many More Years, How Much is That Doggie in the Window, Howlin Wolf, Howlin’ at the Moon, Huey Piano Smith and His Clowns, I Asked For Water, I Believe, I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You, I Forgot to Remember to Forget, I Got a Woman, I Got Stripes, I Hear You Knocking, I Just Don’t Like This Kind of Living, I Loves you Porgy, I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde), I Only Have Eyes For You, I Put a Spell on You, I Walk the Line, I Want You I Need You I Love You, I Went to Your Wedding, I Won’t Be Home No More, I Wonder Why, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, I’m a Man, I’m Gonna Get Married, I’m Gonna Get My Baby, I’m Ready, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Ida Red, Ike Turner, Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, In the Still of the Night, It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, It Hurts Me Too, It’s So Easy, It’s Time to Cry, Jackie Brenston, Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats, Jackie Wilson, Jailhouse Rock, Jambalaya, James Brown, Jazz, Jenny Jenny, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Reed, Joan Baez, Johnny Ace, Johnny B. Goode, Johnny Burnette, Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio, Johnny Cash, Johnny Otis, Johnny Preston, Jonnie Ray, Julie London, Junior Parker, Just Make Love To Me, Just Walkin’ in the Rain, Kaw-Liga, Keep A-Knockin’, Kiss, Kissa Me Baby, La Bamba, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Let the Good Times Roll, Link Wray, Little Drummer Boy, Little Rain, Little Richard, Little Willie John, Lloyd Price, Lonely Teardrops, Long Gone Lonesome Blues, Long Tall Sally, Lotta Lovin’, Love and Marriage, Love Me Tender, Love You Most Of All, Lucille, Madonna, Mannish Boy, Maybe Baby, Maybellene, Mess Around, Mister and Mississippi, Mistrustin’ Blues, Moanin’ The Blues, Mockin' Bird Hill, Mocking Bird Hill, Money Honey, Monin’ at Midnight, Move It, movie soundtracks, movies, Muddy Waters, Music, music charts, musical, musician, My Baby Just Cares For Me, My Song, Mystery Train, Nat King Cole, Need Your Love So Bad, Neil Young, Next in Line, Nina Simone, No One Knows, Not Fade Away, number one hits, Oh boy!, Old Cape Cod, On the Bayou, Once in a While, one-hit-wonder, Only Sixteen, Only You, Ooby Dooby, original, origins, Patsy Cline, patti page, Paul Anka, Peek-A-Boo, Peggy Lee, Peggy Sue, performance, performer, Personality, pioneer, Please Please Please, Pledging My Love, Poison Ivy, pop, pop music, power chord, Pretend, Problems, Pulp Fiction, punk, punk rock, r&b, r&b music, Rave On, Ray Charles, Real Wild Child, Reet Petite, rhythm, rhythm & blues, rhythm & blues music, rhythm and blues, rhythm and blues music, Rip It Up, Ritchie Valens, rock, rock 'n' roll, rock 'n' roll music, rock & roll, rock & roll music, rock and roll, rock and roll music, Rock Around the Clock, Rock Me Baby, rock music, rockabilly, rockabilly music, rockers, Rocket 88, Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu, Rodgers and Hart, Roll Over Beethoven, Rolling Stone Magazine, Roy Orbison, Rumble, Running Bear, Russian Roulette, Sam Cooke, Say Man, School Days, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Sea Cruise, Searchin’, See You Later Alligator, Settin’ the Woods on Fire, Shake Rattle and Roll, Shirley & Lee, Shout, show tunes, showmanship, Sinatra, singer, Sittin’ in the Balcony, Sixteen Tons, Smile, Smiley Lewis, Smokestack Lightning, So Doggone Lonesome, song, songs, songwriter, Sonny Boy Williamson, soundtrack, soundtracks, speedoo, Stagger Lee, Standing at the Crossroads, Steve Miller Band, Summertime Blues, Sun Records, Susie Q, Sweet Little Angel, Sweet Little Sixteen, swing, swing music, Take Five, Take These Chains From My Heart, Teach Me Tonight, Tennessee Waltz, Tequila, That’ll Be the Day, That’s All Right, That’s My Desire, The Animals, the Beatles, The Big Bopper, The Buddy Holly Story, The Cadillacs, The Champs, The Clash, The Coasters, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Doors, The Drifters, The Everly Brothers, The Fat Man, The Five Satins, The Flamingos, The Great Pretender, the hardest working man in show business, The Isley Brothers, The Lady is a Tramp, The Lost Boys, the man in black, The Penguins, The Platters, The Rolling Stones, The Shirelles, The Spaniels, The Steve Miller Band, The Teen Kings, The Ways of a Woman in Love, the Who, There I’ve Said it Again, There You Go, They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me, Think It Over, Three to Get Ready, Time Out, Tiny Bradshaw, Tommy Allsup, Too Much, top-charting female vocalist 1950s, top-selling female artist of the 1950s, traditional, Train Kept A-Rollin', Trouble No More, Try Me, Tutti Frutti, Twenty Flight Rock, UK, Unforgettable, Wake Up Little Susie, Walkin’ After Midnight, Walkin’ My Baby Back Home, Waylon Jennings, Wear My Ring Around Your Neck, What a Diff’rence a Day Makes, What’d I Say, When I Fall in Love, When the Saints Go Marching In, Where or When, Who Do You Love Pretty Thing, Who Will Be Next, Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On, Whole Lotta Shakin’, Why Don’t You Love Me, Willie and the Hand Jive, Willie Dixon, Win Your Love For Me, Winter Dance Party, Would I Love You, Yakety Yak, You Belong to Me, You Don’t Have to Go, You Send Me, You’ve Got Me Dizzy, Young at Heart, Your Cheatin’ Heart

© 2023 C.S. Elston · Log in