The results in this chart are not affiliated with any mainstream or commercial chart and may not reflect charts seen elsewhere. Now most famous for the combination of Ray Charles sample and Jamie Foxx impression that cooked up the gold dust for Kanye West’s stupendous ‘Gold Digger’ in 2005, ‘I Got A Woman’ itself takes inspiration from gospel song ‘It Must Be Jesus’, in the process marking out the territory for what would become soul music. Sometimes the best songs are the most simple. Last Updated: 2013-03-28. The walking bass and skipping keys found favour with the late 80s jazz vampires who sent it top 5 in the UK. It was co-written by nominal lead singer Pookie Hudson and Calvin Carter and its “doh-doh-doh” vocal rhythms often rear up on other records, including Pete Wingfield’s 1975 pastiche ‘Eighteen With A Bullet’ featured on the Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels soundtrack. Written by blues rock stalwarts Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, ‘A Teenager In Love’ found itself in the UK charts three times over in June 1959. If not rock ‘n’ roll’s calling card then a strong contender, this track’s been covered approximately 12,000 times, mostly notably by The Beatles for several years at the start of their career. One of the earliest records to explore distortion and feedback it’s also the song that invented the power chord, ensuring Townshend and Blackmore are forever in his debt. Decades after it was released, ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’ would be referred to as “David Lynch-esque”. Songs about specific dances comprise the majority of this list; songs on the subject of dancing are also included. Where’s it going? Still, his salsa-tinged instrumental lives on, a cheeky soundtrack to shenanigans the world over. Backed by ‘Hound Dog,’ the track became one of the biggest sellers of his career. They deserve their longevity with this meaty doo-wop stayer led by Fred Parris’s clearcut vocals and backed by rootsy, grainy sax. An early work of rock genius. The results in this chart are not affiliated with any mainstream or commercial chart and may not reflect charts seen elsewhere. Combining the boogie of Pete Johnson with Jelly Roll’s jazz and the piano virtuosity of Fats Domino, Huey Smith was a seminal r ‘n’ b pianist whose tunes heavily influenced early rock and roll. The Waltz and the Mambo each have five, followed by the Tango with three. After years of prom-friendly sweetness, here was a track that finally soundtrack the rampant, fiery nature of spurned love. ‘Cry Me A River’ made its big screen debut in Jayne Mansfield’s The Girl Can’t Help It, with London performing it as the sultry, unattainable siren. Already decades old before this version was recorded, ‘What A Diff’rence A Day Makes’ never tingled so much as when Washington gave it some of that Grammy-winning magic. But that’s not his fault. Top 100 Songs of the Decade: 1950-1959: These are the top 100 songs from the 1950s according to Dave’s Music Database. Being able to hear the songs can be helpful for people who don't always know the name of songs that they like or have heard. Think blues and you think Howlin Wolf and ‘Smokestack Lightnin’. Chart Hits mit Videos und Hörproben. Recorded by several obscure artists before and numerous big names after (from Little Richard, Eddie Cochran and Gerry & The Pacemakers to Elton John and Ten Years After), this raucous ditty was made most famous by Lewis, who less tinkles the ivories than spanks them remorselessly. Named after the Creole rice and meat dish, ‘Jambalaya’ has become one of ill-starred country singer Hank Williams’ most lasting tracks. His spry take on the song, released six months before his death from heart failure, remains definitive but well-known versions have been cut by Fats Domino and MOR legends The Carpenters. Featuring one of the dirtiest riffs this side of Jimmy Page’s fretboard, this is five minutes of low down, grungy, swampy blues at its best, Muddy Waters delivering his gravelly take on Willie Dixon’s classic, which incidentally refers to a provocative belly dance from the late nineteenth century. The Shirelles for the invention of the girl group. A brilliantly constructed couple of minutes it weaves frenetic harmonies, time signature changes and varied dynamics to irresistible effect. Goodnight Irene - Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers - 1950 Mona Lisa - Nat "King" Cole - 1950 Tammy - Debbie Reynolds - 1957 Venus - Frankie Avalon - 1959 Cathy's Clown - The Everly Brothers - 1960 Sherry - The 4 Seasons - 1962 Honey - Bobby Goldsboro - 1968 Wake Up Little Susie - The Everly Brothers - 1957 Diana - Paul Anka - 1957 It’s hard to believe but this track, Ray Charles’ first gold record, the one he finished every set with, one of the cuts that’s credited as kick-starting a small genre known as soul, a frisky nugget currently residing in the national recording registry, started life as an improvised thing at the end of a set. In the world of music, the 1950s is known as the birth of rock 'n' roll with hits like "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets dominating the airwaves.Aside from rock and roll, country music and folk music were also popular during this period, … Goodnight Irene. Habitually warring brothers Phil and Don regularly put aside their differences (or at least put them on ice for a couple of minutes) to record glorious close-harmony pop that influenced generations of bands from The Beatles to The Beach Boys to Simon & Garfunkel and beyond. Also credited to his band The Teen Kings just before The Big ‘O’ stepped into the spotlight once and for all, ‘Ooby Dooby’ is a lithe bit of trad rock’n’roll that convinced Sam Phillips to give Orbison his Sun Records break and introduced America to one of its finest pop voices. Patti Page, the biggest-selling female artist of the decade, did the honours. One of the unimpeachable dawn-of-rock standards, ‘Lucille’ was a smash on both sides of the Atlantic and has been butchered by artists ranging from hair-metallers Van Halen to rock’n’roll pasticheurs par excellence Mud. One of the rawest early rock tracks, Bo Diddley’s self-regarding jerker has been covered, ripped off and filleted repeatedly since. The world's defining voice in music and pop culture since 1952. Not bad for a tune about footwear. Reed’s pure voice and persuasive playing had a deep impact on the approaching rock’n’roll boom, particularly The Rolling Stones who covered ‘Honest I Do’ on their 1964 debut album. A meld of baby rock’n’roll and doo-wop, The Cadillacs’ ‘Speedoo’ was so called after their lead singer Earl Carroll’s nickname. Danny Rapp sustains his lead vocal over a breakneck couple of minutes, but it’s baritone Joe Terranova who steals the show. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Elvis may have the more popular version but nobody delivers ‘Hound Dog’ like the Mama; altering her inflections on every line she delivers by far the most captivating rendition. © 2021 NME is a member of the media division of BandLab Technologies. The 1950s marked the birth of rock’n’roll. Another one for Back To The Future – and Superman III and The Karate Kid II as the 80s went crazy disinterring early rock’n’roll era favourites – ‘Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)’ is an exquisite doo-wop pleasure written by Penguins baritone Curtis Williams that made the US top 10, the group’s only real success of note. The Top 100 R&B Singles of 1950. Bob Dylan’s favourite intrumental has been pilfered by Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Rodriguez (Roadracers), Spongebob and the Sopranos. Covered hundreds of times, from B.B. ‘C’mon Everybody’, with its motorik guitar foundations and raspy vocal from Cochran still stands up and was memorably covered in 1979 by Sid Vicious – another briefly burning rock’n’roller. The singles were tracked by international sales, radio airplay, social media mentions, website votes, jukebox plays and digital downloads. While it bizarrely only reached 49 in the UK charts it’s gone on to become a household classic. Holly And The Crickets created a penetrating slab of early, guitar driven blues. A simple blues-rockabilly shake-down which was enlivened by sprawling axe work from future guitar legend James Burton. Armed with an amazing rockabilly riff (so good that it was later covered by The Who), ‘Summertime Blues’ pulverizes with Cochran’s “gee, shucks” vocal style and jumping, speed demon rhythms. Still, it had the cash rolling in, which would explain The Five Satins’ continued existence. Nina Simone’s hepcat jazz cut was a cover of a number from the 1930 musical Whoopee! The book covers only the post-Rock and Roll charts of the decade (late 1955 through 1959), but includes the pre-rock style of hit songs that still charted regularly, if less so as time wore on. The 1950s was a decade of many firsts; seat belts were introduced in 1952, Disneyland opened in 1955, and NASA was founded in 1959. List of #1 Pop Singles for 1950. It lists every song that has ever entered the Top 100 Singles Chart in Australia since 1950. A sweet love letter to his darling full of earnest sentiment and unashamed admiration, this beautiful track saw Cooke shift from his gospel roots to a more soulful direction. Originally written for the 1934 film Dames, before being covered by Peggy Lee, the definitive version of this track was by the vocal harmony group The Flamingos. 1 That's Amore Dean Martin 1953 Oldies 2 Come Fly With Me Frank Sinatra 1958 Oldies 3 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley 1957 Oldies 4 I Walk The Line Johnny Cash 1956 Country 5 […] Banned from some extremely prudish radio stations on its release, due to its perceived suggestive content, this smooth pop ditty is two minutes flat of teenage high jinx and sweet harmonies that went on to garner the dubious accolade of being George Dubya’s favourite track. This was the first version, and inspired no less than six covers within a month of its release. An utterly tragic love story of two doomed lovers from rival American Indian tribes who drown in each other’s arms. Written as a pledge of marital devotion and penned as a ballad, it was producer Sam Phillips who suggested the breezy, arrangement. The original lyrics (“Tutti Frutti, good booty / If it don’t fit, don’t force it / You can grease it, make it easy”) were so, well fruity, they made ‘Relax’ seem like a Vera Lynn track. Few songs come spring-loaded with the amount of energy this tune packs. Hugely influential in the way it shaped the sound of the nascent rock and roll sound, the rudimentary blues contained within would later be appropriated by The Velvet Underground (who covered the track early in their career). The grubby fuzz that attached itself to the tinny twang of Burlison’s guitar lent ‘Train Kept A-Rollin” a roughneck danger that still sounds seedy and threatening five decades on. What'd I Say - Ray Charles 4. It was the soundtrack to the movie of the same name, Elvis’s third, and shook its hips to the top of the charts in the US and the UK. As introductions go, this was hard to beat. Chess brothers Leonard and Phil also helmed this Chuck Berry number, a riffing, jangling template that Berry would habitually plunder as he struggled to maintain his later career. LA vocal group The Platters made their name with this – their second and biggest hit, a US No.1 and UK No.5. “You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain / Too much love drives a man insane”. Taken from Big Al Pavlow's "The R&B Book: A Disc-History of Rhythm & Blues" (published in 1983). King and – well – how much time have you got? Easily one of the most recognisable cuts in the entire list, Valens’ adaption of a Mexican folk song is jam-packed with infectious refrains, classic guitar lines and monster drumming. The Everly’s celestial harmonies were goose bump inducing, and would later influence everyone from The Beatles to Fleetwood Mac. It sounded like a puffy white cloud floating in the sky. Parping sax and handclaps drove a kinetic track that earned a reputation as a crucial bridge between black music and white audiences, and it remains the calling card of a band that endures with Speedoo Carroll still upfront. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEl3UUl1Fmw. Over 80% of those songs have streaming audio which can be played as individual tracks or through one of the site's many jukeboxes or playlists. Lloyd Price hit the jackpot with his very first recording, an impassioned rock’n’roll stormer that puts all its heart into telling a young lady how fine she is. Marvin Junior’s baritone plays off Johnny Carter’s falsetto to form an easy, woozy slice of doo-wop that The Dells would revisit later, a 1969 soul re-tooling proving most successful. Source: _Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits_ compiled by Fred Bronson (c)1995. It also meant that it was just a matter of time before songs were written about them. From Jerry Lee to Goose and Maverick, this irrepresible dose of raw rock energy and serious piano abuse has been a stone cold classic for nearly 60 years. ‘I Hear You Knocking’ was another Dave Bartholomew composition (with Pearl King), adorned by Lewis’s rich soulful croon and the kind of barrelling piano that Domino would make his own, sadly stealing all of Lewis’s thunder. From its brassy train whistle to the evocative lyrics, few tunes encapsulate a sense of travel and wonder as this early ‘50s classic. But his delivery belied the lyrics, which rather unsettlingly suggested the creeping sense of an inescapable obsession. 100 best tracks of the ’50s – Spotify playlist. Deutsche und internationale Titel. One of the many tracks that’s been claimed as the first rock and roll record (alongside efforts from Fats Domino, Bill Haley, and Roy Brown), the Pelvis’ cover of blues singer Arthur Crudup’s ‘That’s All Right’ is certainly the one that broke him. Its skittering groove would underpin many of rock’n’roll’s dancefloor cuts, most dubiously Jive Bunny’s 1988 megamixes where the Big Bopper’s “Ooh, baby, that’s what I like!” provided regular punctuation. 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ2IJQy4iuM. 100 best tracks of the ’50s – Spotify playlist, http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1483850446001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAABumiUU~,CmZu1qzq0NyICxn2Vp-nk3_Z6ll_Smhf&bctid=1585785053001. The rolling rumble of bass and drums and the lo-fi guitar sound would influence everyone from The Beatles to Girls, while the simplicity of its chord structure provided that the most infectious tracks often came in seemingly basic packages – the effect of which would be seen until this day. Subsequently covered by everyone from Elvis Presley to Carl Perkins – and Bubba Sparks. Lee’s version might be the one everyone remembers but Little Willie John’s swinging soul take was a specialist US hit and million-seller in its own right. A cover of the bluesy Big Mama Thornton track, Elvis changed the track into hip-swiveling pound of rolling drums and grinding guitars that set teenage girls alight and made parents blush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twQNeIBGntg. He undermines his destitution with zany voices and jaunty rolling blues, and the song found a place in cinema posterity, popping up in 80s Brat Pack movies Diner and The Lost Boys. Top 100 Songs of 1950 Year: All Time 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 The Twist is the most popular of all dances, with ten hits represented. A perennial blues fave, ‘Don’t Start Me Talkin” was a self-penned hit for Williamson and housed a who’s who of blues heavyweights in its credits, including Willie Dixon on bass and Muddy Waters on guitar. Later recorded by The Rolling Stones and George Clinton, there’s a timeless carefree spirit about ‘Let The Good Times Roll’, which gives the whole thing a gentle ‘Happy Birthday’-like vibe. This page lists the top songs of 1950 in the source charts.The way that the various charts are combined to reach this final list is described on the in the site generation page.A list of the hit albums of 1950 is also available.. The mid 1950s saw the explosion of "Rock & Roll", dominating the music scene, at least in terms of revenue earned. She’d actually written the mesmeric ‘Freight Train’ when she was 12 – after 50 years in mothballs, it was soon covered by artists including country star Chet Atkins and folkie Joan Baez. Edited By: Bruce. As legend would have it, this track was penned by Williams about his first wife, but dictated to his second wife, whilst he was driving. A cover of a Doris Day standard, Nat King Cole’s version was a creamy confection of dream-like music covered in swathes of layered strings, over which Cole’s velvet voice floated. An air of otherworldly mystery hangs about this bluesy stomp. Welcome to my site! It was a beautiful duality. So begins the third greatest song of the entire decade and one of the best rock ‘n’ roll tracks ever. Tales of recording sessions happening in a state of inebriated revery and the track being banned for being too ‘cannibalistic’, and no wonder, Jay sounds like a cartoon villain as he intones the lyrics. An ancient 29 – and appearing years older – Haley nevertheless led a well-drilled band and he and his Comets toured incessantly to establish themselves as unexpected trailblazers. Vladimir Putin attempted it live last year – every time someone watches that rendition, a cat is tortured somewhere on the globe. Initially sung as ‘At The Bop’ to tie in with the latest dance moves, new name ‘At The Hop’ was suggested by American Bandstand presenter Dick Clark, immediately conjuring a readymade soundtrack for high school dances the nation over. Richard’s vocal was frazzled and spunky, half gospel apostle, half bar room holler as he told the story of Uncle John getting his ja-ja’s on with bald-headed Sally in a backstreet alley. Originally a Glenn Miller jazz standard from the early ‘40s, this classic was revived by Louis Armstrong at the end of the decade and reworked by Elvis Presley and Little Richard. Hard to believe sometimes that Cliff was once a genuine, lip-curling rock’n’roller, but ‘Move It!’ is a convincing start. Top songs of the 1950's is updated by the minute by Gigbuilder - The world's most popular … It made his legend. The filthiest thing to be released in all of 1956. The Top Songs from 1950 : Pop : Muddy Waters - "Rollin' Stone" Jamrock : Top 100 Songs of 1950 : Pop : Fats Domino - "The Fat Man" RateYourMusic.com : Top Singles of 1950 : Pop : Fats Domino - "The Fat Man" Play Music Trivia * If there are charts that belong on this page or there are links that no longer work, please contact Alaska Jim. This is a list of Billboard magazine's top popular songs of 1950 according to retail sales. Elvis had flustered teenagers all shook up, while the likes of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and the like were destroying the old safety nets with a virile, passionate new sound. This article is about the US number-one songs chart from 1950–1958. Rankings are based on the popularity of each song during the period of 1950 through 1969. It’s remarkable for its minimalist presentation, with London accompanied only by Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on double bass. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry 2. Where’s it coming from? Don’t be fooled, those Drifters soon became The Shadows, and they work up the dirty thrum behind Cliff’s still-polite but suitably snotty vocal. The list on this page is for all #1 hit Pop singles for 1950 … However, bands with votes for multiple songs were limited to two tracks each. Words by Matthew Horton, Tim Chester, Priya Elan. Another Elvis classic recorded for the movie Loving You, it was also laid down by rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson in ’60 and used on the soundtrack for Dead Poet’s Society. Music! Chuck Berry’s cut remains the set text, though. ‘Rock Me Baby’ is an essential part of any blues grounding, cropping up in the oeuvre of Jeff Beck and The Animals and on Otis Redding’s 1965 classic ‘Otis Blue’. You can credit (or, occasionally, blame?) This track was famously used as a key part of his gig routine, when a handler came out, covered Brown in a cape and escorted a seemingly overwrought Brown off-stage. As she follows her favourite band around the country, her “sweetness” oscillates between chats with her “mommy” and struggling with “the grown up blues.”. Jack White’s so enamoured with her he once covered another of her numbers, ‘Conquest’. These are the top 100 songs of all time.. Featuring lyrics by Redd Stewart (that’s Redd, not Rod) and music by Pee Wee King, ‘Tennessee Waltz’ was another popular track for entertainers in the fifties. Where the sound of street doo-wop met rock and roll, the precocious Harlem teen Lymon and his vocal harmony group The Teenagers sang with the type of honesty about teenage love angst which that only a (then) 15 year old could have known about . McKinley ‘Muddy Waters’ Morganfield wasn’t the first artist to record ‘Got My Mojo Working’ – that accolade goes to gospel singer Ann Cole – but as a blues pioneer his thundering version has set the standard and been covered by Elvis, Etta James, Canvey Island rockers Doctor Feelgood, fellow blues legend B.B. 1950 was certainly the year of the brother and sister acts. That riff, that piano, and that chorus – all packaged into a timeless track about rock ‘n’ roll itself. Although Cash’s music and career would inhabit darker, more complicated and ornate territory, the simplicity of ‘I Walk The Line’ is one of his most memorable moments. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley 3. Anton Karas. Here are the top 100 tracks from the decade that that sparked a musical revolution. The list on this page is for all #1 hit Pop singles for 1950 using proprietary methods. The Mills Brothers put four on this list, the Ames Brothers three, the Andrews Sisters two. Elizabeth Cotten got her belated break in 1957 at the grand old age of 62 when her shimmering guitar playing talents were finally spotted by the Seeger family. The list on this page is for all #1 hit R&B singles for 1950 using proprietary methods. 1. Top 400 Songs of the 1950s (a countdown) I have previously counted down the top 300 or top 500 songs of all of the decades in which I've lived, excepting of … 0-8230-7646-6 This list is odd. With two dozen people voting for more than 500 songs, we whittled the list down to the top 100 hits of the ‘60s. 1. Almost from the get-go it established the Canadian Anka as a mainstream crooner who continues to record and perform into his 70s. The reverend of the double entendre, Little Richard’s portrait of a good time “mama” is unforgettable. Covered by countless artists – Peggy Lee, Madonna, Beyoncé, funk don George Clinton, The Doors, you name ’em – Otis Blackwell and Eddie Cooley’s ‘Fever’ was originally recorded, reluctantly, by R&B warbler Little Willie John. With tremolo guitar from Chet Atkins, ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ is one of the decade’s more saccharine options, but proved how vital harmonies could be to a song’s DNA. These noble, traditional sentiments inspired huge swathes of artists to have a go too, tempting Elvis, The Beatles, Little Richard and – almost certainly definitively – the great Shakin’ Stevens in 1982. Eddie Cochran lived fast and died young in classic teen rebellion style but left a beautiful body of work to show for his two short years in the business. that appeared on her debut album but only made megahit status when it was used for a 1987 Chanel No.5 advert. Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1950. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XxGUIbYjmY. A showy and expansive number, ‘The Great Pretender’ inevitably found favour with Freddie Mercury who once more took it into the UK top 5 in 1987, out-camping The Platters no doubt but possibly not wringing out similar emotion. Here are the top 10 songs that defined the decade of the ’50s: 10. Jimmy Reed’s first US chart hit, ‘Honest I Do’ is a slow blues drawl featuring guitar and harmonica duelling from the man himself. Berry’s song follows one such rabid fan over a simple blues riff. Subsequently revived by all manner of crooners, from Michael Bolton (questionable) to Aretha (worth a listen). A gentle waltz that relied heaving on a mountainous orchestration, it showcased the vocal talents of doo-wop quintet. Dad of cult funk artist Shuggie, Johnny Otis was a bandleader and multi-instrumentalist who spent as much time discovering and nurturing new talent – Etta James for one – as making his own records. Inspired in part by a guy’s precious love for his suede shoes over the girl he was dancing with, Perkins’ big hit went on to sell a million records in the first three months (no mean feat in ’55) and climb the country, rhythm and blues, and pop charts simultaneously. Its position in history has become murky, but ‘Rocket 88’ has a fair claim to be the first rock’n’roll record – and it was credited to a group that barely existed. They were so lush in fact that you could forget that they were singing lines like “I feel like I could die”. The cad! Over a simple piano figure and a nursery rhyme like melody, these “good times” sound like they’re nothing more salacious than a game of Scrabble and some warm Ribena. Written and arranged by one Ike Turner, who turns in the rolling piano too, it was released on Chicago blues label Chess with singer Jackie Brenston taking all the glory and publishing cash. A 12-bar blues jaunt that was unlike no other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvKDr8AgvK8. Various versions have surfaced in the movies and on TV, sh-booming through Johnny Depp’s Cry-Baby and Patrick Swayze’s Roadhouse as well as appearing in Dennis Potter’s 50s pastiche Lipstick On Your Collar for the BBC. It would become a standard for any jazz/soul singer hoping to prove their chops, picked up by Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan and – naturally – Rod Stewart. Yes, the UK had its very own Elvis, for a time at least, and sent his debut single straight to No.2.