200 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 1950s. This post: #130-121. Continues tomorrow.

Caffé Latté presents...

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE

1950s

Rhythm and blues, country and folk music were coming together to create the first rock and roll records. Cashed up youths started spending their money on the new genre. Radio exposed audiences to exciting new sounds and artists. Labels such as Sun, Atlantic and Chess began to flourish. The 1950s created a revolution with the arrival of rock music.

This countdown looks back on 200 recordings that had a lasting impact at the time, and- in most cases- beyond that decade. At the start of the 1950s, music was targeted to segregated audiences. Rock ‘n’ Roll was dismissed by many as a passing fad. By the end of the decade, rock was established as the dominant genre in popular music. These 200 sons form part of the soundtrack of rebellion…

130

DREAM LOVER

Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin's singles demonstrated his versatility across genres ranging from folk to jazz, pop and rock. "Dream Lover", issued in 1959, was a self-penned ballad that peaked at #2 in the United States and topped the British chart.

129

HONEY HUSH

Big Joe Turner

Big Joe Turner's first R&B #1 single was 1953's "Honey Hush". Written by the portly vocalist, the disc was issued on Atlantic Records. The label had a roster boasting several key R&B artists.

128

OH, BOY!

The Crickets

Buddy Holly and The Crickets made the Top 10 in both Britain and the U.S.A. with "Oh, Boy!" in 1957.

127

THREE CIGARETTES IN AN ASHTRAY

Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline influenced countless country singers in her wake. "Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray" is a heart-wrenching ballad issued in 1957.

126

VENUS

Frankie Avalon

Teen idol Frankie Avalon achieved his first US chart-topping single with "Venus" in 1959. The disc was one of the best selling songs of the decade.

125

FOOLS FALL IN LOVE

The Drifters

Johnny Moore performed lead vocals on the noteworthy tracks recorded by The Drifters in between Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King. The vocal group issued "Fools Fall In Love" in 1957 and watched it climb into the R&B Top 10. The single was written and produced by the Leiber & Stoller team.

124

ALL SHOOK UP

Elvis Presley

In 1957, "All Shook Up" topped the US Pop, R&B and Country charts. The single also became Elvis Presley's first #1 in Britain, after a pair of #2 discs.

123

STAGGER LEE

Lloyd Price

Also known as "Stagolee" and "Stack-O-Lee", "Stagger Lee" is a song about a real person: Lee Shelton. In 1895, the pimp and gambler killed a man named Billy Lyons. Lloyd Price covered the song which rose to #1 in 1958 in America and made the British Top 10.

122

I PUT A SPELL ON YOU

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin' Jack Hawkins used theatrics to augment his already influential vocal delivery. "I Put A Spell On You" was unleashed in 1956. Artists such as Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson followed in his wake.

121

COME TO ME

Marv Johnson

The first release by a fledgling company named Motown was "Come To Me" by Marv Johnson. Issued in 1959, the song was written by the singer with his boss Berry Gordy Jr. The label would go on to play a major role in the evolution of music in the 1960s. It all started with this debut release which climbed to #30 Pop and #6 R&B.

Check out the Caffé Latté 1950s playlist on spotify as new songs are added to coincide with each new update on this blog.