THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE
1950s
As we are a
quarter of the way through the countdown, we begin a tribute to some discs that
deserve
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Although these songs are not directly related to rock
music, they each had a profound influence on the advent of the shift in popular
culture.
O
GOOD
ROCKIN’ TONIGHT
Wynonie
Harris
In the years before the existence of rock ‘n’
roll, Wynonie Harris had established himself as a blues shouter. During the
1940s, he became known as “Mr. Blues”. In 1948, he topped the R&B Chart
with a remake of Roy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. It is possibly the first
hit to refer to the burgeoning new genre of rock in its lyrics. Harris
influenced many other performers, including Elvis Presley who covered the song
in 1954.
O
SIXTY-MINUTE
MAN
The
Dominoes
The Dominoes was a vocal group recruited by
Billy Ward. Its line-up included Clyde McPhatter who would go on to find
greater fame as the first key lead singer of The Drifters. “Sixty-Minute Man”
spent 14 weeks at the top of the R&B Charts in 1951. Its verses are filled
with double entendre. The recording managed to bring together gospel and blues.
Not only did The Dominoes play an integral role in R&B, but the group paved
the way for rock ‘n’ roll.
O
I’M
YOUR HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
Muddy
Waters
The Delta met rock ‘n’ roll on “I’m Your
Hoochie Coochie Man” by Chicago blues guitarist Muddy Waters. He first recorded
the Willie Dixon song in 1952. Waters gave it a radical new treatment 2 years
later and reached #3 on th R&B Chart. This single propelled Dixon’s to a
higher profile as a songwriter. A deal was struck to credit Waters as its creator at the time. Bo Diddley based his own “I’m A Man” on this track.
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