The last year of the ’50s is upon us – the end of our first decade through musical history. Let’s see how it begins…
Songs of the month
“16 Candles” – Crests
“A Lover’s Question” – Clyde Mcphatter
“All American Boy” – Bill Parsons*
“Beep Beep” – Playmates
“Bimbombey” – Jimmie Rodgers
“Cannonball” – Duane Eddy
“Children’S Marching Song” – Cyril Stapleton*
“Donna” – Ritchie Valens
“Goodbye Baby” – Jack Scott
“Gotta Travel On” – Billy Grammer
“Hawaiian Wedding Song” – Andy Williams*
“I Cried A Tear” – Lavern Baker*
“I Got Stung” – Elvis Presley
“I’ll Wait For You” – Frankie Avalon
“It’s Only Make Believe” – Conway Twitty
“Lonely Teardrops” – Jackie Wilson
“Lonely Teenager” – Dion*
“Lonesome Town” – Ricky Nelson
“Love Is All We Need” – Tommy Edwards
“Love You Most Of All” – Sam Cooke
“Lucky Ladybug” – Billy And Lillie*
“Manhattan Spiritual” – Reg Owen Orchestra
“May You Always” – Mcguire Sisters*
“My Happiness” – Connie Francis
“My Heart Sings” – Paul Anka*
“Nobody But You” – Dee Clark*
“One Night” – Elvis Presley
“Peek-A-Boo” – Cadillacs*
“Peter Gunn” – Ray Anthony*
“Philadelphia Usa” – Nu Tornados
“Problems” – Everly Brothers
“Queen Of The Hop” – Bobby Darin
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” – Platters
“Stagger Lee” – Lloyd Price*
“That Old Black Magic” – Louis Prima And Keely Smith
“The Chipmunk Song” – Chipmunks & David Seville
“The Diary” – Neil Sedaka*
“The Little Drummer Boy” – Harry Simeon Chorale
“The Teen Commandments” – Paul Anka-George Hamilton Iv-Johnny Nash*
“To Know Him Is To Love Him” – Teddy Bears
“Tom Dooley” – Kingston Trio
“Whole Lotta Loving” – Fats Domino
* = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On January 4, 1959 the Luna 1 satellite became the first man-made object to enter into an orbit around the Sun, making it our solar system’s first artificial “planet”. But not by plan! Because the second-stage engine shutdown command from the Soviet space center was received slightly late, Luna 1 did not land on the Moon as planned, but passed within 5,965 kilometres before passing into heliocentric orbit. U.S. President Eisenhower congratulated Soviet scientist on achieving “a great stride forward in man’s advance into the infinite reaches of outer space”, while House leader John W. McCormack commented that “it is time America awoke to its peril”… kicking the cold war “Space Race” up a notch.
And then to end the month, on January 29th, Buena Vista Pictures released Walt Disney’s classic animated film Sleeping Beauty. America would continue to win the pop-culture wars for the rest of the century…
What’d Sadie think?
The year starts with two weeks at the top for Sadie’s favourite, the Chipmunks, with “The Chipmunk Song” at number 1. Before the Platters take the spot with “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”.
Loved ’em
I hope everyone was feeling OK back in 1959, but if the popcharts were anything to go by… they were lonely. No less than “Lonely Teardrops” , “Lonesome Town” and then chart newcomer, “Lonely Teenager” by Dion.
“My Heart Sings” is classic sappy Paul Anka but that doesn’t make it bad. “The Teen Commandments” (featuring George Hamilton Iv & Johnny Nash) is the second Paul Anka song in the charts and is it ever weird. It has a spoken word throughout which has these ten commandments, such as “At the first moment, turn away from unclean thinking at the first moment.” Doesn’t get more ’50s than that. Perhaps they were trying to undo all the stirring up of teenage hormones Elvis was causing.
“Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price is about the murder of Billy Lyons by pimp “Stag” Lee Shelton, in St. Louis, Missouri, at Christmas 1895. The song was first published in 1911 and first recorded in 1923, by Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians. This was the first charting version.
And in other storied songs we have “The Diary” by Neil Sedaka. Apparently he and his co-writer were inspired to write the song after asking for (and being refused) access to their client, singer, Connie Francis’s diary in hopes of mining it for lyrical material. Slightly creepy, but there we go.
How I’d like to look
Into that little book
The one that has the lock and key
And know the boy that you care for
The boy who’s in your diary
Liked ’em
- “All American Boy” – Bill Parsons
- “Hawaiian Wedding Song” – Andy Williams
- “I Cried A Tear” – Lavern Baker
- “May You Always” – Mcguire Sisters
- “Peek-A-Boo” – Cadillacs
- “Peter Gunn” – Ray Anthony
- “Nobody But You” – Dee Clark
Leave ’em
- “Children’s Marching Song” – Cyril Stapleton
- “Lucky Ladybug” – Billy And Lillie
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.