Mt. Brook Class of '55
Songs of '54 & '55
The "POP" music we listened to
“This was really the beginning of the R&R years. Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" is argued to be the first Pop Rock & Roll song to hit the charts. There were a number of R&B songs performed by black artists in the early 50's
that were very good songs. Particularly in the mid 50's however, these songs were "covered" by a white recording group. Many radio stations would only play white artist songs, so the cover songs sometimes made it much higher up the charts than the original black version. Most of us knew the difference and often would have to search around to find and buy a 45 RPM version of the "original" song.
But there were some songs that came out in late '55 and into '56 that just could NOT be properly "covered" by white groups and finally all the radio stations, by popular demand, started playing the original and best versions of the songs, no matter what the color of the group or singer. There certainly were no "cover versions" of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" that ever charted. The Hilltoppers version of "Only You" was a very good recording compared with the Platter's version. I have everything the Platters ever recorded, but I still like a few "cover" songs by the Hilltoppers best.
I have included Hit "POP" songs back to 1947 since we were hearing these in school. Also, in those days, songs stayed around a LONG time. When you bought an expensive 78 RPM record of the song, it tended to be played on the phonograph for a number of years into the future. Some I remember when I was 12 in 1952 that came out in 1947, and was shocked to learn it was five years earlier than when I most remembered hearing it. I guess it was one of my dad's favorites (my mother didn't fool much with the "Victrola" since she was not as handy with those electronic things and my father was in the Radio Business. Boy, didn't those 78's break easily. I remember them trying to play a favorite with a crack from the center hole to the outside. They taped it at the label to help old it together and the outer edge of the record, and it would play OK, except for a small "pop" you heard when it hit the crack every revolution. Later they did start making the "unbreakable" 78's on vinyl, and the rest of the vinyl legend is history with the 45's and LP's. That was good with a family with kids.
1954-1955 Greatest Hits
Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & The Comets
Love and Marriage - Frank Sinatra
Earth Angel - The Penguins
Ain't That A Shame - Fats Domino
Maybellene - Chuck Berry
Only You - The Platters
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
Same Old Saturday Night - Frank Sinatra
Memories Are Made Of This - Dean Martin
Yellow Rose Of Texas - Mitch Miller
Sincerely - Maguire Sisters
Learnin' The Blues - Frank Sinatra
Hearts Of Stone - Fontaine Sisters
Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams
The Ballad of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes
Tina Marie - Perry Como
Let Me Go Lover - Patti Page
Ain't That A Shame - Pat Boone
Unchained Melody - Les Baxter
Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford
Daddy-O - Bonnie Lou
Melody Of Love - Frank Sinatra & Ray Anthony
It's A Sin To Tell a Lie - Somethin' Smith and The Redheads
Tweedlee Dee - LaVern Baker
Dance With Me Henry - Georgia Gibbs
Good and Lonesome - Kay Starr
The Shifting Whispering Sands - Billy Vaughn
Whatever Lola Wants - Sarah Vaughn
I Hear You Knocking - Gale Storm
Suddenly There's A Valley - Jo Stafford
The Popcorn Song - Cliffie Stone
If I May - Nat King Cole
Teenage Prayer - Gale Storm
Seventeen - Boyd Bennett & His Rockets
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing - Four Aces
The Breeze And I - Caterina Valente
Are You Satisfied? - Rusty Draper
Unchained Melody - June Valli
Wake The Town and Tell The People - Les Baxter
The Bandit (O' Cangaceirno) - Eddie Barclay
Let Me Go Lover - Joan Weber
The Crazy Otto - Johnny Maddox
+++++++++++ other songs throughout the 54-55 years ++++
+++++++++++ There are some duplicates below of those above ++++++
THE NAUGHTY LADY OF SHADY LANE - AMES BROTHERS
DIM DIM THE LIGHTS - BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS
THAT'S ALL I WANT FROM YOU - JAYE P. MORGAN
MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE - SARAH VAUGHAN
THE NAUGHTY LADY OF SHADY LANE - ARCHIE BLEYER
HEARTS OF STONE - The CHARMS
LET ME GO LOVER - JOAN WEBER
MELODY OF LOVE - BILLY VAUGHN
LET ME GO, LOVER! - TERESA BREWER
LET ME GO, LOVER! - PATTI PAGE
NO MORE - DE JOHN SISTERS
LING TING TONG - FIVE KEYS
I LOVE YOU MADLY - FOUR COINS
MELODY OF LOVE - DAVID CARROLL & HIS ORCH
TWEEDLEE DEE - LAVERN BAKER
LING, TING, TONG - CHARMS
MELODY OF LOVE - FOUR ACES
MELODY OF LOVE - FRANK SINATRA
EARTH ANGEL -CREW-CUTS
TWEEDLE DEE - GEORGIA GIBBS
NO MORE - MCGUIRE SISTERS
PLEDGING MY LOVE - JOHNNY ACE
HOW IMPORTANT CAN IT BE - JONI JAMES
THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT - BILL HAYES
BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT - VOICES OF WALTER SCHUMANN
HOW IMPORTANT CAN IT BE? - SARAH VAUGHAN
THE SAND AND THE SEA - NAT KING COLE
DANGER! HEARTBREAK AHEAD - JAYE P. MORGAN
BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT - FESS PARKER
PLEDGING MY LOVE - TERESA BREWER
BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT - TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD
SINCERELY - MOONGLOWS
MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE - ANDY GRIFFITH
IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE - SOMETHIN' SMITH & THE REDHEADS
UNCHAINED MELODY - LES BAXTER & HIS ORCHESTRA
UNCHAINED MELODY - AL HIBBLER
THE BREEZE AND I - CATERINA VALENTE
UNCHAINED MELODY - ROY HAMILTON
WHATEVER LOLA WANTS - SARAH VAUGHAN
A BLOSSOM FELL - NAT KING COLE
MOST OF ALL - DON CORNELL
UNCHAINED MELODY - JUNE VALLI
WHATEVER LOLA WANTS - DINAH SHORE
HARD TO GET - GISELE MACKENZIE
A STORY UNTOLD - CREW-CUTS
AIN'T THAT A SHAME - PAT BOONE
LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME - LENA HORNE
HUMMINGBIRD - LES PAUL & MARY FORD
MY ONE SIN - NAT KING COLE
AIN'T THAT A SHAME - FATS DOMINO
I'LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU - DORIS DAY
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS - MITCH MILLER
WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE - LES BAXTER & HIS ORCHESTRA
THE POPCORN SONG - CLIFFIE STONE
BLACK DENIM TROUSERS - CHEERS
MAYBELLENE - CHUCK BERRY
AUTUMN LEAVES - ROGER WILLIAMS
GUM DROP - CREW-CUTS
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING - FOUR ACES
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER - FOUR LADS
HUMMING BIRD - FRANKIE LAINE
THE SHIFTING, WHISPERING SANDS - BILLY VAUGHN
THE SHIFTING, WHISPERING SANDS - RUSTY DRAPER
ONLY YOU - PLATTERS
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS - STAN FREBERG
ONLY YOU - HILLTOPPERS
YOU ARE MY LOVE - JONI JAMES
I HEAR YOU KNOCKING - GALE STORM
AT MY FRONT DOOR (CRAZY LITTLE MAMA)- PAT BOONE
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING - DON CORNELL
LOVE AND MARRIAGE - FRANK SINATRA
MY BOY - FLAT TOP - BOYD BENNETT & HIS ROCKETS
IT'S ALMOST TOMORROW - DREAM WEAVERS
SIXTEEN TONS - TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD
BLACK DENIM TROUSERS AND MOTORCYCLE BOOTS - VAUGHN MONROE
NO OTHER ARMS - PAT BOONE
DADDY O - FONTANE SISTERS
DADDY O - BONNIE LOU
DUNGAREE DOLL - EDDIE FISHER
AUTUMN LEAVES - STEVE ALLEN
MY BOY FLAT TOP - DOROTHY COLLINS
SIXTEEN TONS - JOHNNY DESMOND
CRY ME A RIVER - JULIE LONDON
MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS - DEAN MARTIN
IF YOU DON'T WANT MY LOVE - JAYE P. MORGAN
IT'S ALMOST TOMORROW - JO STAFFORD
THE GREAT PRETENDER - PLATTERS
IT'S ALMOST TOMORROW - SNOOKY LANSON
BAND OF GOLD - DON CHERRY
LOVE AND MARRIAGE - DINAH SHORE
THE TENDER TRAP - FRANK SINATRA
TEEN AGE PRAYER - GALE STORM
NUTTIN FOR XMAS - JOE WARD
BAND OF GOLD - KIT CARSON
WHITE CHRISTMAS - BING CROSBY
Young At Heart - Frank Sinatra
Naughty Lady of Shady Lane - Ames Brothers
Shake Rattle and Roll - Bill Haley and The Comets
Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) - The Crew-Cuts
Stranger In Paradise - Tony Martin
Mambo Italiano - Rosemary Clooney
Mr Sandman - The Chordettes
Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight - Spaniels
Three Coins In The Fountain - Al Alberts and Four Aces
Oh! My Papa - Eddie Fisher
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1953's Hit Pop Hits:
That's Amore - Dean Martin
South Of The Border - Frank Sinatra
Stranger In Paradise - Tony Bennett
The Doggie In The Window - Patti Page
I Believe - Frankie Laine
Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford
Your Cheatin' Heart - Hank Williams
I've Got The World On A String - Frank Sinatra
You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford
Rags To Riches - Tony Bennett
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1952's Hits:
Wheel of Fortune - Kay Starr
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
Blues In the Night - Rosemary Clooney
Please, Mister Sun - Johnny Ray
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Guy Mitchell
High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) - Frankie Lane
You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford
It's In The Book - Johnny Standley
A Guy Is A Guy - Doris Day
Heart and Soul - Four Aces
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1951's Hits:
Mockingbird Hill - Patti Page
Cry - Johnny Ray
Be My Love - Mario Lanza
Because of You - Tony Bennet
Too Young - Nat King Cole
Cold Cold Heart - Tony Bennet
Come On-a My House - Rosemary Clooney
Sixty Minute Man - Billy Ward and His Dominoes
Sentimental Journey - Les Brown & the Ames Brothers
That's My Boy - Stan Freburg
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1950's Hits:
Music! Music! Music! - Teresa Brewer
Daddy's Little Girl - Mills Brothers
I Wanna Be Loved - the Andrews Sisters
Rag Mop - Ames Brothers
Harbor Lights - Sammy Kaye
The Tennesse Waltz - Patti Page
A Bushel and a Peck - Perry Como and Lauren Hutton
Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole
If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked A Cake - Eileen Barton
Goodnight Irene - Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1949's Hits:
(Ghost) Riders In The Sky - Vaughn Monroe
You're Breaking My Heart - Vic Damone
"A" You're Adorable
Cruisin' Down the River
Mule Train - Frankie Laine
Some Enchanted Evening - Perry Como
That Lucky Old Sun - Frankie Laine
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon - Eddie "Piano" Miller
A Little Bird Told Me - Evelyn Knight
Forever and Ever - Russ Morgan
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1948's Hits:
Buttons and Bows - Dinah Shore
I've Got My Love To keep Me Warm - Les Brown
It's Magic - Doris Day
Nature Boy - Nat King Cole
I'm looking Over a Four Leaf Clover - Art Mooney
Sabre Dance Boogie - Freddy Martin
All I Want For Christmas is my Two Front Teeth - Spike Jones
Twelfth Street Rag - Pee Wee Hunt
Love Somebody - Buddy Clark
Manana (Is Soon Enogh For Me) - Peggy Lee
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1947's Hits:
Peg O My Heart - Buddy Clark
Mam'selle - Frank Sinatra
Wiffenpoof Song - Bing Crosby & Fred Waring
Too Fat Polka - Arthur Godfrey
Ballerina - Vaughn Monroe
Managua, Nicaragua - Guy Lombardo
One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie
Near You - Francis Craig
Linda - Ray Noble & Buddy Clark
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Disney
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
