Top Tunes of 1950's, !950's TOP SONGS,

THE TOP TUNES OF THE 1950'S
Billboard's Top Ten By Year

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1950

1. Daddy's Little Girl - Mills Brothers
2. Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole
3. Music! Music! Music! - Teresa Brewer
4. The Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
5. A Bushel and a Peck - Perry Como and Betty Hutton
6. Rag Mop - Ames Brothers
7. If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked A Cake - Eileen Barton
8. Harbor Lights - Sammy Kaye
9. Goodnight, Irene - Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers
10. I Wanna Be Loved - the Andrews Sisters

“Guys and Dolls” opened on Broadway in 1950.
Patti Page becomes the first artist to have a Number One record on the Pop, R&B and Country
charts concurrently.

1951

1. Mockingbird Hill - Patti Page
2. Cry - Johnny Ray
3. Too Young - Nat King Cole
4. Cold, Cold Heart - Tony Bennett
5. Come On-a My House - Rosemary Clooney
6. Because of You - Tony Bennett
7. Sentimental Journey - Les Brown & the Ames Brothers
8. That's My Boy - Stan Freburg
9. Be My Love - Mario Lanza
10. Sixty Minute Man - Billy Ward and His Dominoes

Johnny Ray, along with Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney helped establish Columbia Records
as the top recording company and Mitch Miller as the leading hit maker.
Singer Dinah Shore began her first tv show, "The Dinah Shore Show', in November on NBC-TV at 9
pm EST for Chevrolet ("See the USA in your Chevrolet")

1952

1. Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
2. Blues In the Night - Rosemary Clooney
3. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) - Frankie Lane
4. You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford
5. It's In The Book - Johnny Standley
6. A Guy Is A Guy - Doris Day
7. Please, Mister Sun - Johnny Ray
8. Wheel of Fortune - Kay Starr
9. Heart and Soul - Four Aces
10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Guy Mitchell

On March 21st, 1952 the first ever reported Rock and Roll riot breaks out at Alan “Mondog” Freed's
“Moondog Coronation Ball” in Cleveland, Ohio. Parents protest against this music of "satan."
On October 7, 1952 “Bob Horn's Bandstand” had its first broadcast on a local Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania station. It is later renamed “American Bandstand”. Horn, was replaced by Dick Clark,
after suffering severe injuries in an auto accident. Many stations had weekend "Record Hop"
programs that featured teens dancing to records. The first national tv program that featured
performers lip-syncing to records was "The Paul Dixon Show" from Cincinnati on the long gone
DuMont TV Network.

1953

1. That's Amore - Dean Martin
2. The Doggie In The Window - Patti Page
3. Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford
4. Your Cheatin' Heart - Hank Williams
5. Rags To Riches - Tony Bennett
6. I've Got The World On A String - Frank Sinatra
7. You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford
8. I Believe - Frankie Laine
9. South Of The Border - Frank Sinatra
10. Stranger In Paradise - Tony Bennett

Elvis first visit to a recording studio was in the summer of 1953 where he recorded "My Happiness"
and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin”.
Frank Sinatra began recording at Capital Records in 1953. He teamed with Nelson Riddle to create
the first themed or concept LPs, e.g. Songs For Young Lovers." Frank also won the Oscar for "Best
Supporting Actor" in the film "From Here To Eternity."

1954

1. Shake Rattle and Roll - Bill Haley and The Comets
2. Young At Heart - Frank Sinatra
3. Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) - The Crew-Cuts
4. Mambo Italiano - Rosemary Clooney
5. Mr Sandman - The Chordettes
6. Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight - Spaniels
7. Stranger In Paradise - Tony Martin
8. Three Coins In The Fountain - Al Alberts & Four Aces
9. Oh! My Papa - Eddie Fisher
10. Naughty Lady of Shady Lane - Ames Brothers

In 1954 Bill Haley and His Comets recorded the song “Rock Around the Clock”, which was later used
as the theme song for the movie “The Blackboard Jungle.
Two major events in Elvis Presley’s life happened in 1954. On July 5 he had his first commercial
recording session at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and on October 16 he made his first
appearance on a radio program in Shreveport, Louisiana called the Louisiana Hayride.

1955

1. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
2. Sincerely - the McGuire Sisters
3. Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
4. Sixteen Tons - Ernie 'Tennessee' Ford
5. Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing - Four Aces
6. The Yellow Rose of Texas - Mitch Miller
7. Ballad of Davey Crockett - Bill Hayes
8. Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams
9. Let Me Go Lover - Joan Weber
10. Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower) - Georgia Gibbs

On January 14, 1955, DJ Alan Freed, produces the first Rock N’ Roll concert in New York.
On October 15th, 1955 future star Buddy Holly opens for Elvis in a concert as part of a local duo
called “Buddy and Bob” (country performers!).
Other future legends that started their career this year were: Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Eddie
Cochran, Little Richard and jazz great John Coltrane.

1956

1. Don't Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
2. Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
3. Singing The Blues - Guy Mitchell
4. The Wayward Wind - Gogi Grant
5. Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
6. Rock and Roll Waltz - Kay Starr
7. The Poor People of Paris - Les Baxter
8. Memories Are Made Of this - Dean Martin
9. Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
10. My Prayer - the Platters

Buddy Holly's first recording session for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee on
January 26th, 1956.
On January 28, 1956.Elvis Presley debuts on national television on “The Dorsey Brothers Stage
Show” and then he signs a three picture deal with Paramount Pictures.
On July 9 1956 “American Bandstand” with Dick Clark debuts on the ABC-TV network at 3 pm EDT.

1957

1. All Shook Up - Elvis Presley
2. Love Letters In The Sand - Pat Boone
3. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
4. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley
5. April Love - Pat Boone
6. Young Love - Tab Hunter
7. Tammy - Debbie Reynolds
8. Honeycomb - Jimmie Rodgers
9. Wake Up Little Susie - the Everly Brothers
10. You Send Me - Sam Cooke

“Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será)” sung by Doris Day in the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The
Man Who Knew Too Much” wins the Academy Award for Best Song in 1957.
On January 6, 1957 Elvis Presley made his last appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, under the name “Tom and Jerry” begin their recording career with
Sid Prosen of Big Records.
On March 19, 1957 Elvis Presley purchases “Graceland” in Memphis, Tennessee.

1958

1. At The Hop - Danny and the Juniors
2. It's All In The Game - Tommy Edwards
3. The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
4. All I Have To Do Is Dream - the Everly Brothers
5. Tequila - the Champs
6. Don't - Elvis Presley
7. Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domentico Modugno
8. Sugartime - the Mcguire Sisters
9. He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands) - Laurie London
10. The Chipmonk Song - The Chipmonks

On March 24 1958 Elvis Presley enters the U.S. Army. The song "All The Way" from Frank Sinatra's
movie "The Joker is Wild" wins the Oscar for best song.

1959

1. Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin
2. The Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
3. Venus - Frankie Avalon
4. Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price
5. The Three Bells - The Browns
6. Lonely Boy - Paul Anka
7. Come Softly To Me - the Fleetwoods
8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - the Platters
9. Heartaches By The Number - Guy Mitchell
10. Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny
11. Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison
12. A Big Hunk O' Love - Elvis Presley
13. Mr. Blue - the Fleetwoods
14. Why - Frankie Avalon
15. The Happy Organ - Dave 'Baby' Cortez

On February 3rd, 1959 Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson “The Big
Bopper”, died in a plane crash in Iowa. This was called "The Day The Music Died."