The 35 best songs of the 50s (top 50s hits) - music grotto (2023)

The 1950s was a time of upheaval in the music industry. Many genres developed, most notably rock and roll. Though the decade is no longer a living memory for most of us, these best songs of the 1950s are still widely recognized for their catchy tunes and influence on the development of 20th-century music.

1. Diana - Pablo Anka

The song "Diana" by Paul Anka wasinspired by a girl he met at his church. Released in 1957, the song was extremely popular in the US and UK, where it spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the charts. The sad song begs Diana to give him a chance and promises a wonderful future together. I guess life got pretty boring for someone named Diana in the late 1950s.

Next:The Best Male Singers of the 1950s (Complete List)

2. I walk the line - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash's song "I Walk The Line" is so well known that the song's title was reused for the 2005 film based on his life. The song, released in 1956,went to #1 on the chartsand it became one of the most famous songs of his career. The song exemplified Cash's signature "freight train" beat and was a promise of love to his first wife, Vivian Liberto.

Next:The Greatest Songs of All Time (Our Ultimate List of Popular Songs)

3. This is Amore - Dean Martin

There is probably not a single living person who does not know these opening lines: "When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza, that's love." The song was released in 1953 as part of the film's soundtrack.the car,Take Martin's career to the next level. It was the most recognized song of his career and even gave the title to his biopic.

Next:The Best Male Singers in Music History (Our Full List)

4. Why fools fall in love - Frankie Lymon and teenagers

"Why Fools Fall in Love" was first released in 1956 and became one of the most famous songs of the 1950s.win titleby The Beach Boys, The Diamonds and decades later by Diana Ross. It was also included on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

5. Ooby Dooby-Roy Orbison

In the great tradition of early rock 'n' roll, 1956's "Ooby Dooby" featured a gibberish refrain. Roy Orbison's band tried unsuccessfully for several years to get producers to let them play the song before finally landing a record deal in 1956. This sparked an eponymous dance craze that involved wild full-body shaking.

6. You send me - Sam Cooke

The lyrics may not make sense to us today, but in 1957 the phrase "You rule me" meant "You excite me." The music made Sam Cooke an overnight sensation and reached theTop of the Billboard 100as well as the R&B Records charts. Bridging the gap between black and white audiences, it was later covered by Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston, The Chicks and many others.

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7. Scream - The Isley Brothers

Released in 1959, the song "Shout" remains a popular party song to this day. The song turned out to contain elements of gospel, rock and roll, and R&B musicinducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The concept for the song came from musical improvisations using crowd call and response exercises at previous concerts. This resulted in the famous sequence of the song "A little softer now...".

Next:The Best Songs of the '60s (Our List)

8. Goodbye Love - The Everly Brothers

In 1957, the Everly Brothers song "Bye Bye Love" topped the charts and sold a record number of singles. Although his version was considered one of the best originals, Webb Pierce released it at the same time as a country version. The song was covered extensively by other well-known artists in later decades, including The Beatles, Simon And Garfunkel and Lacy J. Dalton.

9. Tutti Frutti - Kleiner Richard

In 1955, Little Richard's song "Tutti Frutti" made history when it was released. His unique vocalizations, musical style and percussion elements became a model for the development of the rock and roll genre. In 2007 the song was selected#1 on Top 100 Albums That Changed the World list. Fusing elements of blues, boogie-woogie and gospel, he introduced a distinctive drumming style that was copied by Chuck Berry and other artists.

Next:The Greatest Classic Rock Songs of All Time (Our Complete Playlist)

10. Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley

Heartbreak Hotel premiered in 1956, inspired by the death of a man who jumped out of a hotel window. The song stayed at the top of the charts for seven weeks and became one of Elvis Presley's most famous songs. He routinely played it at all of his live performances for the rest of his career. The sad song has been covered by many other well-known musicians, including Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan.

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11. Blue Suede-Shoes – Carl Perkins

Although the song "Blue Suede Shoes" is best known for its Elvis Presley version, it was originally recorded by guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955. The song was considered revolutionary for its fusion of blues, country, and rock, leading to its name as the first rockabilly music. Perkins' version was a best-selling single for 16 weeks. It was also named one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.

Next:The best blues songs of all time.

12. La Bamba - Ritchie Valens

"La Bamba" was originally a Mexican folk song, the first recorded versions of which appeared in the 1930s. It wasn't widely known in the rest of the world until Ritchie Valens recorded a version in 1958. It fused the song's traditional elements with rock elements. and role, and became extremely popular. It is considered one of the most important songs in rock 'n' roll history.

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13. The lady sings the blues - Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday's sad "Lady Sings The Blues" was the title track of her 1956 album, released to coincide with her autobiography of the same name. The song is considered a self-declaration of Holiday's life and musical style, as she was often asked if she really was a blues singer.

Next:The Greatest Blues Singers in Music History (Our List)

14. Big Fireballs - Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis originally recorded Great Balls Of Fire for the 1957 film's soundtrack.Francachela.But the song became popular in its own right, selling a million copies in the US within 10 days of its official release. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100. The song has been used extensively on television and film, including the 1989 biopic of Lewis's life.

Next:The best movie soundtracks of all time.

15. Going After Midnight - Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline's song "Walkin' After Midnight" was recorded in late 1956. Interestingly, it had been recorded earlier by a different singer and didn't garner much attention. It wasn't until Cline put her in an episode ofArthur Godfrey Headhunterthat it became popular - so popular that his studio pushed back the release date to next month. "Walkin' After Midnight" is widely considered one of the defining songs of modern country music.

Next:The Best Female Singers of the 1950s (Our Shortlist)

16. Blueberry Hill – Fette Dominosteine

Fats Domino's version of "Blueberry Hill" wasn't the first recording of the song; In fact, it was recorded six times in 1940 alone. It wasn't until 16 years later that Fats Domino released his own rock 'n' roll-influenced version. It is widely remembered as the biggest hit of his career and has been included in many lists of the greatest and most impactful songs of all time.

17. Have a Little Dream of Me – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

"Dream A Little Dream Of Me" was composed in 1931 and has been covered countless times over the decades, including by Mamas And The Papas in 1968. But arguably his most famous cover was Ella Fitzgerald's 1950 duet with Louis Armstrong. Nothing beats the romantic singing of two jazz giants, and the song is still well known to this day.

Next:The greatest jazz artists of all time

18. Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley y sus cometas

"Rock Around The Clock" was a 1954 cover by Bill Haley & His Comets. It stayed at #1 on the US charts for two consecutive months. It had many failures between its 1952 recording and its success, going through many covers, studios and even recording artists before making it to Billy Haley & His Comets.

19. Little Pretty - Thurston Harris

Little Bitty Pretty One was released in 1957 but is still widely known to this day. It's particularly impressive considering most of his lyrics are simple vocalizations, like a hum or repeats of "ah". But it is impossible to forget these opening harmonies, which have been played countless times in the decades since Harris' version.

20. Chord Little Susie - Die Everly Brothers

"Wake Up Little Susie" is a 1957 song recorded by the Everly Brothers. It tells the story of a teenage couple who go to a drive-in movie theater and fall asleep in their car. They wake up early in the morning to find that they have broken curfew and are afraid of what their parents will say.

Next:The Greatest Music Duos of All Time (Our Complete List of Duets)

21. Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin

"Mack The Knife" begann alsa piece from an opera from 1920. It entered popular culture in the United States in 1955 when Louis Armstrong published an English version. But Bobby Darin's 1959 cover is by far the best known. It was considered one of the greatest songs of 1959 and one of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

22. The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton

It seems odd that a song about the War of 1812 would work well in the rock era, but Johnny Horton managed to record one. "The Battle of New Orleans" is a humorous portrayal of the historical event, starringridiculous lyricsas "Then we grabbed an alligator and fired another shot... And when we touched the gunpowder, the alligator lost its head."

23. Armer Narr – Ricky Nelson

Poor Little Fool was written by Sharon Sheeley at the timeshe was only 15. He presented it to Ricky Nelson, who made some tweaks before releasing it in 1958. The song was a huge hit, peaking at No. 1 on the US Hot 100 and No. 4 in the UK.

24. Yakety Yak - The coasters

Yakety Yak may have been released in 1958, but it's still just as relatable to modern audiences. Upbeat music depicts the exchange between a father and a grumpy teenager running his errands, with frequent repeats of "Yakety Yak (Don't Answer)".

25. Love Me Tenderly - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley's song "Love Me Tender", released in 1956, was one of the best songs of his career. Although the lyrics were written for him, the melody wasrecycled music from the Civil War era"Aura Lee". Presley took music and gave it his signature talent that went down in history.

26. Shake, Rattle and Roll - Big Joe Turner

Big Joe Turner recorded "Shake, Rattle, & Roll" in 1954 to create an upbeat blues song with pop influences. The song charted on the Top 100 and R&B charts. It became famous thanks to musicians such as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.

Next:The best musicians and artists of the 1950s

27. This will be the day - Buddy Holly and the crickets

Buddy Holly first recorded "That'll Be The Day" as a solo artist in 1956 before releasing a new version with The Crickets the following year. The song was certified goldsold over a million albumsUS only The song has also been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is on the National Recording Registry for its musical and cultural significance.

28. Love is a thing of splendor - The four aces

"Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" went through many versions before The Four Aces recorded their version in 1955. However, it wasn't very popular until The Four Aces' version was released. The song was widely circulated in the 20th century, most notably by Engelbert Humperdinck.

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29. Little Treasure – Os Diamantes

At first glance, The Diamonds' "Little Darlin'" doesn't seem like anything special. Like many other songs from the 1950s, the lyrics are about mourning a lost lover. But the 1959 song had only found fame as an R&B cover two years earlier. The Diamonds took the song and added doo-wop and rock-and-roll elements, which propelled it into the Top 40.

30. There goes my baby - The Bums

There Goes My Baby, released in 1959, was written by the famous Ben E. King and recorded by the new cast of The Drifters. The track explored elements of different instruments and musical genres, opting for free verse rather than rhymed verses. Despite this departure from tradition, it remained extremely popular and was included in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

31. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra

It's hard to pick Frank Sinatra's most famous song, but 1958's "Come Fly With Me" is definitely in the running. This song showcases Sinatra's smooth voice and impressive range perfectly. Its romantic lyrics have led to its use in countless films and television shows, as well as covers by many other well-known musicians.

32. The Purple Ogre - Sheb Wooley

You thought "What does the fox say?" What was the first weird song to top the charts? Sheb Wooley did this in 1958's The Purple People Eater. The song was reportedly based on a joke Wooley heard from his friend's son. Despite the silly premise, the song topped the charts in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It is widely known to this day.

Next:Best Funny Songs Of All Time (Full Playlist)

33. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry released the song "Johnny B. Goode" in 1958. It went to the top of the charts, peaking at No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B Pages and No. 8 on the Billboard Top 100. The song is considered revolutionary in the development of rock music and earned a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame for his influence on the genre. the music wasfamously played by Michael J. Fox1985Back to the Future.

34. Bananenboot - Harry Belafonte

"Banana Boat", released in 1956, is one of the earliest and most famous examples of calypso music (as well as elements of mento music). It was originated by Jamaican musician Harry Belafonte and became his most recognizable song throughout his career. The song, which uses a call-and-response style, is intended to evoke Jamaican longshoremen unloading cargoes of bananas.

35. Rockin' Robin - Bobby Day

"Rockin' Robin" was released in 1958 and became the most successful song of Bobby Day's career. It is still widely known for its iconic opening chorus imitating birdsong.Michael Jackson covered the song in 1972.It was the most popular track on his album that year.