The Top Songs of Rock's First Decade

1955 to 1964

Welcome to The Top Songs of Rock's First Decade.

Mr. Plow has done a great job with his thread.
I would like to try something similar.

I have selected 100 songs,
from the fields of Rock, Pop, Doo-Wop and Country.

We will countdown to the Top Song of the Decade.

As songs are posted in this thread,
I will update the countdown here:

Countdown

Here is a list of all the artists who are included in the countdown:

Artist Count

I hope you will enjoy the songs and the videos.

Your comments are appreciated.

100 - Come Go with Me - The Del-Vikings - 1957

The Del-Vikings were U.S. Air Force personnel,
stationed at the Pittsburgh Airport.

[YT="Come Go with Me"]QtINzvbYwY0[/YT]


99 - Big Girls Don't Cry - The Four Seasons - 1962

This is the second of three #1 hits for the Four Seasons.
They were the biggest act the USA, prior to the British invasion of 1964.

[YT="Big Girls Don't Cry"]O6VDplx7xi8[/YT]


98 - Sally Go Round the Roses - The Jaynetts - 1963

This record was produced by Abner Spector.
No relation to Phil Spector, although their producing styles are similar.

[YT="Sally Go Round the Roses"]S-KJLke5PTI[/YT]


97 - Lucille - Little Richard - 1957

Little Richard is one of the pioneers of Rock and Roll.

[YT="Lucille"]z3-OaNevkfg[/YT]


96 - Hurt - Timi Yuro - 1961

Timi Yuro started singing in her family's Italian restaurant.
This is her only top 10 hit.

[YT="Hurt"]BPy-Memj0vE[/YT]

95 - Denise - Randy and the Rainbows - 1963

The video is from Gidget, with Sandra Dee and James Darren.

[YT="Denise"]XzxKyDzjCpk[/YT]


94 - Mashed Potatoes - Dee Dee Sharp - 1962

Dee Dee Sharp got this song after singing a duet with Chubby Checker.

[YT="Mashed Potatoes"]AenF48rgNFM[/YT]


93 - Surf City - Jan and Dean - 1963

Brian Wilson wrote this song.

[YT="Surf City"]6nMeTE0RRLQ[/YT]


92 - Angel Baby - Rosie and the Originals - 1960

Rosie Hamlin was 14 years old when she wrote and recorded this song.

[YT="Angel Baby"]hiAMgjTp7UI[/YT]


91 - Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler - 1962

One of the most recognizable songs of the era.

[YT="Duke of Earl"]tFjC1hiyfno[/YT]

90 - Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard - 1958

This video was made in 1991, to promote the movie King Ralph.
John Goodman performs this song in the movie.
The music in the video is the 1958 recording by Little Richard.

[YT="Good Golly Miss Molly"]kZ6h0kyqSRk[/YT]


89 - The Three Bells - The Browns - 1959

Country singer Jim Ed Brown with his sisters Maxine and Bonnie.
This crossover spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[YT="The Three Bells"]HTkbj56bnYs[/YT]

88- He's a Rebel - The Crystals - 1962

Phil Spector wanted the Crystals to record this song.
One problem.
The Crystals were in New York. Spector was in Los Angeles.

Spector brought in local group The Blossoms, with Darlene Love as the lead singer.
He recorded the song, and released it under the Crystals name.

The Crystals:

Delores "LaLa" Brooks - Lead Singer
Francis Collins - Professional Dancer
Delores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew - Original Member of the Crystals.

[YT="He's a Rebel"]y3fPtQD-DR0[/YT]


87 - Sink the Bismarck - Johnny Horton - 1960

Johnny Horton had three all-time classic hits.
He wrote two of those, including this one.

[YT="Sink the Bismarck"]M1Ufc2hI4FM[/YT]


The Countdown so far.

86 - Stay - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - 1960

Maurice Williams was a high school student in South Carolina,
when he wrote and recorded Little Darlin'.
However, a cover of this song, by Canadian group The Diamonds,
became the big hit.

Three years later, Williams broke through with Stay.
At a mere 1:35 in playing time,
this is still the shortest song ever to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[YT="Stay"]EVKqMJHX030[/YT]


85 - Louie Louie - The Kingsmen - 1963

Richard Berry, wrote of returning to Jamaica, to see his girl.
Powered by the now familiar 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2 beat,
this has become one of the most covered tunes in history.


[YT="Louie Louie"]cec1JInytH0[/YT]

84 - Remember (Walking in the Sand) - The Shangri Las - 1964

George "Shadow" Morton wrote this song, and produced the record.
The Shangri Las were from Queens.
Mary Weiss was 15, twins Marge and Mary Ann Ganser were 16.

[YT="Walking in the Sand"]O6Y0CElF1xg[/YT]


83 - At the Hop - Danny and the Juniors - 1957

Danny and the Juniors were from Philadelphia.
Lead singer Danny Rapp was 16,
David White, who wrote this song, was 17.
At the Hop spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[YT="At the Hop"]FOh-qAQ0i9k[/YT]

I saw Danny and The Juniors live at RAF Lakenheath in 1981 or so.
Roy Orbison came to Mildenhall about the same time too (didn't see him).

I'll have to get back to this thread to fully enjoy it, but my folks played pre-me music a lot when I was growing up and I love the stuff.

82 - Sixteen Reasons - Connie Stevens - 1960

One of four songs on our list,
with Sixteen in the title.

[YT="Sixteen Reasons"]uzlk1LV07Gk[/YT]


81 - Deep Purple - Nino Tempo and April Stevens - 1963

Deep Purple was a standard of the big band era.
This contemporary version reached #1 on November 16, 1963.
Nino Tempo and April Stevens are brother and sister.

[YT="Deep Purple"]E-0PEtelY5E[/YT]

I'm definitely going to be a lot more sympathetic to this list than the '80s one. I'll avoid quoting a song unless I feel strongly about it or have an actual comment about it.

Just a really fun song.

I don't hear this one played very often, but it's got a sweet sound to it.

It amuses me whenever "Miss Molly" pops up in another song.

We have a cassette tape of his songs.

[yt=Piano riff woo]N1AZ9d7g524[/yt]

80 - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters - 1958

This song was written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach in 1933.
The Platters has a successful run from 1953 to 1960,
offering tasteful renditions of old standards.
Tony Williams was the lead singer.

The video shows Richard Dreyfus and Holly Hunter in "Always".

[YT="Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"]I2pxEIKeQs0[/YT]


79 - Needles and Pins - Jackie DeShannon - 1963

This song was written by Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono.
Jackie DeShannon had a couple of big hits in the latter part of the sixties;
"What the World Needs Now", by Bacharach and David,
and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" which she wrote.


[YT="Needles and Pins"]x3Cc9SVynFs[/YT]


The volume on the last video is a little low.

If you turn it up, don't forget to reset your volume.

78 - Sherry - The Four Seasons - 1962

The first big hit for the Four Seasons.
This song was written by Bob Gaudio and produced by Bob Crewe.
It held #1 on the Billboard chart for five weeks in the fall of 1962.

[YT="Sherry"]MkfdTBM2rV0[/YT]


77 - Only Sixteen - Sam Cooke - 1959

Sam Cooke recorded 29 Top 40 hits from 1957 to 1964.

He wrote most of his songs, including this one;
and founded his own record label and publishing company.

He was shot and killed at a motel in Los Angeles,
at the age of 33.

[YT="Only Sixteen"]m48YpkIYofo[/YT]

Sherry and Duke of Earl are great singing right there!

Shouldn't that be from 1972 to 1982?

76 - Runaround Sue - Dion - 1961

On February 2, 1959, Dion and the Belmonts played at the Surf Ballroom, in Clear Lake , Iowa.
After the show, Dion couldn't come up with $36, for a flight to Moorhead, Minnesota,
the next stop on the tour.

Video: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert; It Happened One Night

[YT="Runaround Sue"]WoynTNm6V8w[/YT]


75 - Hey Paula - Paul and Paula - 1962

Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson were students at Howard Payne College, in Brownwood, Texas.
Hildebrand wrote this song, and they sang it, for a contest, at a local radio station.

[YT="Hey Paula"]edQW6RYQklo[/YT]

74 - Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly - 1957

The Rolling Stones version brought attention to this song.

[YT="Not Fade Away"]aTJkbOvu2hk[/YT]



73 - Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares - 1962

This song was introduced on the Donna Reed Show.
It hit #1 in April of 1962.

[YT="Johnny Angel"]F_o-adbq9h0[/YT]

Carl Perkins not only performed some of those songs, he also wrote a few that were done by others.

72 - Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins - 1956

Carl Perkins wrote this song.
His release sold a million copies, and topped the Country chart for three weeks.
It reached #2 on the U.S. chart, behind Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel.

[YT="Blue Suede Shoes"]_znXjz8K99U[/YT]


71 - I'm Leaving It Up to You - Dale and Grace - 1963

Record producer Sam Montel caught Dale Hudson's act at a bar near Baton Rouge,
and asked him to team up with Grace Broussard.

In the Fall of 1963, Dale and Grace went on tour with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars.
On November 22nd, the group of entertainers lined-up along Main St. in Dallas,
and waved as President John F. Kennedy rode by.

[YT="I'm Leaving It Up to You"]QYsuXwJrnso[/YT]

70 - Right or Wrong - Wanda Jackson - 1961

Written by Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly.

[YT="Right or Wrong"]N_d_l4Dg3b0[/YT]


69 - Sixteen Candles - The Crests - 1958

The New York City doo-wop group featured lead vocals
by Johnny Mastrangelo.

[YT="Sixteen Candles"]CQNTgJvbioM[/YT]

1964 was a year of transition.

The Supremes
The Temptations
The Four Tops
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Kinks

All of these broke into the U.S. Top 40 in 1964,
and they formed the foundation for the following era of Rock.


68 - You Really Got Me - The Kinks - 1964

Ray Davies wrote the song, and sang the lead.

Dave Davies provided the revolutionary lead guitar.
He cut the amplifier with a razor blade to create distortion,
and riffed on power chords (first, fifth, and octave).

This recording is variously credited as the inventor of hard rock,
or the inventor of heavy metal.

[YT="You Really Got Me"]ve9N9oaXU18[/YT]


67 - It's Just a Matter of Time - Brook Benton - 1959

This song was written by Brook Benton and Clyde Otis,
with the intention of offering it to Nat King Cole.

[YT="It's Just a Matter of Time"]cuceTOjSubU[/YT]

66 - Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys - 1963

After the release of this song, Chuck Berry was credited as co-writer,
as it is quite similar to his Sweet Little Sixteen.

Sixteen surfing locations are mentioned in the song.

[YT="Surfin' USA"]9BaC95O37Os[/YT]


65 - Travelin' Man - Rickey Nelson - 1961

This song was introduced on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

On the right side of the video, is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist,
James Burton.

[YT="Travelin' Man"]0janfcZ8LUw[/YT]

64 - Heat Wave - Martha and the Vandellas - 1963

Martha Reeves, Annette Beard and Rosalind Ashford were from Detroit.
They signed with Motown Records in September of 1962.

Heat Wave was written by the famous Motown team of Brain Holland, LaMont Dozier and Eddie Holland.
It sold a million copies and reached #4 in the country in the summer of 1963.

[YT="Heat Wave"]XE2fnYpwrng[/YT]


63 - That'll Be the Day - Buddy Holly - 1957

Written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded this song at Norman Petty's recording studio,
in Clovis, New Mexico, on February 25, 1957.
It was released by Brunswick records in August, and hit #1 on September 23.

[YT="That'll Be the Day"]gVaPf7R-4Sk[/YT]

62 - Leader of the Pack - The Shangri Las - 1964

After producing for the Shangri Las, Shadow Morton moved on to more established acts.
Mercury Records lost interest in the group.
Mary Weiss had a nice career in office furniture.

[YT="Leader of the Pack"]VbN1wavZzNY[/YT]


61 - He'll Have to Go - Jim Reeves - 1960

This song was written by Joe and Audrey Allison.

The Jim Reeves recording topped the Billboard Country Chart for 14 weeks,
from February to May of 1960; and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[YT="He'll Have to Go"]bpi8Bek6jdM[/YT]

60 - Can't You See that She's Mine - The Dave Clark Five - 1964

The Dave Clark Five were from North London.

They were very successful in the U.S.;
with four top ten hits in '64, and three more in '65.

[YT="Can't You See that She's Mine"]AZW_Ke4yh-U[/YT]


59 - Wonderful World - Sam Cooke - 1960

[YT="Wonderful World"]lPABeKfHNak[/YT]

58 - When Will I be Loved? - The Everly Brothers - 1960

Written by Phil Everly.
This was a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1975.

The Everly Brothers had four #1 hits.
This song was not one of those, but it has held up well,
being recorded by many artists over the years.

[YT="When Will I be Loved?"]202UMNPUIHg[/YT]


57 - Just One Look - Doris Troy - 1963

Written by Gregory Carroll and Doris Troy, as Doris Payne.

Doris Troy was a back-up singer.
She cut this demo, and took it to Atlantic Records.
Atlantic released the demo, unchanged, and it reached #10 in the country.

Doris Troy had a successful career, singing on other peoples' records.
But she never had another hit of her own.

This song was also covered by Linda Ronstadt.

[YT="Just One Look"]aw6lWBxjSs8[/YT]

56 - Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean - 1961

An all time classic, written by Jimmy Dean.

[YT="Big Bad John"]bx59fmP7jYE[/YT]


55 - You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore - 1964

Written by John Madara and David White.
Produced by Quincy Jones.

Lesley Gore was a 16 year-old high school student from Tenafly, New Jersey,
when she recorded "It's My Party".

A year later she recorded "You Don't Own Me".

Not one of the well remembered songs from this era, but it should be.

[YT="You Don't Own Me"]dCfu4JKtop0[/YT]

Ahhh.....that classic Southern slave spiritual.

54 - Hello Mary Lou - Ricky Nelson - 1961

Another big hit for Ricky Nelson.

[YT="Hello Mary Lou"]zLkCWT2neuI[/YT]


53 - Be My Baby - The Ronettes - 1963

Veronica Bennett, Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley grew up in Spanish Harlem.
They were working at the Peppermint Lounge, when they signed a contract with Phil Spector.

Be My Baby was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector.
It is considered to be the ultimate example of a Spector production.

Spector was insanely jealous over Veronica Bennett, who he married.
He sabotaged the Ronettes' career, to keep her from becoming too famous.

[YT="Be My Baby"]Gcl-nTFNR5k[/YT]


The Countdown so far.