Rock and Roll
Highlights! |
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Timeline
of
Rock and Roll
Beginnings...
The 1950's
1954
- Spring and Fall 1954
"Shake, Rattle and Roll" written
by Jesse Stone and recorded by both Big Joe Turner
and Bill Haley & His Comets breaks into the
US top hits!
1955
- July 1955
" Rock Around the Clock "
by Bob Halley and the Comets becomes a top hit
in the USA! Number #1 for two months straight!
- Summer 1955
The film "Rock N' Roll Revue"
starring Nat King Cole and Joe Turner opened up
in theaters.
- September 1955
Chuck Berry's song "Mabellene"
busted through the charts to #4 on the top twenty.
- Fall 1955
Buddy Holly signs his first big record
contract with Decca. And Elvis Presley joins up
with RCA.
1956
- February 1956
Kay Star sings "Rock and Roll Waltz"
to the top of the charts becoming the number one
song.
- March 1956
Elvis moves into the charts with his
"Heartbreak Hotel" debuting at #14 with
Carl Perkin's "Blue Suede Shoes" above
him at #13.
- April 1956
Elvis is #1 with "Heartbreak Hotel".
Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" reaches
into the charts at #13.
- May 1956
Fats Domino zooms into #13 with "I'm
in Love Again."
- Summer 1956
Rock riots in the United Kingdom with
the showing of the film "Rock Around the
Clock."
- September 1956
Elvis Presley's most famous song "Hound
Dog/Don't be Cruel" grabs the number #1 chart
position in the US.
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1957
- January / Winter 1957
Fats Domino has three top 20 hits with
"I'm Walkin," "Blue Monday"
and "Blueberry Hill."
- February 1957
Elvis is number #1 again with "Too
Much."
- April 1957
The song "Whole Lot of Shakin'
Going On" makes Jerry Lee Lewis a #3 record.
- May 1957
"All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley
rockets to number #1.
- Spring and Summer 1957
Little Richard hits the top 20 in the
United States and the UK with "The Girl Can't
Help It," "Long Tall Sally," "Jenny
Jenny/Miss Ann," and "Lucille."
- Summer 1957
The classic TV show "American Bandstand"
premieres this summer.
- August 1957
Buddy Holly and the Cricket's first
big hit is "That'll Be the Day" debuts
at #19 on the charts reaching all the way to #3
in September. (Fun Fact -- The rumor
in the 1960s was that the Beatles were inspired
by Buddy Holly's music and named themselves accordingly.
ie. Crickets --> Beatles)
- Fall 1957
Little Richard gets religion and leaves
his Rock and Roll singing career behind.
- November 1957
Elvis repeats as #1 in the US with "Jailhouse
Rock" and Buddy Holly and the Crickets are
#1 in the UK with "That'll Be the Day."
1958
- January 1958
Rock and roll dominates the
US music charts!
- #1 record is "At the Hop" by Danny
and the Juniors.
- #2 song by Ricky Nelson is "Stood Up/Waitin
in School."
- Jerry Lee Lewis is at #3 with his famous "Great
Balls of Fire."
- Buddy Holly and the Crickets follow at #5
with "Peggy Sue."
- Elvis is at #6 with "Jailhoue Rock."
- February 1958
"Don't/I Beg You" by Elvis
is #1 in February and March.
- March 1958
"Sweet Little Sixteen" by
Chuch Berry at #2.
Little Richard still rockin' with "Good Golly
Miss Molly" at #9 in the UK and #18 in the
US.
- Summer 1958
Elvis' winning streak of hits continues
with "Hard Headed Woman" topping out
at #1.
Fun pop songs -- The Coaster's classic "Yakety
Yak" at #2 and Sheb Wooley's hit "Purple
People Eater" at #3.
Alan Freed's rock and roll shows tour the country
but run into problems with alleged "Rock
Riots" at his shows. Rock and roll receives
a "bad boy" image!
- Fall 1958
The 50s and 60s folk movement is ushered
in with the Kingston Trio reaching the top 20
with "Tom Dooley" at #3.
1959
- January 1959
"Chantilly Lace" by The Big
Bopper reaches #19 on the UK music charts.
Jerry Lee Lewis scandal hits the newspapers as
he tours the UK.
- February 3, 1959
Tradegy strikes Rock and Roll -- Buddy
Holly, The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson,
Jr. of Beaumont, Texas - Thanks to one of of our
visitors for that tip!), and Richie Valens (La
Bamba and Donna) die in a plane crash during a
snow storm. Is this "The Day the Music Died"
in Don McLean's famous song from the 1970s?
- February 1959
Richie Valen's song "Donna"
reached #2 on the US music charts the same month
he died.
- May 1959
"A Fool Such as I" by Elvis
Presley is a UK #1 hit. While Buddy Holly and
the Cricket's song "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"
follows at #2.
- Trivia & Tidbits --
- Remember that all during the 1950s -- Rock and
Roll, R&B, country, pop music and ballads all
vied for top position on the charts every month.
R&B, country, pop and ballad singers like The
Platters, Doris Day, The Coasters, Perry Como,
Teresa Brewer, Les Baxter, Conway Twitty, Frankie
Lymon, Jimmie Rogers, Sam Cooke, Everly Brothers,
Marty Robbins, Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra and Patti
Page all competed with Rock and Roll for top chart
honors as best selling records.
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