Let’s Bop to These Hit Songs of the 1950s

When “Rock Around the Clock” hit the charts in 1955, it had a less than stellar reception. Seen as a bad influence for youth, the rock ‘n’ roll track was denounced by the Boy Scouts, while “The New York Times” called it “nightmarish and bloodcurdling.” Still, the song became wildly popular — enough to become the anthem of a film called “The Blackboard Jungle.” The controversial song caused riots in local theaters, and ended up getting the movie banned.

Husband-and-wife songwriting duo Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote “Bye Bye Love” long before it was ever recorded. The couple shopped it around to more than 30 artists before the Everly Brothers finally picked it up in 1957. It was the country rock duo’s first No. 1 hit both in the U.S. and the U.K.

The Crests’ “16 Candles” debuted in 1958 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. The song was written from the perspective of a teenage boy in love with a “teenage queen.” In 1984, it became the title track of “Sixteen Candles,” a coming-of-age film starring Molly Ringwald.

Hank Williams died on January 1, 1953, and his song “Your Cheatin’ Heart” was released at the end of that month as the B-side to the track “Kaw-Liga.” The song immediately hit the charts. Williams wrote the song in 1952 about his ex-wife Audrey Sheppard; he referred to her as a “cheating heart” in a conversation with his second wife, Billie Jean Jones, and the phrase inspired the lyrics.

“Mona Lisa” is a track on Nat King Cole’s 1950 album, “Unforgettable.” The love song, inspired by the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, was written for the 1950 film “Captain Carey, USA,” which takes place during World War II. The song went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Patsy Cline got her big break in 1957 with the track “Walkin’ After Midnight,” which she performed on “Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.” Much to the surprise of Cline and her label, the performance received high praise from the audience, so the song was quickly released as a single. It peaked at No. 2 on the country charts, scoring the young artist her first major hit.

When Buddy Holly wrote his hit “Peggy Sue,” the girl’s name was actually Cindy Lou. It was changed at the behest of his drummer, Jerry Allison. Allison was dating a girl named Peggy Sue Gerron and wanted the song to be for her; the couple ended up getting married, but divorced after nine years.

“Blue Tango” was an orchestral song that sold more than a million copies after topping the charts in 1952. It was the first instrumental song to sell that many records — but it didn’t stay instrumental. That same year, lyricist Mitchell Parish added words to the tune.

This rock ’n’ roll song is loosely based on Chuck Berry’s life while growing up in St. Louis. In the song, Berry sings about a talented young man named Johnny B. Goode, who carries around his guitar and plays for whoever will listen. In 1977, the song was part of a package of American cultural artifacts sent to space by NASA.

“Tequila” is the name — and the only lyric — of this song. The Latin-inspired track was released in 1958 by the Champs and features a saxophone riff and three shouts of “Tequila!” It hit No. 1 on the pop and R&B charts and has been used in countless pop culture references over the past 60 years.

On October 1, 1955, Little Richard released his first No. 1 hit, called “Tutti Frutti,” a translation of an Italian phrase that means “all fruits.” The iconic first line — ”Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom” — wasn’t fully intentional; it was meant as a vocalized example of the type of drum fill Little Richard wanted to start the song.

“Heartbreak Hotel” sold 2 million copies after the song was released on January 1, 1956. It was Elvis’ first nationwide hit, catapulting him to stardom. The song also inspired a generation of rock ‘n’ roll artists — many musicians claimed it changed their lives, including Elton John and John Lennon.

“Mack the Knife” was originally written in German for "The Threepenny Opera," first performed at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin in 1928. The song tells the story of a fictional serial killer named Mackie Messer. Originally, the tune was more of a dirge; Bobby Darin turned it into a swing classic in 1959.

When Fats Domino recorded his hit “Blueberry Hill” in Los Angeles, he had a simple reason for doing so: He had nothing else ready to record in his session. He had run out of material before his recording session was over. Fats had heard Louis Armstrong’s version of the song in 1949 and decided to record his own version — albeit against the wishes of his producer, Dave Bartholomew.

Legendary country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash wrote “I Walk the Line” as a love letter to his then-wife, Vivian Liberto. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the charts for 43 weeks and sold more than 2 million copies, turning Cash into a household name by the end of the year.

The Mexican folk song “La Bamba” dates back to the 1830s and was first recorded in 1939 by Alvaro Hernández Ortiz. However, Ritchie Valens’ 1958 version of the song is the most recognizable, and was one of the most popular tracks of the decade. A film about Valens, titled “La Bamba,” hit theaters in 1987.

“The King of Cool” released this Italy-inspired ode to love in 1953, and it soon became one of his most recognizable tracks. Describing a romantic love scene in Napoli, Martin croons about what defines love, with lyrics such as, “When the moon hits your eye / Like a big pizza pie, that's amore.”

Bobby Day’s “Rockin’ Robin” was released in 1958 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s known for its upbeat and playful lyrics, such as, “All the little birds on Jay Bird Street / Love to hear the robin go tweet, tweet, tweet!” It regained popularity a few decades later as part of the soundtrack for the 1986 film “Stand By Me.”

The track “Come Fly With Me” and its eponymous album were released in 1958. The song was written specifically for Frank Sinatra, leveraging his reputation as a jet-setter and the commercial jet craze of the late ’50s. The song is a musical trip around the world, mentioning places such as Acapulco Bay, Peru, and Bombay.

Though the Weavers hit No. 1 on the charts with “Goodnight Irene” in 1950, they weren’t the first to perform it. The song was originally published in 1886 by Black composer Gussie L. Davis, and by the 1940s, it was already a hit in the folk music and Black communities. The Weavers recorded the song after meeting Louisiana performer Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, who was famous for his version of the song.