Guest, you conveniently left out other names who appeared on the pop charts that year with big hits - names like Fabian, Anita Bryant, Paul Anka, Connie Francis, the Chipmunks, the Morman Tabernacle Choir, Pat Boone, Teresa Brewer, Andy Williams, Perry Como and The Exotic Sounds Of Martin Denny And His Orchestra. I guess we should add Frank Sinatra to the list since he had a big hit with "High Hopes" that year.   1959 saw Elvis in the army, Jerry Lee Lewis all but banned from radio, Chuck Berry ended up getting arrested, Little Richard found religion, and the music industry was pushing teen idols.

You are right though, in all honesty I should not have said that it was an era "where the music had yet to break the "color" line." That was a stupid thing for me to say.   Of course there were black artists on the charts, but if you look at the numbers on the pop charts (the big commercial hits) - the balance was not yet there. You mentioned 10 - out of the top 100. To be fair, the numbers were actually higher than that, but again the balance was not there. Commercial radio felt "safer" pushing the other artists.   You are correct, it was the kids who EVENTUALLY desegregated the music charts.

Bob Dylan would be another important link in changing the music - and that was the point of the discussion and how he helped us grow away from some of the sounds of the 50's. He was a link on the chain, as important as artists like Chuck Berry or the great Motown artists who were starting to appear and the dozens of others who were part of changing the music scene.

You mention some great names, but I NEVER said the MUSIC in the 1950's was a "musical wasteland". I did say that the pop charts had more than their share of syrupy sweet songs at the time and I stand by that.

Guest, I'm not sure why you had to turn this personal. You made very good points but you did not have to sour them with cheap shots. If you are going to insult people, at least have the guts to do it with a name instead of being another anonymous guest. I have no problem with people posting anonymously, but it is cowardice to use that shield when you insult someone. I have no problem with being proven wrong or being told that I said something out of context. I do think you are better than taking a shot and then hiding behind your anonymity. You are more intelligent than that. I know you feel that you can't get hurt when you hide, but you were raised better than that.