The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #61496   Message #988870
Posted By: Amos
23-Jul-03 - 12:06 PM
Thread Name: The Great Watershed of 1958
Subject: Folklore: The Great Watershed of 1958
I ran across this list in a much earlier thread, and I think it captures succinctly an amazing watershed in musical history. There are three important musical forces reflecte din it, meeting and wrestling for the public ear. (What a terrible metaphor!!) ANyway, you can see the strong influence, just beginning to fade, of the schmaltzy veneer music of early post-war romanticism, a legacy of propriety and pretensions of classical influence, in such timeless, sugary songs as "Return to Me" by Dean Martin, anything by Perry Como, and Pat Boone's "April Love", the too-corny joviality of "The Lichtensteiner Polka", "Twilight Time", and the white-bread "Wonderful Time Up There" -- all very reminiscent of Wonder Bread, no? Then, going head-to-head with this lethargic schmaltz you see traces of real blues and rock coming to the fore -- Elvis was already rapidly on his way to becoming the King, and there is "Tequila"! which set a whole new standard for raucous saxes in pop music in its day, "Get a Job", "Bird Dog", and "Rockin' Robin" -- not to mention the deathless Jerry Lee with "Great Balls of Fire" -- hard stuff, so to speak. Force number three, of course, is the Great Folk Scare, represented by the paradigmatic "Tom Dooley", polished beyond recognition by the Kingston Trio, and an equally whiteout version of "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands". But you can see it coming. You could argue that Teen Love is a major fourth voice in the mix, but I think of that as a cultural overlay, reflecting classic patterns with minor changes in pastel colors, and not substantive.

What a year that was. A collision of Titans on the AM airwaves!

Anyway, here's the list -- enjoy the nostalgia.

A




01--NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLU [Volare]:-Domenico Modugno (#1, Aug)
02--ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM:-The Everly Brothers (#1, May)
03--DON'T:-Elvis Presley (#1, Feb)
04--WITCH DOCTOR:-David Seville (#1, April)
05--PATRICIA:-Prez Prado (#1, July)
06--SAIL ALONG SILVERY MOON:-Billy Vaughn (#5, Feb)
07--CATCH A FALLING STAR:-Perry Como (#9, March)
08--TEQUILA:-The Champs (#1, March)
09--IT'S ALL IN THE GAME:-Tommy Edwards (#1, Sept)
10--RETURN TO ME:-Dean Martin (#4, June)
11--IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE:-Conway Twitty (#1, Nov)
12--THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATER:-Sheb Wooley (#1, June)
13--BIRD DOG:-The Everly Brothers (#2, Aug)
14--GET A JOB:-The Silhouettes (#1, Feb)
15--LITTLE STAR:-The Elegants (#1, Aug)
16--TWILIGHT TIME:-The Platters (#1, April)
17--STOOD UP:-Ricky Nelson (#5, Jan)
18--HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD [In His Hands]:-Laurie London (#2, April)
19--SECRETLY:-Jimmy Rodgers (#4, June)
20--AT THE HOP:-Danny & the Juniors (#1, Jan)
21--YAKETY YAK:-The Coasters (#1, July)
22--WEAR MY RING AROUND YOUR NECK:-Elvis Presley (#3, April)
23--ROCK-IN ROBIN:-Bobby Day (#2, Oct)
24--POOR LITTLE FOOL:-Ricky Nelson (#1, Aug)
25--A WONDERFUL TIME UP THERE:-Pat Boone (#10, March)

26--JUST A DREAM:-Jimmy Clanton (#4, Aug)
27--SUGARTIME:-The McGuire Sisters (#5, Feb)
28--TOM DOOLEY:-The Kingston Trio (#1, Nov)
29--SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN:-Chuck Berry (#2, March)
30--TOPSY II:-Cozy Cole (#3, Oct)
31--LOOKING BACK:-Nat King Cole (#5, May)
32--BOOK OF LOVE:-The Monotones (#5, April)
33--TEA FOR TWO CHA CHA:-The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Starring Warren Covington (#7, Nov)
34--TEARS ON MY PILLOW:-Little Anthony & the Imperials (#4, Oct)
35--SHORT SHORTS:-The Royal Teens (#3, Feb)
36--GREAT BALLS OF FIRE:-Jerry Lee Lewis (#2, Jan)
37--LOLLIPOP:-The Chordettes (#2, March)
38--SPLISH SPLASH:-Bobby Darin (#3, Aug)
39--WHO'S SORRY NOW:-Connie Francis (#4, March)
40--MY TRUE LOVE:-Jack Scott (#3, Aug)
41--ENDLESS SLEEP:-Jody Reynolds (#5, June)
42--DO YOU WANT TO DANCE:-Bobby Freeman (#5, June)
43--WHEN:-The Kalin Twins (#5, Aug)
44--TO KNOW HIM TO LOVE HIM:-The Teddy Bears (#1, Dec)
45--APRIL LOVE:-Pat Boone (#1, Dec 1957)
46--REBEL 'ROUSE:-Duane Eddy (#6, July)
47--OH JULIE:-The Crescendos (#5, March)
48--THE STROLL:-The Diamonds (#5, Feb)
49--HARD HEADED WOMAN:-Elvis Presley (#2, July)
50--PEGGY SUE:-Buddy Holly (#3, Dec 1957)

51--OH LONESOME ME:-Don Gibson (#7, Oct)
52--CHANTILLY LACE:-The Big Bopper (#6, Nov)
53--LONESOME TOWN:-Rick Nelson (#7, Dec)
54--ALL THE WAY:-Frank Sinatra (#15, Jan)
55--ONE NIGHT:-Elvis Presley (#4, Dec)
56--SUSIE DARLIN':-Robin Luke (#5, Oct)
57--26 MILES [Santa Catalina]:-The Four Preps (#5, March)
58--THE END:-Earl Grant (#7, Oct)
59--KISSES SWEETER THAN WINE:-Jimmie Rodgers (#7, Dec 1957)
60--BEEP BEEP:-The Playmates (#4, Dec)
61--MARCH FROM THE RIVER KWAI AND COLONEL BOGEY:-Mitch Miller & his Orchestra & Chorus (#21, Feb)
62--PROBLEMS:-The Everly Brothers (#2, Dec)
63--QUEEN OF THE HOP:-Bobby Darin (#9, Nov)
64--LIECHENSTEINER POLKA:-Will Glahe & His Orchestra (#19, Dec 1957)
65--I GOT STUNG:-Elvis Presley (#8, Nov)
66--ARE YOU SINCERE:-Andy Williams (#10, March)
67--I GOT A FEELING:-Ricky Nelson (#10, Nov)
68--BORN TOO LATE:-The Poni-Tails (#7, Sept)
69--WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE:-The Johnny Otis Show (#9, Aug)
70--BIG MAN:-The Four Preps (#5, June)
71--OH, BOY:-The Crickets (#10, Jan)
72--WHAT AM I LIVING FOR:-Chuck Willis (#15, June)
73--JOHNNY B. GOODE:-Chuck Berry (#8, June)
74--SUMMERTIME BLUES:-Eddie Cochran (#8, Sept)
75--NEAR YOU:-Roger Williams (#10, Sept)

76--FEVER:-Peggy Lee (#8, Aug)
77--FOR YOUR LOVE:-Ed Townsend (#15, June)
78--YOU ARE MY DESTINY:-Paul Anka (#7, Feb)
79--CHANSON D'AMOUR [Song Of Love]:-Art & Dotty Todd (#13, May)
80--LAZY MARY [Luna Mezzo Mare]:-Lou Monte (#12, April)
81--BALLAD OF A TEENAGE QUEEN:-Johnny Cash (#16, March)
82--IT'S TOO SOON TO KNOW:-Pat Boone (#13, April)
83--THE WALK:-Jimmy McCracklin (#7, March)
84--KEWPIE DOLL:-Perry Como (#12, May)
85--WHY DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND:-George Hamilton IV (#17, Jan)
86--DEDE DINAH:-Frankie Avalon (#7, Feb)
87--SUGAR MOON:-Pat Boone (#11, June)
88--DEVOTED TO YOU:-The Everly Brothers (#10, Sept)
89--MAYBE:-The Chantels (#15, March)
90--BILLY:-Kathy Linden (#14, April)
91--GUESS THINGS HAPPEN THAT WAY:-Johnny Cash (#11, July)
92--WESTERN MOVIES:-The Olympics (#8, Sept)
93--DON'T LET GO:-Roy Hamilton (#13, March)
94--BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ:-The Hollywood Flames (#11, Jan)
95--BREATHLESS:-Jerry Lee Lewis (#7, April)
96--JENNIE LEE:-Jan & Arnie (#8, June)
97--POOR BOY:-The Royaltones (#17, Dec)
98--THE STORY OF MY LIFE:-Marty Robbins (#30, Jan)
99--I'LL WAIT FOR YOU:-Frankie Avalon (#15, Dec)
100-GINGERBREAD:-Frankie Avalon (#9, Sept)