My Favorite Songs of 1955-62

I wanted to see how far back I could go, to hear songs that are enjoyable to the modern rock ‘n roll fan (i.e. me).

It turns out 1955 is my cutoff. Yes, ’54 had Rock Around the Clock, which is a famous song thanks to Happy Days, but there was nothing else that truly spoke to me that year or in any prior years. So 1955 it is. And because these lists of songs were getting pretty lean by 1963, I figured I’d combine the eight years prior.

These years are 12-19 years prior to my birth. These artists seem ancient. Is this what my daughter thinks when she hears Pearl Jam?

Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.

This list doesn’t have any songs that I would consider “Awesome”, but there a few greats. The full list of songs is in chart form at the end, but here were my favorites from that year…

26 Solid Songs Released Between 1955 and 1962

Witch Doctor – David Seville & The Chipmunks, 1958

Some fancy camerawork here!

Roses Are Red (My Love) – Bobby Vinton, 1962

The Twist – Chubby Checker, 1962

Duke of Earl – Gene Chandler, 1962

Let’s Dance – Chris Montez, 1962

Surfin’ Safari – Beach Boys, 1962

Look how young they are!

The Monster Mash – Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett, 1962

Could the 60’s have been any dorkier?

Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker, 1962

Hey! Baby – Bruce Channel, 1962

Barbara Ann – The Regents, 1961

Chain Gang – Sam Cooke, 1960

When Will I Be Loved – Everly Brothers, 1960

Battle of New Orleans – Johnny Horton, 1959

Lonely Boy – Paul Anka, 1959

Personality – Lloyd Price, 1959

Sea of Love – Phil Phillips, 1959

Shout – The Isley Brothers, 1959

Tequila – The Champs, 1958

Get a Job – The Silhouettes, 1958

Rebel Rouser – Duane Eddy, 1958

Rave On – Buddy Holly, 1958

Love this because of John Cougar’s version…

The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – David Seville & The Chipmunks, 1958

Who doesn’t love this Christmas classic? Big part of every childhood.

Wake Up Little Susie – The Everly Brothers, 1957

That’ll Be the Day – Buddy Holly, 1957

Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis, 1957

I Hear You Knocking – Smiley Lewis, 1955

21 Great Songs From 1955 to 1962

Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley, 1957

Of you’ll see Elvis here. These were his peak years! Lots more to come.

Green Onions – Booker T. & the M.G.’s, 1962

Such a simple tune, yet it always gets me moving in some way…

Sherry – Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, 1962

Do You Love Me – The Contours, 1962

Runaround Sue – Dion, 1961

Stand By Me (Original) – Ben E. King, 1961

The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens, 1961

Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong, 1960

Sleep Walk – Santo & Johnny, 1959

All I Have to Do is Dream – The Everly Brothers, 1958

Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran, 1958

All Shook Up – Elvis Presley, 1957

I’m A Man – Bo Diddley, 1955

The Wanderer – Dion, 1962

Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley, 1962

Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley, 1956

Donna – Ritchie Valens, 1959

Rumble – Link Wray, 1958

La Bamba – Ritchie Valens, 1958

Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly, 1957

Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley, 1956

Everyday – Buddy Holly, 1957

The above songs, I put on a playlist for you on YouTube here

Follow my playlists on Spotify

Here is the full list of my favorite songs from 1955-62

Awesome – 1	Everyday	–	Buddy Holly	1957
Great – 1	The Wanderer	–	Dion	1962
Great – 1	Can’t Help Falling in Love	–	Elvis Presley	1962
Great – 1	Love Me Tender	–	Elvis Presley	1956
Great – 1	Donna	–	Ritchie Valens	1959
Great – 1	Rumble	–	Link Wray	1958
Great – 1	La Bamba	–	Ritchie Valens	1958
Great – 1	Peggy Sue	–	Buddy Holly	1957
Great – 1	Heartbreak Hotel	–	Elvis Presley	1956
Great – 9	Jailhouse Rock	–	Elvis Presley	1957
Great – 9	Green Onions	–	Booker T. & the M.G.’s	1962
Great – 9	Sherry	–	Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons	1962
Great – 9	Do You Love Me	–	The Contours	1962
Great – 9	Runaround Sue	–	Dion	1961
Great – 9	Stand By Me (Original)	–	Ben E. King	1961
Great – 9	The Lion Sleeps Tonight	–	The Tokens	1961
Great – 9	Money (That’s What I Want)	–	Barrett Strong	1960
Great – 9	Sleep Walk	–	Santo & Johnny	1959
Great – 9	All I Have to Do is Dream	–	The Everly Brothers	1958
Great – 9	Summertime Blues	–	Eddie Cochran	1958
Great – 9	All Shook Up	–	Elvis Presley	1957
Great – 9	I’m A Man	–	Bo Diddley	1955
Solid – 22	Witch Doctor	–	David Seville & The Chipmunks	1958
Solid – 22	Roses Are Red (My Love)	–	Bobby Vinton	1962
Solid – 22	The Twist	–	Chubby Checker	1962
Solid – 22	Duke of Earl	–	Gene Chandler	1962
Solid – 22	Let’s Dance	–	Chris Montez	1962
Solid – 22	Surfin’ Safari	–	Beach Boys	1962
Solid – 22	The Monster Mash	–	Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett	1962
Solid – 22	Boom Boom	–	John Lee Hooker	1962
Solid – 22	Hey! Baby	–	Bruce Channel	1962
Solid – 22	Barbara Ann	–	The Regents	1961
Solid – 22	Chain Gang	–	Sam Cooke	1960
Solid – 22	When Will I Be Loved	–	Everly Brothers	1960
Solid – 22	Battle of New Orleans	–	Johnny Horton	1959
Solid – 22	Lonely Boy	–	Paul Anka	1959
Solid – 22	Personality	–	Lloyd Price	1959
Solid – 22	Sea of Love	–	Phil Phillips	1959
Solid – 22	Shout	–	The Isley Brothers	1959
Solid – 22	Tequila	–	The Champs	1958
Solid – 22	Get a Job	–	The Silhouettes	1958
Solid – 22	Rebel Rouser	–	Duane Eddy	1958
Solid – 22	Rave On	–	Buddy Holly	1958
Solid – 22	The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)	–	David Seville & The Chipmunks	1958
Solid – 22	Wake Up Little Susie	–	The Everly Brothers	1957
Solid – 22	That’ll Be the Day	–	Buddy Holly	1957
Solid – 22	Great Balls of Fire	–	Jerry Lee Lewis	1957
Solid – 22	I Hear You Knocking	–	Smiley Lewis	1955
Not Bad – 48	Loco-Motion	–	Little Eva	1962
Not Bad – 48	Breaking Up Is Hard to Do	–	Neil Sedaka	1962
Not Bad – 48	Crying	–	Roy Orbison	1961
Not Bad – 48	Runaway	–	Dion	1961
Not Bad – 48	Mother-in-Law	–	Ernie K. Doe	1961
Not Bad – 48	Blue Moon	–	The Marcels	1961
Not Bad – 48	Let’s Twist Again	–	Chubby Checker	1961
Not Bad – 48	Please Mr. Postman	–	The Marvelettes	1961
Not Bad – 48	Running Scared	–	Roy Orbison	1961
Not Bad – 48	It’s Now Or Never	–	Elvis Presley	1960
Not Bad – 48	Will You Love Me Tomorrow	–	The Shirelles	1960
Not Bad – 48	Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini	–	Brian Hyland	1960
Not Bad – 48	Dream Lover	–	Bobby Darin	1959
Not Bad – 48	Charlie Brown	–	The Coasters	1959
Not Bad – 48	A Teenager in Love	–	Dion	1959
Not Bad – 48	Sea Cruise	–	Frankie Ford	1959
Not Bad – 48	Johnny B Goode	–	Chuck Berry	1958
Not Bad – 48	Yakety Yak	–	The Coasters	1958
Not Bad – 48	Fever	–	Peggy Lee	1958
Not Bad – 48	Chantilly Lace	–	Big Bopper	1958
Not Bad – 48	To Know Him is to Love Him	–	The Teddy Bears	1958
Not Bad – 48	Good Golly, Miss Molly	–	Little Richard	1958
Not Bad – 48	Bye Bye Love	–	The Everly Brothers	1957
Not Bad – 48	Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)	–	Harry Belafonte	1957
Not Bad – 48	Come Go With Me	–	The Del-Vikings	1957
Not Bad – 48	Oh Boy!	–	Buddy Holly	1957
Not Bad – 48	Lucille	–	Little Richard	1957
Not Bad – 48	Rock and Roll Music	–	Chuck Berry	1957
Not Bad – 48	At the Hop	–	Danny & The Juniors	1957
Not Bad – 48	Don’t Be Cruel	–	Elvis Presley	1956
Not Bad – 48	Hound Dog	–	Elvis Presley	1956
Not Bad – 48	Long Tall Sally	–	Little Richard	1956
Not Bad – 48	Rock Around the Clock	–	Bill Haley & His Comets	1955
Not Bad – 48	Tutti-Frutti	–	Little Richard	1955
Not Bad – 48	Ain’t That A Shame	–	Fats Domino	1955
Not Bad – 83	Lollipop	–	Chordettes	1958
Not Bad – 83	Rockin’ Robin	–	Bobby Day	1958
Not Bad – 83	Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On	–	Jerry Lee Lewis	1957
Not Bad – 83	Little Bitty Pretty One	–	Thurston Harris	1957
Not Bad – 83	Be Bop A Lula	–	Gene Vincent	1956
Not Bad – 83	Roll Over Beethoven	–	Chuck Berry	1956
Not Bad – 83	Ain’t That A Shame	–	Pat Boone	1955
Not Bad – 83	Maybelline	–	Chuck Berry	1955
Not Bad – 83	Bo Diddley	–	Bo Diddley	1955
Not Bad – 83	Only You	–	The Platters	1955

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