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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