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- Through the Years, 1950s style: A Jana and Erin playlist
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Come On, Let’s Go by Ritchie Valens (1958): This video clip is fun, even if the person who uploaded it misspelled the artist’s name.
Chantilly Lace by The Big Bopper (1958): “Hellllooooo baaaaaby!”
Not Fade Away by Buddy Holly (1957): Jana is a big fan of this bespectacled musician’s songs. He appears in our playlists from time to time. (Jana’s note: I’m pretty sure this is at least his 3rd mention)
Songs from piano men:
Tutti Frutti by Little Richard (1955):
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On by Jerry Lee Lewis (1957): Let’s forget about that whole marrying his teenage cousin part of the story. (Jana’s note: Did anyone else see Great Balls of Fire? Wasn’t Dennis Quaid pretty great in that?)
Songs by brothers:
Shout by The Isley Brothers (1959): The dance scene in Animal House with John Belushi in a toga is one of those iconic cinematic scenes where the perfect song was picked for a movie. But, that’s not this video clip because that was Otis Day and the Knights covering The Isley Brothers.
Bye Bye Love by The Everly Brothers (1957): fun fact~the daughter of one of these guys is named Erin Everly and that’s who inspired Axl Rose to write the lyrics for Sweet Child of Mine. (Jana’s note: I did not know that)
Songs that make you want to dance (besides the ones already mentioned):
Shake, Rattle, and Roll by Bill Haley and the Comets (1954):
At the Hop by Danny & the Juniors (1957)
Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry: Since we forgot about Jerry Lee Lewis marrying his cousin, let’s forget that Chuck Berry allegedly had cameras installed in the women’s toilets filming them while using the restroom at a restaurant he owned… (Jana’s note: I did not know this either. But seriously, what the actual fuck?)
Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley (1956): For that slow dance…
Songs that were introduced to me (Erin) by my grandfather:
Your Cheatin’ Heart by Hank Williams (1953):
It’s Only Make Believe by Conway Twitty (1958): Sometime, in the ’70s, my (Erin’s) grandparents and extended family went to a Conway Twitty show, and Dolly Parton was the opening act. My uncle bought me nachos, and I was sitting on his lap eating them. Then, I puked all over his boots while Conway Twitty was playing. Awww sweet memories.
Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (1955): Johnny sings “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.” Johnny was gansta before gangsta rappers.
But, what’s great, is songs like these have lasted SIXTY years. Think about that. What songs recorded this decade do you think will last as long as these? What artists will the bloggers of 2076 be sharing?
i just commented on Erin’s that i totally grew up with this music (except for the last 3) and so many of these are favourites and i listen to regularly. i can’t believe they’ve lasted this long – don’t think we will be able to say that for many recent songs, but maybe i know nothing lol. maybe Adele? i knew about jerry lee lewis and his cousin, but i did not know about chuck berry and the women’s bathroom cameras. ew!
The bathroom thing is disgusting.
I know that I grew up with this music but the Buddy Holly obsession is my own doing.
We need a rapper today with the name Big Bopper 🙂
I feel like it would have totally different meaning today 🙂
The 50s is not my favorite music decade by far, but I do love Mack the Knife and Sam Cooke 50s stuff.
My first job out of college was at a small TV station in Austin, MN and every year we did a big segment on the anniversary of the Buddy Holly plane crash. I actually got to tag along when they filmed the festival. It was fun, minus when we went to the actual crash site for the memorial. Iowa is pretty damn cold in the middle of winter. I actually recognize many of these songs, but my parents were bigger fans of 60’s music, so those songs I know quite well and remember listening to them all the time when I younger.
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There are so many good classics listed here that are still relevant and well known today!
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You didn’t know about the Chuck Berry bathroom fiasco? He ended up “settling” for over a million dollars. I think he had to pay out over 50 patrons that could be identified on the video recordings. By settling, he was able to avoid criminal charges somehow. Lovely, huh?
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