1958 Hits Archive

First you should know that my listening to music is not taking away any time from my reading! I am listening to music while walking (aka getting my steps), eating, and yes, even doing some reading. 

This time Mom and I listened to the 1958 Hits Archive uploaded on the45prof YouTube's channel. His playlist description, "This is a playlist of commercial recordings and songs that proved popular during the calendar year 1958 (some were recorded in 1957) via sales, juke box play, and radio exposure.…plus some others that have gained increased recognition or have been shown to have had an impact during the decades that followed."

 This playlist has 330 songs. We listened to almost all of them with about four or five exceptions. I can only speak for myself but I think 1958 is by far my favorite of the three we've listened to so far!!!

Billboard Year-end top 50 singles of 1958

Billboard #1 Singles of 1958 

Billboard Hot 100 Top-ten singles in 1958

Dare I say that anyone with some exposure to oldies (and or to movies/television shows set in the 1950s) has probably heard a good many of these songs. Many are iconic. Songs like: All I Have To Do Is Dream by the Everly Brothers, All the Way by Frank Sinatra, At the Hop by Danny & the Juniors, Book of Love by the Monotones, Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como, Chantilly Lace by the Big Bopper, Do You Wanna Dance by Bobby Freeman, Fever by Peggy Lee, Get a Job by the Silhouettes, Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard, Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry, Little Star by the Elegants, Magic Moments by Perry Como, Non Dimenticar by Nat King Cole, One Summer Night by The Danleers, Return to Me by Dean Martin, Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay by Danny & the Juniors, Short Shorts by Royal Teens, Splish Splash by Bobby Darin, Sugartime by the McGuire Sisters, Summertime, Summertime by the Jamies, Sweet Little Sixteen by Chuck Berry, Tequila by The Champs, Witch Doctor by David Seville, Yakety Yak by the Coasters. Just to name a few. Can't believe I almost forgot LOLLIPOP by The Chordettes.

Plenty of Elvis--for those that like Elvis. Plenty of Pat Boone for those that like Pat Boone. Not many Eddie Fisher--fortunately. I am biased AGAINST Eddie Fisher. Some Johnny Cash. I do love me some Johnny!!! Also a good sprinkling of Marty Robbins. It also has Sam Cooke!!!!

There is a good blend of soul, r&b, pop, novelty, and rock/rockabilly. 

There are some songs that haven't aged well and seem a bit creepy. Not many but a few. (I am not saying the intentions were wrong/bad when the song was recorded.)

I don't know that I have five songs to make up a REJECT list...but I do have a few notable stand-outs meaning standing out for all the wrong reasons and ways.

1. Delicious by Jim Backus with Kay Connell is just WEIRD. 
2. The Little Blue Man by Betty Johnson is just THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK. 
3. Nee Nee Na Na Na Nu Nu by Dicky Doo and the Don'ts. Just weird--not offensively weird.  
4. Got a Match by The Daddy-O's. Another weird title.
5. Pretty Baby by Gino and Gina. Mom and I decided neither can sing. Actually we sang about how they couldn't sing.
   

Highlights. I am not going to link to EVERY song I knew before and loved. I am limiting this to NEW TO ME SONGS or new-to-me-renditions of songs I knew.

• The Little Train by Marianne Vasel & Erich Storz. THIS IS A GERMAN YODELING SONG ABOUT A TRAIN. I am in HEAVEN. 
• Beep Beep by The Playmates. So fun. 
• Big Bopper's Wedding. Big Bopper. I do not particularly like it...at all. This is a follow-up to Chantilly Lace. I would really HATE to listen to a whole Big Bopper album. Chantilly Lace is plenty.
• Click-Clack by Dickey Doo and the Don'ts. Another train song.
• For Your Precious Love by Jerry Butler 
• The Freeze by Tony & Joe. So one of the projects I'm working on is making an ORIGINAL BARBIE'S RECORD COLLECTION playlist. Mom and I decided she'd be excellent at FREEZE.
• Ginger Bread by Frankie Avalon. I don't love *all* his songs. But this one is catchy and fun. 
• Hey, Schoolgirl by Tom & Jerry (aka Simon & Garfunkel). I wouldn't have known it was Simon & Garfunkel except for the music notes in the video description. 
• The Hula Hoop Song by Georgia Gibbs. 
• Just Married by Marty Robbins. 
• Left Right Out Of Your Heart by Patti Page. 
• Pledging My Love by Roy Hamilton. I mentioned this song in another post. I've only known this song--in three or four renditions--for about a week, but I am so IN LOVE WITH IT. I don't know my favorite version...yet. I might write a post about just this one song.
• Queen of the Hop by Bobby Darin. Mom and I both decided Barbie would have been Queen of the Hop!
• A Wonderful Time Up There by Pat Boone. I know some of you will be surprised that Pat Boone made my favorites list...but this song is the right kind of song for him to sing.
  

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