February 3, 1959 is enshrined as "The Day The Music Died" by Don McLean, and I will pay tribute to Buddy Holly, Richie Vallens & The Big Bopper with that song, but there is another theme here today for this meme invented by our buddy Travis. To take part, visit his site: Trav's Thoughts to sign in and share your musical selections.
I was listening on the radio the other day to one of those pop psychologists who put forth the idea that the music we all come back to, identify as our "favorite songs", and have the most memories connected to are whatever is popular when we are between 13 and 16. This is when we start buying most of our own music, differentiating our tastes from our parents and start associating at a high level with our peers. I don't suppose we could have figured that one out for ourselves without his help, now could we?
For me that period would have been 1957 - 1960.
The summer of 1957 was spent at the huge swimming plunge in Fresno and I swear the juke box played Pat Boone every other song. This was one of the few that wasn't one of his "white covers" of a black song as it was the theme for his first movie and written by the incomparable Johnny Mercer: Bernadine
1958 and American Bandstand is an every afternoon must watch event. Here one of the top songs by Danny and the Juniors: At The Hop. Yes the boys did wear suits and the girls dresses.
1959...
Around the world: An armed revolt led by Fidel Castro pours out of the hills to overcomes Batista and establishes a Communist dictatorship in Cuba. The Viet Cong, attacked military installations in South Vietnam, touching off a nasty little civil war.
Back in the good 'ole US of A: Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th States. The Nobel committee awarded the Prize for physiology or medicine jointly to Severo Ochoa and Arthur Kornberg for their work on RNA and DNA Speaking of the Right Stuff, NASA named the first (7) Mercury astronauts.
And though the year started calmly, change was definitely coming as black groups and even more importantly, black issues made both the hit charts and the news. The Drifters came out with the song that will always represent my first broken heart.
1960 - Sweet 16, kissed but still missed and heading rapidly for the tumultuous years of the next decade when I would have the death of a parent, and graduation from high school followed by starting college, getting married, having children and ten years later being divorced. Amazing that it started so quietly with this beautiful movie theme that became "Song of The Year"
Being somewhat precocious I actually started buying all my own music in 1956. The very first 45 ever purchased was Gogi Grant's "Wayward Wind" which probably reinforced the gypsy nature of my life. This is the full list of the top 100 for the year. There should be some memory joggers here for you all.
| Position | Artist | Song Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Heartbreak Hotel |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Don't Be Cruel |
| 3 | Nelson Riddle | Lisbon Antigua |
| 4 | Platters | My Prayer |
| 5 | Gogi Grant | The Wayward Wind |
| 6 | Les Baxter | The Poor People Of Paris |
| 7 | Doris Day | Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera) |
| 8 | Elvis Presley | Hound Dog |
| 9 | Dean Martin | Memories Are Made Of This |
| 10 | Kay Starr | Rock And Roll Waltz |
| 11 | Morris Stoloff | Moonglow And Theme From "Picnic" |
| 12 | Platters | The Great Pretender |
| 13 | Pat Boone | I Almost Lost My Mind |
| 14 | Elvis Presley | I Want You, I Need You, I Love You |
| 15 | Elvis Presley | Love Me Tender |
| 16 | Perry Como | Hot Diggity |
| 17 | Eddie Heywood and Hugo Winterhalter | Canadian Sunset |
| 18 | Carl Perkins | Blue Suede Shoes |
| 19 | Jim Lowe | The Green Door |
| 20 | Four Lads | No, Not Much |
| 21 | Bill Doggett | Honky Tonk |
| 22 | Tennessee Ernie Ford | Sixteen Tons |
| 23 | Johnnie Ray | Just Walking In The Rain |
| 24 | Patti Page | Allegheny Moon |
| 25 | Fats Domino | I'm In Love Again |
| 26 | Patience and Prudence | Tonight You Belong To Me |
| 27 | Gene Vincent | Be-bop-a-lula |
| 28 | Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers | Why Do Fools Fall In Love |
| 29 | Four Lads | Standing On The Corner |
| 30 | Buchanan and Goodman | The Flying Saucer |
| 31 | George Cates | Moonglow And Theme From Picnic |
| 32 | Cathy Carr | Ivory Tower |
| 33 | Bill Haley and His Comets | See You Later Alligator |
| 34 | Pat Boone | I'll Be Home |
| 35 | Vic Damone | On The Street Where You Live |
| 36 | Platters | Magic Touch |
| 37 | Chordettes | Born To Be With You |
| 38 | Don Cherry | Band Of Gold |
| 39 | Perry Como | More |
| 40 | Guy Mitchell | Singing The Blues |
| 41 | Fats Domino | Blueberry Hill |
| 42 | Stanford Clark | The Fool |
| 43 | Don Robertson | The Happy Whistler |
| 44 | Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly | True Love |
| 45 | Little Richard | Long Tall Sally |
| 46 | Teresa Brewer | Sweet Old Fashioned Girl |
| 47 | Norvus Nevous | Transfusion |
| 48 | Ames Brothers | It Only Hurts For A Little While |
| 49 | Teresa Brewer | A Tear Fell |
| 50 | Lonnie Donegan | Rock Island Line |
| 51 | Dream Weavers | It's Almost Tomorrow |
| 52 | Pat Boone | Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) |
| 53 | Frank Sinatra | Hey Jealous Lover |
| 54 | Eddy Heywood | Soft Summer Breeze |
| 55 | Andy Williams | Canadian Sunset |
| 56 | Eddie Fisher | Dungaree Doll |
| 57 | George Hamilton Iv | A Rose and a Baby Ruth |
| 58 | Eddie Fisher | Cindy Oh Cindy |
| 59 | Jerry Vale | You Don't Know Me |
| 60 | Moritat (Theme From Threepenny Opera) | Dick Hyman |
| 61 | Gale Storm | Ivory Tower |
| 62 | Joe Valino | Garden of Eden |
| 63 | Vince Martin and the Tarriers | Cindy Oh Cindy |
| 64 | Otis Williams and the Charms | Ivory Tower |
| 65 | Crew Cuts | Angels in the Sky |
| 66 | Mitch Miller | Song For a Summer Night |
| 67 | Gale Storm | Why Do Fools Fall in Love |
| 68 | Gale Storm | Teen Age Prayer |
| 69 | McGuire Sisters | Picnic |
| 70 | Al Hibbler | After the Lights Go Down Low |
| 71 | Patti Page | Mama From the Train |
| 72 | Nat King Cole | That's All There Is to That |
| 73 | Kit Carson | Band of Gold |
| 74 | Tony Martin | Walk Hand in Hand |
| 75 | Diamonds | Why Do Fools Fall in Love |
| 76 | Perry Como | Juke Box Baby |
| 77 | Rusty Draper | Are You Satisfied |
| 78 | Jo Stafford | It's Almost Tomorrow |
| 79 | Platters | You'll Never Never Know |
| 80 | Perry Como | Glendora |
| 81 | Johnny Cash | I Walk the Line |
| 82 | Tony Bennett | Can You Find It in Your Heart |
| 83 | Pat Boone | Tutti-Frutti |
| 84 | Fontane Sisters | Eddie My Love |
| 85 | Don Rondo | Two Different Worlds |
| 86 | Jane Powell | True Love |
| 87 | Richard Hayman and Jan August | Moritat |
| 88 | Nat King Cole | Night Lights |
| 89 | Cadillacs | Speedoo |
| 90 | Diamonds | The Church Bells May Ring |
| 91 | Peggy Lee | Mr Wonderful |
| 92 | Fats Domino | My Blue Heaven |
| 93 | Clyde McPhatter | Treasure of Love |
| 94 | Eileen Rodgers | Miracle of Love |
| 95 | Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers | I Want You to Be My Girl |
| 96 | Lawrence Welk | Tonight You Belong to Me |
| 97 | Chordettes | Lay Down Your Arms |
| 98 | Richard Maltby | Theme From 'the Man with the Golden Arm |
| 99 | Teresa Brewer | Bo Weevil |
| 100 | Blue Stars | Lullaby of Birdland |
