'50s Rock 'n' Roll Music: Album, Track and Artist Charts

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Description of '50s Rock 'n' Roll

Rock 'n' roll in the 1950s can be divided into two camps: the Rockabilly-based mongrelization of Early Country and Delta Blues that Elvis Presley made famous in '56, and the jumping party music of hundreds of black musicians recently released from the service following World War II, among them Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris and Louis Jordan. Theirs was a rough, primal music, a revved-up form of barrellhouse blues with lots of jazz and Gospel thrown in for motor- booty flavor. Rock 'n' roll was a party-down phenomenon in juke joints and roadhouses across the country years before Elvis, Jerry Lee and Chuck Berry packaged it for teenagers in the latter half of the '50s. But the overwhelming energy and mathematically dependable formula of early rock 'n' roll was, and is, a barrier-crusher. It elicits the most basic human responses, whether a tapping of one's foot or uncontrollable hooting and hollering. This is where it all started, and you can expect to find the familiar elements: guitar-as-front-man, a leering, open sexuality, and a healthy distrust of authority.

'50s Rock 'n' Roll Key Tracks

Play/Add All

Play/Add	Track	Artist
	1. All Shook Up	Elvis Presley
	2. Let's Have A Party	Wanda Jackson
	3. Travelin' Man	Rick Nelson
	4. Graduation Day	The Four Freshmen
	5. Be-Bop-A-Lula	Gene Vincent
	6. Before The Next Teardrop Falls	Freddy Fender

'50s Rock 'n' Roll Key Albums

Subgenres

Doo-Wop

Filed Under

Oldies > '50s Rock 'n' Roll

'50s Rock 'n' Roll Key Artists

Bill Haley & the Comets

Though some consider Bill
Haley to be the first rock 'n'
roll musician, he merely
brought rock 'n' roll to
white audiences. Bill Hale...

Bo Diddley

One of the main architects
of rock 'n' roll, Bo Diddley's
unique rhythmic guitar
playing is key element in
rock 'n' roll. Bo Diddley's...

Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly was a rock
pioneer. He wrote his own
material; used the
recording studio for
doubletracking and other...

Carl Perkins

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry's driving guitar
style and picturesque
songwriting became a
cornerstone of rock 'n' roll.
Berry modeled his rhyth...

Eddie Cochran

Cochran's thick, blustery
Rockabilly captured the
essence of '50s teenage life
in songs such as
"Summertime Blues." Kille...

Elvis Presley

From his humble Rockabilly
beginning to his swaggering,
sweaty Las Vegas persona,
Elvis embodied all that was
rock 'n' roll. Elvis cut his f...

Fats Domino

With more than 65 million
record sales to his credit,
New Orleans singer and
pianist Fats Domino out sold
every 1950s rock & roll pio...

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

Frankie Lymon, backed by
the Teenagers, became the
first black teen pop star
with the hit "Why Do Fools
Fall In Love?" Frankie Lym...

Ike Turner

Ike says he invented rock
'n' roll, which isn't far from
the truth. He played on
"Rocket 88," one of the first
rock songs. In addition to...

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis' wild stage
show, feverish songwriting
and out-of-control behavior
continue to inspire
musicians today. Lewis' d...

Little Richard

Little Richard set the world
on fire with his flamboyant
style and truly
out-of-control,
piano-pounding music. Lit...

Rick Nelson

First known for his role on
'50s TV show "Ozzie and
Harriet," Nelson became a
top Teen Idol, playing
catchy Rockabilly. Rick N...

Ritchie Valens

Best known for his '50s hits
"La Bamba" and "Donna,"
Ritchie Valens brought a
Latino influenced sound to
rock 'n' roll. Ritchie Vale...

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

The original shock-rocker,
Hawkins' ghoulish live show
matched the insanity of his
unbridled R&B howling. At
the urging of popular disc...

The Clovers

One of the earliest rock
bands, the Clovers melded
the big rhythm of R&B with
the rawness of blues and
wailing gospel. Many of th...

The Coasters

The Coasters rocked the
'50s, performing playful
Doo-Wop numbers written
by the dynamic songwriting
duo of Lieber & Stoller. So...

The Everly Brothers

Don and Phil Everly are the
spiritual and literal
forefathers of Country
Rock. They are the epitome
of Close Harmony singing....

The Penguins

Vocals greats the Penguins
made a career out of the
Doo-Wop classic, "Earth
Angel," their only hit song.

The Platters

One of Doo Wop's most
enduring institutions, the
Platters are best known for
their hits "The Great
Pretender" and "Only You...

'50s Rock 'n' Roll

Description of '50s Rock 'n' Roll

'50s Rock 'n' Roll Key Tracks

'50s Rock 'n' Roll Key Albums

Subgenres

Filed Under

'50s Rock 'n' Roll Key Artists

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