The 40 Greatest 50s Songs, from Rock Around the Clock to Mack the Knife

What is the most famous song of the 50s?

"Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets is often called the song that launched the rock and roll era, and Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog", Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" are the defining rock and roll songs of the decade. Among ballads, Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" and the Platters' "Only You" are still beloved.

The birth of rock and roll

1. "Rock Around the Clock", Bill Haley and His Comets, 1954: a hit after it opened the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle.
2. "Heartbreak Hotel", Elvis Presley, 1956: his first number one.
3. "Hound Dog", Elvis Presley, 1956: a raucous rock and roll smash.
4. "Don't Be Cruel", Elvis Presley, 1956: a bouncy, easygoing number one.
5. "Jailhouse Rock", Elvis Presley, 1957: the title song of his film.
6. "Johnny B. Goode", Chuck Berry, 1958: the ultimate rock and roll guitar song.
7. "Maybellene", Chuck Berry, 1955: his first hit, a rock and roll reworking of an old country fiddle tune.
8. "Tutti Frutti", Little Richard, 1955: a wild, joyous explosion.
9. "Great Balls of Fire", Jerry Lee Lewis, 1957: pounding piano rock and roll.
10. "Blueberry Hill", Fats Domino, 1956: a warm New Orleans classic.
11. "Blue Suede Shoes", Carl Perkins, 1956: a rockabilly landmark.
12. "Be-Bop-a-Lula", Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, 1956
13. "That'll Be the Day", Buddy Holly and the Crickets, 1957
14. "Peggy Sue", Buddy Holly, 1957
15. "La Bamba", Ritchie Valens, 1958: a Mexican folk song turned rock and roll.
16. "Summertime Blues", Eddie Cochran, 1958

Doo-wop and vocal group classics

17. "Earth Angel", the Penguins, 1954
18. "Sh-Boom", the Chords, 1954
19. "Only You (And You Alone)", the Platters, 1955
20. "The Great Pretender", the Platters, 1955
21. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", the Platters, 1958
22. "In the Still of the Nite", the Five Satins, 1956
23. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, 1956
24. "Mr. Sandman", the Chordettes, 1954
25. "There Goes My Baby", the Drifters, 1959: one of the first R&B records with strings.

Crooners and pop standards of the 50s

26. "Unforgettable", Nat King Cole, 1951
27. "Mona Lisa", Nat King Cole, 1950
28. "Young at Heart", Frank Sinatra, 1953
29. "Come Fly with Me", Frank Sinatra, 1958
30. "Que Sera, Sera", Doris Day, 1956: from Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.
31. "Tennessee Waltz", Patti Page, 1950: one of the best-selling records of the decade.
32. "Mack the Knife", Bobby Darin, 1959: a swinging number one and Grammy Record of the Year.
33. "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", Paul Anka, 1959

Country, R&B and soul of the 50s

34. "Your Cheatin' Heart", Hank Williams, 1953
35. "I Walk the Line", Johnny Cash, 1956
36. "Walkin' After Midnight", Patsy Cline, 1957
37. "Bye Bye Love", the Everly Brothers, 1957
38. "All I Have to Do Is Dream", the Everly Brothers, 1958
39. "Lonely Teardrops", Jackie Wilson, 1958
40. "What'd I Say", Ray Charles, 1959: a call-and-response jam that helped invent soul music.

What types of music were popular in the 1950s?

At the start of the 50s, the charts belonged to traditional pop: crooners like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and Doris Day, backed by big orchestras. Rhythm and blues was thriving on Black radio stations and records, country music had its honky-tonk heroes like Hank Williams, and jazz was moving from bebop to cool jazz. In the middle of the decade these sounds collided in rock and roll, and doo-wop vocal groups, rockabilly and teen idols followed. Harry Belafonte even made calypso a craze with "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)".

50s music artists who defined the decade

• Elvis Presley: the King of Rock and Roll, whose 1956 TV appearances made him a national sensation.
• Chuck Berry: the poet and guitar hero of rock and roll.
• Little Richard: the wild, flamboyant architect of rock and roll.
• Fats Domino: New Orleans piano and one of the best-selling artists of the era.
• Buddy Holly: a songwriter and bandleader who influenced the Beatles.
• The Everly Brothers: close harmonies that inspired a generation of duos.
• The Platters: the most successful vocal group of the decade.
• Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra: the great voices of 50s pop.
• Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash: country legends who began their careers in the 50s.
• Ray Charles: the genius who blended gospel and R&B into soul.

The moments that defined 50s music

Disc jockey Alan Freed helped popularize the term rock and roll in the early 50s, and in 1955 "Rock Around the Clock" played over the opening of Blackboard Jungle and became a number one hit. Elvis Presley's television appearances in 1956, including The Ed Sullivan Show, made him the most famous singer in America. American Bandstand went national in 1957, and in August 1958 Billboard launched the Hot 100. On February 3, 1959, a plane crash in Iowa killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, a tragedy later remembered as the day the music died. For more, see our Los Lobos songs, who took "La Bamba" back to number one in 1987.

50s songs for a sock hop or a party

For a 50s party or sock hop, play "Rock Around the Clock", "Johnny B. Goode", "Tutti Frutti", "Great Balls of Fire", "Jailhouse Rock" and "La Bamba", and teach everyone the twist and the stroll. "Mr. Sandman", "Lollipop" and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" are fun singalongs, and "Tequila" is a perfect instrumental break. For more, see our funny songs, which include several 50s novelty hits.

50s songs for a wedding or an anniversary

For a vintage wedding or a 50s-themed anniversary, "Unforgettable", "Only You", "Earth Angel", "In the Still of the Nite", "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" are beautiful slow dances, and "Love Me Tender" is a classic first dance. For more, see our old love songs.

50s songs for an 80th or 90th birthday

For someone who was a teenager in the 50s, the songs of that decade are pure memory. Play "Blueberry Hill", "Bye Bye Love", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", "Que Sera, Sera" and "Peggy Sue" at an 80th or 90th birthday party, and watch the whole room start singing. For more, see our 60s songs for the decade that followed.

A song as timeless as the 50s

The songs of the 50s were simple, sweet and full of life. A personalized song can capture someone you love the same way: their name, the story of how you met and the memories of a lifetime, with a doo-wop, rock and roll or jazz sound. It makes a heartwarming gift for a grandparent's birthday or a golden anniversary.

How to create a personalized song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: rock, jazz, country, pop and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a song of their own: create a song and hear four previews for free.