Pollin' Tracks Spo-Dee-O-Dee! ILM does the 1950s—THE TOP 101 RESULTS THREAD

(xp)
Not if you're a crocfarmer.

There is a rumor that Glen Campbell played on that record but he did not join The Champs until much later.

Our 94th favorite song of the '50s actually comes from 1964, der.

94. HOWLIN' WOLF "Killing Floor" (1964) [311 points, 6 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T27V376AF4

Haha. I'm guessing there will be a bunch more Howlin' Wolf to come - hopefully the others will be suitably '50s-created.

exciting! following on my phone at the moment which isn't ideal. Aw man, Wanda - TOO LOW

man, I have not heard any of these songs before except "Tequila" which I did not vote for.

"Killing Floor" was in my top 10. I didn't even think of it being a later song of his.

hoo boy, fujiyama mama placing that low makes me worried about a lot of my favorites

I had three Howlin' Wolf tracks under consideration, including that one, but I think I actually ended up not voting for any of them.

I'm just worried that JF only started from #101 because that's the *only* electronic track that came close and he doesn't want me to go all HULK SMASH on you all.

First time hearing: Fujiyama Mama, the original Rubber Biscuit (I know the Blues Bros version), Somethin' Else.

Really? You never even heard The Tenpole Tudor version of "Somethin' Else."

I had three Howlin' Wolf tracks under consideration, including that one, but I think I actually ended up not voting for any of them.

One of the first tapes I ever bought was a bargain series Eddie Cochran "best of" because I'd heard "Somethin' Else" on the radio. I go back with that song a long way, yet for some reason I gave my vote to "Summertime Blues" instead. I'm giving myself the stink eye.

Tenpole Tudor falls off a lot of US radar screens for some reason.

Or maybe it was Sid Vicious, it's been awhile.

93. THE TEDDY BEARS "To Know Him Is to Love Him" (1958) [319 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW2Bi9J2hQE

Aha, another one of my votes. Somewhat sappy, I know, but wonderfully done.

xxpost
Voted for 'Somethin' Else' but not 'Summertime Blues'. I'd say that 'Summertime Blues' is the better song but at the time preferred 'Somethin' Else's aggression.

fab song---the bridge is celestial.

(xpost) Sid--I've got a 45. It's also on Rock 'n Roll Swindle, which Tenpole Tudor turns up in, so maybe that's the confusion.

Yup. Thanks, for the clarification, clemenza. Tenpole Tudor does sing "Who Killed Bambi?" I think.

Can't even remember which Eddie Cochran I voted for, don't have access to my ballot right now. But I used to have this LP on Liberty called 20 Golden Greats in college that my roommate and his buddy took a liking to so I listened to it all the time and could easily have voted for, say, "Drive-In Show" if it had been nominated.

Think I ended up voting for "Somethin' Else" because it did the stop-start thing especially well. Two random facts about Eddie Cochran: He was one of the first rockers into multi-tracking. In Earl Palmer's autobiography Earl says that he played a lot of sessions and the artists didn't pay any attention to him so he really appreciated when Eddie Cochran came over and shook his hand.

The title of that Teddy Bears song came from Phil Spector's dad's tombstone, no?

92. THE SHIRELLES "I Met Him on a Sunday" (1958) [323 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0D_qkha5wU

And another of mine, yesss. Proto-girl groups nestling into their own little section here.

91. LITTLE RICHARD "Long Tall Sally" (1956) [326 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWRaF3_wgIg

I keep reading the title as if it were the Shed Seven song - was relieved to find they are entirely dissimilar.

Little Richard is totally underappreciated in the present day. Hell, he was underappreciated when this song was brand new. Dude is lightning in a bottle.

And he would tell you so himself. Haven't checked: is there a youtube video of the time he was presenting a Grammmy with David Johansen. First he looked disapprovingly at Buster Poindexter's copycat hairdo, then he opened the envelope and said "And the winner for the Best New Artist is: me! I've been singing for years and you ain't given me nothin'!" At which point the camera pulled back to a bird's eye view from the ceiling so we could properly follow the goings on.

Yeah, he had a brief surge of new popularity after that--but wasn't really able to capitalize on it, other than being invited to lots of VH1 tapings.

90. ELVIS PRESLEY "Hound Dog" (1956) [328 points, 6 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR3i3H2nR-A

Jerry Leiber went down to the pier to pick up Mike Stoller and his new bride from a lifeboat leaving the wreck of the Andrea Doria, which they had been on during their honeymoon. Jerry told the wet, freezing, blanket-wrapped Mike "We've got a number one hit on 'Hound Dog'!" "Big Mama Thornton?" "No, this new kid, Elvis Presley."

Yeah, he had a brief surge of new popularity after that--but wasn't really able to capitalize on it, other than being invited to lots of VH1 tapings.

Nominated 'Hound Dog', didn't vote for it. Frankly Big Mama Thornton's version blows it out the water.

"Long Tall Sally" was my #2---an atomic bomb of pop still.

89. MOONDOG "All Is Loneliness" (1956) [328 points, 8 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3JVpVqiIBQ

Woah. What is that?

Little Richard on The Grammys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ-qRSsmg10

Awesome (xpost). I have the feeling this might be one of the weirder polls we get if Moondog beats Elvis and Little Richard.

^__^

Think those guys might have some other strings in their bow, some other songs coming up.

Nah. It's all Stockhausen from here on in.

That was one I hadn't heard before - definitely a highlight. Feels almost like it could have come from any decade in the 20thC.

Cut moondog at the last minute after a confused debate with myself. So great.

emil.y otm, feel like the unpredictables might go way higher than usual.

roffle at Stockhausen joke.

88. FATS DOMINO "Blueberry Hill" (1956) [331 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgIIaPbVw-Q

Song always makes me think of Happy Days and young Ron Howard singing it in the most awful way possible. When I hear it out of context, I realize how really wonderful it is.

From my votes so far Louis & Bebe, Shirelles, Teddy Bears and the magnificent Moondog have showed up. And I'm equally glad and pleasantly surprised that they did!

Haha yes, Richie Cunningham ruined it for me too (even if 'I'm in big trouble' still makes me laugh for such a lame joke)

Yeah, hated that Ron Howard Blueberry Hill thing.

Ike Turner will tell you this is the very first rock & roll song. I haven't heard anything made earlier that would contradict his claim (though the margin of difference between this and jump blues is very thin).

87. JACKIE BRENSTON & HIS DELTA CATS "Rocket 88" (1951) [332 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzYRKJvQqpU

From my votes so far Louis & Bebe, Shirelles, Teddy Bears and the magnificent Moondog have showed up. And I'm equally glad and pleasantly surprised that they did!

― Asamoah Nyan (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, July 11, 2011 4:59 PM (8 minutes ago)

OMG MINDMELD

<3

87. JACKIE BRENSTON & HIS DELTA CATS "Rocket 88" (1951) [332 points, 5 votes]

omg, WAY too low

"who were"

Ditto Simon & Garfunkel.

Cliff Richard (82) & Hank Marvin (81)

Marilyn Maye is more of the '60s but first sang on a record in the '50s and is now 94 and still singing. She appeared on Johnny Carson's show more often than any other singer.

Elephant In The Room: Pat Boone (88)

Smaller elephant: Frankie Avalon (82), who started charting in '54 and had two #1s in the '50s.