Fifties Rock N Rollers POLL

What was the title of this thread again?

imo elvis in the sun era is every bit as interesting and idiosyncratic and original musically as any of these guys, tho it's maybe got as much to do with scotty moore, sam phillips et al as with elvis. even his approach to ballads ('blue moon' especially) was very different then, nothing like the more straightforward crooner-y approach he took later on.

What was the title of this thread again?

Bo Diddley is Jesus

The people who are making this about Elvis are the haters, not the fans, and they should be making arguments in favor of their favorites I sets is essentially derailing.

This is my favorite '50s rock and roll song not by someone listed above (including, maybe, Elvis...would have to think about that):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDyeePUXN18&feature=kp

Between "La Do Dada" and "Susie Q," I'd probably take Hawkins over Eddie Cochran.I

bo diddley is jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxXQYtBa65Y

Almost voted for Berry, but then I watched a couple of those Bo youtubes and now I'm not sure.

i don't think it's weird to spend a little time on elvis in a thread about '50s rockers! plus, it's a convenient way to avoid making the impossible choice that the thread presents.

Considering voting for pretty much every artist here except the first and the last. For me Jerry Lee's wildman antics often overshadow the records. As far as Fats, feel like the New Orleans thing was done better by Little Richard and all the artists that didn't have so many hits- Benny Spellman, Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner, The Showmen, to name a few, plus Richie Cunningham ruined "Blueberry Hill" for me for life.

So much ruining with all these guys

Ha, exactly. One reason I'm thinking of voting for Carl Perkins.

crüt otm with that video. Was just recommending that movie and trying to describe that very scene.

James Redd, I don't know what to say. You've probably heard those artists more than me. I know "Mother-in-Law" and "Lipstick Traces" and "It Will Stand" and "I Like It Like That." I don't perceive a world where Fats Domino is not top drawer.

(Not to say those other records are not also top drawer, naturally.)

Bria's Elvis photo says it all, but I'm sure there are Berry and Little Richard fans who think they were more important to Rock's birth than Elvis. But I would have voted Elvis every time.

bo diddley just barely over chuck berry and fats domino. woulda voted elvis pretty easily.

http://www.geni.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/birthcertificate_original-600x489.jpg

http://www.elvisinfonet.com/image-files/Elvis_Presley_grave.jpg

Don't think I knew or forgot that

• Vernon's middle name was Elvis
• Gladys's maiden name was Love and first name was misspelt on the birth certificate

Sorry *middle* name was Love.

I'm glad Elvis isn't among the options, even though, like MBJ, I'm a much bigger fan of his work starting with From Elvis in Memphis. The '50s stuff is undeniably great, but doesn't have the twitchy, bug-eyed insanity that also-rans like Charlie Feathers and Sonny Burgess had. Anyway, still definitely voting for Chuck Berry. I really need to get those Hip-O boxes of his complete Chess recordings one of these days when I've got a few hundred bucks to spare.

xpost according to that document, you were right the first time.

BO DIDDLEY has won my heart and I can never give it to another.

Interesting point on the rockabilly also-rans over Sun-era Elvis - much like how the wildest 60's rock n roll came from the garage bands, not the Beatles and Stones. Not necessarily "better" but definitely more bug-eyed, twitchy and insane. Been listening to Sonny Burgess a lot lately, and Ain't Got a Thing and Red-headed Woman definitely hold their own with any of the best of the guys in this poll.

Poll is too difficult

these guys are all great, I guess for pure impact Bo, CB, Rich and JLL are the kings

Love Sonny Burgess. Ald although he didn't record much, every Joe Clay song I've heard is incredible.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UP93tRdP89g/Uz2_3uH4UVI/AAAAAAAABeY/BdcG7B-Lyug/s1600/genevincent1958_Yakima_Washington_2Small.jpg

Gene Vincent, people!

Hard to believe we made it this deep into a 50's rock convo without a Link Wray mention. I'm really only familiar with "Rumble", but he's got to have his fans around these parts.

Yeah Link Wray's a genius.

I think that's one of those cases where "genius" is a term way too easily thrown around. Genius implies intellect to me, and I think Wray's greatness comes from an instinctive, almost subconscious zone.

ie. he's a genius

But yeah it's a shame he never learned calculus and theoretical physics and ended up designing rockets for the military industrial complex. You know, genius stuff.

is that some kind of jokey reference to Skunk Baxter

Baxter Stockman

But yeah it's a shame he never learned calculus and theoretical physics and ended up designing rockets for the military industrial complex. You know, genius stuff.
― ▴▲ ▴TH3CR()$BY$H()W▴▲ ▴ (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, May 1, 2014 11:51 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

http://pixel.nymag.com/content/dam/daily/vulture/2013/08/23/23-thomas-pynchon.jpg

oops, sorry about the size (thomas pynchon)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8de10hR6Xho

Sorry for continuing to derail this.

Thought it was Ray Charles who was known as The Genius.

lol at Pynchon photo.

Genius is pain
-Bob MarleyKurt VonnegutDr. Winston O'Boogie

Hard to believe we made it this deep into a 50's rock convo without a Link Wray mention. I'm really only familiar with "Rumble", but he's got to have his fans around these parts.

― DavidLeeRoth, Thursday, May 1, 2014 11:34 AM (35 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Was just listening to Link's version of "Ain't That Lovin' You Babe" and thinking hey, he should be in this thread!

I mean, ffs, in the midst of all the hysteria and pearl-clutching over "juvenile delinquency," he managed to get an instrumental song of his banned.

Did he do the vocals on "Ain't That Lovin' You Babe"?

Did you think I was disparaging Wray because I thought you were misusing the term "genius"?

Saw Link Wray live in 1997 and it was completely awesome. Meanwhile, "Let's go, cats!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqk2sPcF5r8

Hidden Charms is the Link vocal face-melter for me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBAl52LTiAE&feature=kp

xpost WilliamC, no not at all. I just think we have two different definitions for the word.

But yeah it's a shame he never learned calculus and theoretical physics and ended up designing rockets for the military industrial complex. You know, genius stuff.
― ▴▲ ▴TH3CR()$BY$H()W▴▲ ▴ (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, May 1, 2014 11:51 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Thought it was Ray Charles who was known as The Genius.
lol at Pynchon photo.
― Bee Traven Thousand (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, May 1, 2014

LOL at the B. Traven screen name...
(Pynchon worked for Boeing before his writing career took off)

Speaking of which, surely Ray Charles is the massive omission here...?

(Also: Johnnie Ray)

http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/04/140501_CBOX_LRonHubbard.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg

L Ron Hubbard