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1. It's All in the Game - Tommy Edwards
2. Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno
3. All I Have to Do is Dream - The Everly Brothers
4. Tequila - The Champs
5. Catch a Falling Star - Perry Como
6. Fever - Peggy Lee
7. Sugartime - The McGuire Sisters
8. Tom Dooley - The Kingston Trio
9. Don't - Elvis Presley
10. Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
11. Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson
12. It's Only Make Believe - Conway Twitty
13. To Know Him Is to Love Him - Teddy Bears
14. Patricia - Perez Prado
15. You Are My Destiny - Paul Anka
16. Oh Oh I'm Falling in Love Again - Jimmie Rodgers
17. 16 Candles - The Crests
18. Little Star - The Elegants
19. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra
20. Twilight Time - The Platters
21. Who's Sorry Now? - Connie Francis
22. Witch Doctor - David Seville
23. Teacher's Pet - Doris Day
24. He's Got the Whole World In His Hands - Laurie London
25. Return To Me (Rittorna A Me) - Dean Martin
26. Magic Moments - Perry Como
27. Stardust - Pat Boone
28. Bird Dog - The Everly Brothers
29. Left Right Out Of Your Heart - Patti Page
30. Rawhide - Frankie Laine
31. The Chipmunk Song - David Seville
32. Everybody Loves a Lover - Doris Day
33. Summertime, Summertime - The Jamies
34. Tea for Two (Cha Cha) - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
35. Secretly - Jimmie Rodgers
36. Donna - Ritchie Valens
37. Whatever Lola Wants - Georgia Gibbs
38. Kewpie Doll - Perry Como
39. Stupid Cupid - Connie Francis
40. Are You Really Mine? - Jimmie Rodgers
Before reviewing the 1958 chart too closely, it helps to review the text between the two versions of the PopularSong.org 1957 chart. It describes how, after 1958, songs that are patently "rock and roll" will not be included in charts from 1958-1970 (1970 is the last year covered in this format).
Rock and Roll...or Popular Song?
It is a matter of judgement, and you can be sure that some songs are difficult to place. Many of the songs listed above are not "popular song" in the traditional sense that they fit the mold of a Rodgers & Hart composition, or Irving Berlin, or whatever. So the question becomes, should the canon of American popular song be limited to that sound? If so, the list above would be much shorter, and populated by recordings you're scarcely familiar with.
One of the main purposes of PopularSong.org is to demonstrate how the genre goes "on and on," just like the snippet from Neil Diamond that plays on the Table of Contents page.
The litmus test used at PopularSong.org is the Perry Como/Dinah Shore/Mills Brothers/Glenn Miller test. It goes like this: For any given song, could one of the above artists have performed that song, and stayed true to their style? For a male vocal, we use Como. Female vocal, Shore; group vocal, we use the Mills Brothers. And for instrumentals, we imagine Glenn Miller giving it one of his perfect arrangements. In short, could one of those artists "pull it off?"
Well, we can't imagine Mr. C. doing justice to Hard Headed Woman or Ritchie Valens' Let's Go, but we sure wouldn't mind his stylings on Elvis' Don't or Valens' Donna. As for Tequila, long regarded as a rock party song, the melody line is so much a part of American culture that Miller would have no problem sorting it in with American Patrol. Likewise, the Crests bill themselves as early rock and rollers, but you know the Mills Brothers could've done 16 Candles with nary a rehearsal.
Indeed, each of the above belongs in the roster of American Popular Song.
continues above, in column at right...
Here's Peggy Lee doing a swinging sixties arrangement of "Fever" a few years after it topped the charts in '58. Although this version is arguably more jazz than pop, be aware that Peggy Lee was a top singer and entertainer regardless of the arrangement. Please note that you have to double-click the little arrow to get the player to work.
Top Pop Hits of 1958, continued from column at left
So we'll take a moment, and list a few of the hit songs that don't make the chart at left.
Virtually all of those songs have had a lasting impact on the course of rock music, and as such, their influence is felt in the popular song arena as well. It is quite likely that -- given enough time -- a few of them will move into the realm of "standards." For now they remain "rock and standards." While Perry might've worked out Rock and Roll is Here to Stay as a fun little number, it's doubtful that Summertime Blues would've graced one of his NBC specials.
So did rock and roll kill off American Popular Song as so many are prone to claim? The answer is no, it simply re-directed it. It would take another five years before a true rock and roll song would top the annual chart. Of the 40 songs on the list at left, only 15 of them might be considered rock and roll crossovers. But the influence is there; up and comers like Connie Francis and Jimmie Rodgers would never be mistaken for rock and rollers, but they certainly had more of a rock sound than Doris Day or Frank Sinatra in '58.
A bit of a sentimental inclusion on this list: The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra had a hit record five years after Tommy passed away. It wasn't quite a hit to the extent that the late Jimmy Dorsey had a year earlier with So Rare, but it was a hit none the less. Although the real heyday of the big band was long gone, it is a fact that a few surviving bands -- as well as some smaller, "college" acts -- were making the rounds of theatres and smaller venues. Television was stiff competition, but the acts who scaled back were able to make a living.
Rock and roll may have been here to stay, but traditional pop wasn't going away.
The 30 second samples on these pages are provided as part of links to Amazon.com for evaluation purposes only.
If you're looking to add Johnny Mathis to your collection, the most sensible album to start with is 16 Most Requested Songs . It's a terrific CD at an excellent price, and yes, it includes the songs you simply must have, like Wonderful, Wonderful; When Sunny Gets Blue; Twelfth of Never; Chances Are; It's Not for Me to Say and 11 others. It even gets into some of Johnny's 70s and 80s hits -- really a complete record, and the best thing about it is how well the 1950s recordings hold up to those made 30 years later. It's wonderful, wonderful! This link leads to Amazon.com, where they often have a "used" copy available -- fully guaranteed, just like a new CD. And best of all, Amazon is trusted and they have an excellent return policy if you aren't completely satisfied. You can look at this CD and listen to some selections by clicking here |
1958 marks the last time that Perry Como hit the top ten on the Billboard charts for awhile...although he certainly had successes on the adult contemporary, airplay, and sales charts throughout the 1960s, it would be a dozen years before he would hit the Billboard Top Ten again with It's Impossible. Surprisingly, he did not accomplish it with And I Love You So, although that song continues to receive more airplay than Impossible. It's also surprising that Como didn't fare higher on the charts with 1969's Seattle, which was amazingly strong in select markets and eventually sold over a half-million copies. Anyway, based on 1958s successes led by Catch a Falling Star, it seems this is the spot to advise you about a CD box set that, sadly, is out of print. It's called Yesterday & Today: A Celebration in Song , and it is a 3-CD set, one CD for each phase of his career. CD one covers the Prisoner of Love and Bali Hai era of the 1940s. CD two covers the Hot Diggity and Juke Box Baby sounds of the 1950s. CD three touches on some of the early 1960s stuff (by no means complete) and then does some justice to the 1970s and 1980s...but it is admittedly weak in that regard. Anyway, an even bigger reason to check out this set is the comprehensive book that comes with it. It's absolutely loaded with photos and information, candid shots from stage and home that really bring Mr. C to life. It's also got a thorough discography of LPs, EPs, and singles, complete with release dates, catalog numbers, and chart positions. This book alone is worth the price of the set. If you're interested, click here, the link goes to Amazon.com. Because it is out of print, you will likely only find used copies available. That's ok, they're fully guaranteed, but make sure the used set includes the booklet. And be aware that a lot of these were sold as cassettes -- the older listeners hadn't embraced CDs when this was released -- so if you want CDs, make sure the set offered is for CDs. It really is worth the effort of hunting down a nice set.
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