The Peak of the Original Rock and Roll Era

January - February 1958

It’s time to get back to basics here at American Hit Radio. For a number of shows, we’ve been focusing on topical events and/or individual artists, so we figure that we’re a bit overdue for a show based on what we do best. As you may already know, we ordinarily base our program on the songs of a specific era. We peruse the pop charts and pick our favorites, then throw in a ‘great miss’ just to provide perspective. We then dedicate the balance of our program to relevant album tracks from the same era. For today’s program, we’re going to flash all the way back to the first months of 1958. This was a time when rock and roll was extraordinarily vital, and many of these songs are still recognized as timeless, classic signposts of our culture. In only a few months time, the landscape would change; by year’s end, Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly would all drop from site, for various reasons. For the time being, though, it seemed plausible that the 1958 edition of rock and roll music really would not ever die. In one sense, this show proves that indeed, it did not.

Here’s a list of songs that we cover in today’s program;
1) Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
2) Get a Job – The Silhouettes
3) Witchcraft – Frank Sinatra
4) Maybe – The Chantels
5) Sweet Little Sixteen – Chuck Berry
6) Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard
7) Short Shorts – The Royal Teens (as a ‘Great Miss’)
8) I’ll Remember April – Erroll Garner
9) Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra