The Golden Anniversary of Golden Age Rock and Roll - January 1958

PLAY THE SHOW

With the New Year, we return to our format of celebrating various anniversaries in popular music by taking a look at the first week of January 1958. Fifty years is a very long time, but we are impressed by how fresh many of these songs still sound. As 1958 dawned, rock and roll was at full force, but many people viewed it with disdain. Some fought it well (Frank Sinatra) and some did not (The McGuire Sisters and Pat Boone). It didn’t matter either way, though, because rock and roll was not going to disappear. At the time, it was impossible to determine the full impact this music would have, but now it’s plain to see that rock and roll was a cultural force as much as a musical force.

Today, music has fragmented into so many subdivisions that we don’t even know what to call the music we listen to anymore. In 1958, things were a lot simpler, and there’s a great deal of truth to that old axiom/acronym, “K.I.S.S.” (Keep it simple, stupid). The simplicity of early rock and roll provides much of its appeal and its lasting power, as we hope today’s show will attest.

            Here’s a list of featured songs from today’s show –

1)    Maybe – The Chantels

2)    Witchcraft – Frank Sinatra

3)    Get a Job – The Silhouettes

4)    Sugartime – The McGuire Sisters

5)    Stood Up – Ricky Nelson

6)    You Send Me – Sam Cooke

7)    Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms

8)    Kisses Sweeter Than Wine – Jimmie Rodgers

9)    Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley

10)  Raunchy – Bill Justis

11)  Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly

12)  April Love – Pat Boone

13)  Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis

14)  At the Hop – Danny & the Juniors