Posts by tag
’50s
Link Wray’s 50s instrumental Rumble practically invented the power chord, became the centre of a moral panic and inspired a whole generation to pick up the electric guitar – and…
In our lowdown on Fats Domino, we look at how his New Orleans sound was a cornerstone of early rock’n’roll… John Peel liked to argue that rock’n’roll should feel scary…
Connie Francis, one of the most popular and successful female artists of the mid 1950s, died at the age of 87 on 16 July. Her death was confirmed by her…
When Rock’n’Roll Goes Gospel… Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Johnny Cash all released gospel records at the height of their fame and fortune. Now largely forgotten or underrated,…
It’s no surprise the multi-faceted songs of Bobby Darin have been such a hit in Hollywood – his own too-short life story sounds like it was straight out of a…
Sixty-five years ago, Berry Gordy – a former boxer and failed record store owner – launched the label that would become Motown. We trace its funky first five years, which…
Blackboard Jungle, with Bill Haley’s radical Rock Around The Clock soundtracking the opening credits, was a groundbreaking 1955 film that exposed the tensions of inner-city education, youth rebellion, and social…
Their recorded output was limited, but for a short period Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers electrified the 1950s rockin’ scene… Some argue that Why Do Fools Fall In Love is…
One of the most covered songs of the 1950s, Ain’t That A Shame was a breakout hit for Pat Boone – but Fats Domino’s original remains the definitive version… It…
Recorded at Paramount, the transatlantic No.1-charting Loving You would be Elvis Presley’s first soundtrack album… The Technicolour Loving You (1957), Elvis’ second movie, allowed him to display his acting chops,…