The 1950s were an important decade in music history. Most would say the 1960s were when everything changed, and I agree with that. But it all started with pop sensibility and rock and roll tunes that dropped in the 1950s. And some of those 1950s songs sounded surprisingly modern for the time. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?
“I Put A Spell On You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins from ‘At Home With Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ (1956)
There’s a reason why this 1950s classic has been covered about a million times at this point. When it first dropped, it really didn’t sound like anything else at the time. A rock and roll tune for the ages, “I Put A Spell On You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was ahead of its time, both in terms of melody and overall sound. It’s rich in dark and somewhat spooky themes that weren’t exactly common during the 1950s, and that was likely a big part of why it was a hit. Even though this song didn’t make it to the mainstream charts, it was a massive seller for Hawkins, selling over one million copies. He really knew how to test the boundaries of what R&B and rock and roll could do.
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“Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley from ‘Jailhouse Rock’ (1957)
It’s a rock and roll classic and possibly Elvis Presley’s most famous song. And like many of his career hits, “Jailhouse Rock” was ahead of its time and seemed to predict various elements of rock music that would follow. One element would be the overall stardom that a simple song like “Jailhouse Rock” could produce, predating Beatlemania and plenty of the wild fan-obsessed rock bands that would also come to be. “Jailhouse Rock” was both a pop smash and a rock and roll hit, one that used sex appeal and a catchy melody to become a standard for the ages. Nobody was really doing it quite like Elvis during this period.
“Rumble” by Link Wray (1958)
Link Wray’s controversial hit has the distinction of being one of the earliest instrumental tracks to get straight-up banned from radio. The reason? Some believed that it would instigate street fights among the youths of the time due to its distorted, relentless riffs. It’s crazy to think that songs with no words could have such an effect on people, but when you listen to “Rumble”, it really doesn’t sound like a 1950s song; it sounds modern, like something out of the garage rock or proto-punk scene decades later. Listeners at the time certainly vibed with it, and “Rumble” peaked at No. 16 on the pop charts in the US.
(Photo by David Warner Ellis/Redferns)