Most popular dance tunes that Influenced what we listen to.

[LittleNipper]

The Movie Moulin Rouge would bring us the Theme song. The mood was decidedly romantic throughout much of the 1950's Happy Days were a bit more subdued than most try to portray that era. The LIVING STRINGS sound of Perry Faith sounded great on the HiFi . But it must be remembered that at this time that singles were still being issued in both 78 RPM and 45 RPM formats. Even Cuckoo clocks made during this time period would often contain a music box that played this tune...

And let's not forget Eddie Fisher's hit I'M WALKING BEHIND YOU

 

[LittleNipper]

1954 had style and variety. The songs were happy and full of life. Number 1 was by the Cordetts and would come to stereo typify a kinder and innocent time in BACK TO THE FUTURE ---- MR. SANDMAN
Life could be a dream because The Crew Cut from Canada said so SH-BOOM

Of course The Crew Cuts could now appear on the television! The lights needed to be very bright and the makeup was over the top to produce contrast in black and white; however, everyone was watching and loved TV!

Rosemary Clooney would reach number 10 on the US charts with the mambo rhythm in MAMBO ITALIANO --- but number 1 in UK. Rock'n Roll was still not king yet. The Mambo and the Calypso were still very popular. One cool dance!

 

[LittleNipper]

1955 is a transitional year. Yes, Bill Haley's ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK was the number one hit; however, its release was 1954. The Platter's ONLY YOU was released in 1955.

Another standard to appear was LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING by the Four Aces. Al Albert (the lead) would later become a PHILLY icon with his Al Albert's Showcase --- a way for area kid talent to get on TV.

And Al Hibbler's UNCHAINED MELODY remains the popular slow dance standard to this very day. By the way this song got its name from the Prison Movie UNCHAINED

 

[LittleNipper]

The tune of the 1950's that epitomized that decade was first introduced in of all things an Alfred Hitchcock movie with Jimmy Stewart & Doris Day --- THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH.
It goes without saying that EVERYONE heard that song, sang that song and or danced to that song... It became Doris Day's theme song. 1956
There was a general feeling that as long as people tried their best and lived the way GOD would have them live (although things were never perfect) ---- everything would come out alright in the end... It was an optimistic time that has never been surpassed.

 

[LittleNipper]

1957 Buddy Holly's THAT'LL BE THE DAY will be rerecorded by many artists, and yet Buddy's rendition is as great today as it was --- how many years ago??????

And Television through shows like Ed Sullivan (Sunday evenings) & American Bandstand (weekdays) were helping to promote the latest records. Here we see a very young Paul Anka and his Calypso style hit DIANA .

 

[LittleNipper]

1958 And everyone seems to be singing VOLARE. This hit made several spots on the charts that year by a variety of artists but this is the 1st big hit!

And the Katlin Twin had a big dance hit with WHEN

Another campy tune was TEQUILA. The Latin sound was still very strong and very dancable....

 

[LittleNipper]

1959 Frankie Avalon scores with VENUS. And BAND STAND was all the rage and the main television influence in the PHILADELPHIA /Delaware Valley. Many of the songs this year are revamps of older song, SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES is a prime example

And there was Bobby Darin with his calypso style DREAM LOVER

 

[LittleNipper]

So, we've arrived at 1960. Well if 1900 was still considered the last year of the 19th Century, I guess that 1960 was really the last year of the 1950's. The biggest dance craze was THE TWIST. The song was originally released on the B side of a 1959 recording; however, it was Chubby Checker who made it a pronominal hit. Everybody who danced did the TWIST (even Beaver)

Mr. Presley had two big hits at the top of the chart ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT and IT's NOW OR NEVER. However, both of these were old tunes. IT's NOW OR NEVER was from 1898 O Sole Mio. And the other was from 1926. So these were not new by any stretch of the word.

However, Percy Faith had a hit with THEME FROM SUMMER PLACE which was number 1 for 9 weeks in the US. The longest of any instrumental recording. I guess everyone just's likes thoughts of summer...

 

[LittleNipper]

1961 would see a sequel to the THE TWIST ---- Chubby Checker would sing LET's TWIST AGAIN and it was even more of a hit appearing in GERMAN, ITALIAN, and FRENCH versions.








Another great melody with a lot of soul is Ben E. King's STAND BY ME. ---- which is a great lover's dance hit.

 

[LittleNipper]

1962 we again have Elvis revamping old standards... However there was change on the horizon.
TELSTAR the 1st US number one hit by a British group. On the British charts it would remain #1 for 25 weeks and in the US it charted for 16 weeks. This one was STAR TREK before there was STAR TREK, and it's named after the Telstar Communications Satellite --- launched in July of that year...
Chris Montez brings us LET's DANCE covering all the dance step of the period.

 

[LittleNipper]

OK, it's time for Elvis. He had a hit in 1963 with DEVIL IN DISGUISE. A good dance tune and it reached the top of the charts brand-new that year!
HEY PAULA was also the popular slow dance song that year. The theme was still that good kids waited for marriage!
Now a real oddity appeared 1963. It was called in the States SUKIYAKI, as the Japanese was not pronounceable by most English speaking people --- and most everyone in the US heard of sukiyaki. The tune was originally released in Japan in 1961. It is the ONLY Japanese song to ever hit a number 1 spot on the charts in the US --- let alone sung in Japanese, by a Japanese, to a Japanese backup. It is very pretty and nicely orchestrated dance tune. Most people had no Idea what the guy was singing, but something about the song touched everyone who heard it...

 

[LittleNipper]

1964 ----- The Beatles invade the US! And the number one dance hit is .......
OH, PRETTY WOMAN by Roy Orbison
Bet you didn't see that one coming!

The song of 1964 which would breakup a Beatles's 2,3,4 streak came from the smash hit Musical concerning a widow matchmaker HELLO DOLLY by Louis ARMSTRONG

The Beatles had several hits that went high on the charts, I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND was actually from 1963 and is the first pop hit to use 4 channel recording techniques. However CAN'T BUY ME LOVE was recorded in 1964 and reached spot on the chart.

 

[Marion Morrison]

To put this into some perspective, it must be realized that Hugh Beaumont (who played Ward Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver -- the stauch family man) would turned 17 years old in 1926 and June (Barbara Billingsley) his wife would have been barely 10.

Did you hear about the new gay sitcom on TV?

Leave it, its Beaver!

Doh!

Frankie Laine Had a Giant hit in 1949 With THAT LUCKY OLD SUN. That was topped the charts for 22 weeks.

And then there was SOME ENCHANTED EVENING from the Broadway play SOUTH PACIFIC sung by Perry Como

Hey! What about The Jitterbug? Hmm? Where does that fit in?

 

[Billo_Really]

Doh!

Frankie Laine Had a Giant hit in 1949 With THAT LUCKY OLD SUN. That was topped the charts for 22 weeks.

And then there was SOME ENCHANTED EVENING from the Broadway play SOUTH PACIFIC sung by Perry Como

Hey! What about The Jitterbug? Hmm? Where does that fit in?

Jitterbug?




Is there something you're not telling us?

 

[LittleNipper]

OK! So, now we come to 1965. And the Rolling Stone pop on the scene with the only song of theirs I really care for --- I CAN GET NO SATISFACTION. They tended to be TOO loud and TOO vulgar. They would signal a rising influence of what would increasingly amount to undancable Heavy Metal "music". But this one was better than most.

The Beatles held the number 2 spot with HELP.

We also have Bob Dylan's MR. TAMBOURINE MAN introduced by the Byrds . One must note that the British can't spell; however, they make up for that with talent.
The song seems to be about either a drug dealer or the leader of a NEW ORLEANS' funeral procession. Perhaps both meanings are synonymous.

 

[LittleNipper]

The year is 1966 and the Beach Boys are surf'n high with GOOD VIBRATIONS

Harmony was the in thing. And there was MONDAY MONDAY by the Mamas & the Papas

 

[LittleNipper]

In 1967 we are introduced to A WHITER SHADE OF PALE and Procol Harum. It's certainly a slow dance but we are headed to a time when music becomes something to deeply ponder. Most people cannot ponder and dance at the same time -- let alone be strung out... But selling 10 MILLION copies as a single is nothing to sneeze at.

And who could not like THE MONKEES! DAYDREAM BELIEVER was new this year and became a hit through the television show about a pretend rock group -- though the girls loved Davy Jones

However, a guy using the alas of a classical composer also had a big hit that ran for weeks, THE LAST WALTZ. Who would imagine a waltz of all things being at the top of the charts But it was and Engelbert Humperdinck sung it...

 

[LittleNipper]

1968 What can I say. The real dance hit was JUDY IN DISGUISE (with glasses). It was fast, lively, and a bit naughty. John's flares were way too short.


BORN TO BE WILD --- Steppenwolf --- what can be said!

 

[LittleNipper]

GET BACK --- The Beatles 1969

And there was the Bubblegum Music of Archie --- SUGAR SUGAR

And Elvis with SUSPICIOUS MINDS ---

 

[LittleNipper]

It's 1970 and the big hit is IN THE SUMMERTIME by Mungo Jerry who said he wrote this song in 10 minutes --- well maybe 15 However, it became 10,000,000 selling single. This record was issued as a MEGA Single. which means it was the size of a 45 rpm but played at 33 and 1/3 rpms