There are some songs that will never disappear from the cultural zeitgeist. “Hey Jude” will be played forever, and “Shout” has become a cultural norm at most wedding receptions. Whether they’re undeniably fantastic or just have their perfect place and time, these songs will never be forgotten. Then there’s the other side of that coin. Songs that were massive hits but have been largely lost to the sands of time. Today we embark on a voyage to uncover these forgotten songs, beginning with some songs from the 1950’s.
“Maybellene” When you think of legendary Rock n’ Roll pioneer Chuck Berry the first two songs that spring to mind are his classics “Johnny B. Goode” and “Roll Over Beethoven.” However, it was 1955’s “Maybellene” that first shot Berry to stardom and helped create rock music as fans know it. With its raucous guitar riffs and classic rock subject of fast cars and teenage heartbreak, “Maybellene” was universally loved. In fact, it was one of the first songs that were a hit on all three of the rhythm and blues, country and western and pop charts. While it may not get as much airplay as some of Berry’s other hits these days, “Maybellene” might have had the biggest impact on the emerging genre of rock. Berry’s guitar playing on the song is so influential that Rolling Stone magazine simply states, “Rock N Roll guitar starts here.”
“Walkin’ After Midnight” Anyone who has experienced the loneliness and dejection of heartbreak can relate to the mournful lyrics of Patsy Cline’s 1957 single “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Originally written for pop singer Kay Starr, the song sat unused on the shelf for three years after Starr’s rejection of it. Cline was also initially hesitant to release the song. It wasn’t until after a performance on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts in which the audience reaction broke the in-house applause meter that she rushed to put the single out. “Walkin’ After Midnight” blends blues and country to great effect, beautifully painting a portrait of a spurned lover adrift in the world. The song went to No.2 on the country charts and made Patsy Cline a star. While she may be better known for her 1960’s hits like “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight” might best distill Cline’s unique combination of pop, blues, jazz, and country down to its pure essence.
“That’ll Be The Day” The world almost didn’t get to experience the awesomeness that is Buddy Holly’s first hit song. Holly’s record label was unhappy with the performance of his previous singles and refused to release “That’ll Be The Day.” So Holly formed a new band, The Crickets, signed to a new record label, and the rest is history. “That’ll Be the Day” was among the first wave of massive rock and roll hits to sweep the nation. It shot to number one on the charts, and Holly and The Crickets are credited with popularizing the standard rock lineup of two guitarists, one bass player, one drummer. Unfortunately for the world, “That’ll Be the Day” ended up being one of the last recordings released by Holly, as he tragically died in a plane crash in 1959— synonymous with the day the music died.
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” A wave of mambo fever swept the nation in the ’50s, and the man in the eye of the storm was Cuban bandleader Perez Prado. America had gotten its first taste of Perez’s Latin flair when he released “Mambo No. 5” in 1950, but the craze didn’t reach its peak until the release of 1955’s “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White.” The song, an up-tempo, irresistibly catchy instrumental piece, flew up the charts, staying at number one for ten weeks and selling a million copies. Perez recorded “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” for the movie Underwater!, with Jane Russell famously dancing to the song. Unfortunately, the popularity of the mambo nosedived with the end of the 50s, and today Prado’s gem isn’t heard nearly enough.
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On” When Jerry Lee Lewis first showed up at famous Sun Studio in Memphis in the ’50s, Tennessee the recording engineer told him, “We don’t do much country around here. We’re in the rock and roll business. You ought to go home and work up some rock & roll numbers.” Lewis got his hands on the song “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On,” an R&B song about dancing. He then added his trademark propulsive piano, suggestive spoken asides, and then increased the speed and created a rock and roll classic about “adult dancing.” The song was an instant hit, and the world was introduced to “the Killer.” Although he’s remembered more today for “Great Balls of Fire,” it was “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On,’ ‘ a song that has been described as the quintessential rockabilly anthem that truly established Lewis’ greatness.
