Hall of Songs – Page 12

1953: Our Nominees for the Hall of Songs

The journey to determine the greatest rock ‘n’ roll songs in history continues as we name our 1953 nominees for Hall of Songs.

1953 is when the rock ‘n’ roll narratives that we’ve come to know begin to take shape. It’s when street-corner doo-wop makes its impact in record stores, when Hank Williams sets a template for the future of country music, and when Bill Haley first gets the kids dancing to his unique version of rockabilly swing. To many, these are the things that make rock ‘n’ roll.

But 1953 is also the year rhythm and blues, or rock ‘n’ roll-style music targeted to Black listeners, takes a giant leap forward with the help of young artists like Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, and Clyde McPhatter. These talents, all part of the fast-growing stable at Ahmet Ertegun’s Atlantic Records, will help create what we know of as soul music, though we feel that all of it is rock ‘n’ roll, a reframing of narratives.

Another icon of rock ‘n’ roll mythology, the Corvette, is first produced in 1953. This all-American sports car will become a symbol of freedom and discovery, perfectly paralleling rock ‘n’ roll’s impact on society. Yup, 1953 is a year when narratives are born; the following nine nominees help tell the story of this critical moment in popular Western music.

Our 1953 nominees:

“Your Cheatin’ Heart” as performed by Hank Williams
- Written by Hank Williams, recorded September 1952, released January 1953
“Hound Dog” as performed by Big Mama Thornton
- Written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, recorded August 1952, released February 1953
“(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean” as performed by Ruth Brown
- Written by Johnny Wallace and Herbert J. Lance, recorded December 1952, released early 1953
“Crazy Man, Crazy” as performed by Bill Haley & His Comets
- Written by Bill Haley and Marshall Lytle, recorded April 1953, released April 1953
“Gee” as performed by The Crows
- Written by William Davis and Viola Watkins, recorded February 1953, released June 1953
“Mess Around” as performed by Ray Charles
- Written by Ahmet Ertegun, recorded May 1953, released June 1953
“Shake a Hand” as performed by Faye Adams
- Written by Joe Morris, recorded early 1953, released mid 1953
“Money Honey” as performed by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters
- Written by Jesse Stone, recorded August 1953, released September 1953
“The Things That I Used to Do” as performed by Guitar Slim
- Written by Eddie Jones (Guitar Slim), recorded October 1953, released late 1953

Check out the full episode to learn more about these songs and why they’re so great, and come back on March 21, 2021, when we discuss our nominees from 1954.

1951: Our Nominees for the Hall of Songs

Feb. 7, 2021: It’s 1951! Welcome to our first main timeline episode of Hall of Songs, digging into the songs we’ve nominated for Hall consideration in 1951.

There is no single song that marks the beginning of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s not as if all music was this, and then one day *that* happened and people said, “Oh! That’s different! That’s rock ‘n’ roll!” But we can take a whole bunch of information, scan it through our brains, and decide that 1951 is about the time that rock ‘n’ roll starts to truly take shape.

The six songs from 1951 that we’ve nominated for inclusion in the Hall of Songs seem to reflect this premise. They all sound like both something else and maybe rock ‘n’ roll, all at the same time. The rock may be in the vocal or the lyric sheet of the song, it may be in some innovation put down in the record, or it may just be the feeling the track gives. Either way, to us, these six say “rock ‘n’ roll” in some way.

Our 1951 nominees:

“Cold Cold Heart” as performed by Hank Williams
- Written by Hank Williams (disputed), recorded December 1950, released February 1951
“How High the Moon” as performed by Les Paul and Mary Ford
- Written by Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton, recorded January 1951, released March 1951
“Rocket 88” as performed by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats
- Written by Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner (disputed), recorded March 1951, released April 1951
“Sixty Minute Man” as performed by Billy Ward and his Dominoes
- Written by Billy Ward and Rose Marks, recorded December 1950, released May 1951
“Hey, Good Lookin'” as performed by Hank Williams
- Written by Hank Williams, recorded March 1951, released June 1951
“I’m in the Mood” as performed by John Lee Hooker
- Written by John Lee Hooker, recorded August 1951, released October 1951

Listen to our 1951 episode to learn more about these songs, and come back on Feb. 21, 2021, when we discuss our nominees from 1952.

Introduction: Welcome to Hall of Songs

Jan. 24, 2021: Welcome to Hall of Songs! Here’s our introduction episode, in which we unveil the concept, discuss just what kinds of songs we’ll be nominating, and establish some parameters … you know, so you don’t have to keep asking us later.

Next episode: On Feb. 7, 2021, we’ll begin with our Hall of Songs nominees in 1951.