Every couple months or so, we decide to nominate a few more songs for Hall of Songs induction. We call it the Veterans Committee.
For this episode, we entertain tracks released between 1971 and ’74, including a monster Rod Stewart hit, a psyched-out trip by the Isley Brothers, and a few more.
We also chat about some songs from this period that we just plain love. Yes, the Beatles find their way into this conversation.
Come back on January 30, 2022, for our episode on 1975. Then, we’ll start voting for the 21st class of the Hall of Songs.
It’s the opposite of our last round of voting as multiple songs get inducted into the Hall of Songs! Plus, we discuss whether a certain Ray Charles song should get the Golden Vote, giving it special entrance into the Hall.
Here is the episode:
Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.
…
…
Alright. Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …
Georgia on My Mind / Ray Charles – 56% (1st round) Only the Lonely / Roy Orbison – 52% (1st round) The Twist / Chubby Checker – 52% (1st round) Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 48% (6th round) Wonderful World / Sam Cooke – 48% (1st round) That’ll Be the Day / The Crickets – 44% (4th round) Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin – 40% (2nd round) Wake Up Little Susie / The Everly Brothers – 36% (4th round) La Bamba / Ritchie Valens – 36% (3rd round)
Eliminated from the ballot
Jailhouse Rock / Elvis Presley – 32% (4th round) I Only Have Eyes For You / The Flamingos – 32% (2nd round) This Magic Moment / The Drifters – 32% (1st round) Chain Gang / Sam Cooke – 32% (1st round) The Great Pretender / The Platters – 28% (6th round) Hound Dog / Elvis Presley – 28% (5th round) Roll Over Beethoven / Chuck Berry – 24% (5th round) Bye Bye Love / The Everly Brothers – 20% (4th round) Save the Last Dance For Me / The Drifters – 20% (1st round) Shop Around / The Miracles – 16% (1st round) Cathy’s Clown / The Everly Brothers – 12% (1st round) Lonely Teardrops / Jackie Wilson – 8% (3rd round) There Goes My Baby / The Drifters – 8% (2nd round) Dream Lover / Bobby Darin – 4% (2nd round) Walk, Don’t Run / The Ventures – 4% (1st round)
You’ll have to listen to this bonus episode of Hall of Songs to hear what happened with our latest round of voting.
Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.
…
…
Alright. Let’s move on.
Continuing to the next round of voting
What’d I Say / Ray Charles – 60.41% (1st round) Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin – 56.25% (1st round) Wake Up Little Susie / The Everly Brothers – 52.08% (3rd round) Shout / The Isley Brothers – 52.08% (1st round) Jailhouse Rock / Elvis Presley – 47.91% (3rd round) Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 45.83% (5th round) Roll Over Beethoven / Chuck Berry – 45.83% (4th round) That’ll Be the Day / The Crickets – 45.83% (3rd round) Dream Lover / Bobby Darin – 45.83% (1st round) I Only Have Eyes For You / The Flamingos – 45.83% (1st round) Hound Dog / Elvis Presley – 43.75% (4th round) La Bamba / Ritchie Valens – 43.75% (2nd round) Lonely Teardrops / Jackie Wilson – 43.75% (2nd round) There Goes My Baby / The Drifters – 41.66 (1st round) The Great Pretender / The Platters – 37.5% (5th round) Bye Bye Love / The Everly Brothers – 37.5% (3rd round)
Eliminated from the ballot
Summertime Blues / Eddie Cochran – 33.33% (2nd round) Money (That’s What I Want) / Barrett Strong – 33.33% (1st round) El Paso / Marty Robbins – 25% (1st round) Yakety Yak / The Coasters – 22.91% (1st round) Twenty Flight Rock / Eddie Cochran – 20.83% (1st round) Don’t Let Go / Roy Hamilton – 20.83% (1st round) White Lightning / George Jones – 20.83% (1st round) Stagger Lee / Lloyd Price – 18.75% (2nd round) Peter Gunn / Ray Anthony – 18.75% (1st round) Come Softly to Me / The Fleetwoods – 16.66% (1st round)
With the hybrid genre of rock and roll fully established as the sound of young America, 1959 is a year when new sounds allow popular music to take massive leaps forward. For example, shot out of a cannon are massive tracks like “What’d I Say,” “Money,” and “Shout,” which herald rhythm and blues as not simply the sound of Black America, but the sound of the future.
1959 is also the year country music begins its great struggle to define itself. The Nashville Sound with its strings, heavenly background vocals, and polished production is about to break through; meanwhile, listeners this year get two different looks at country: “El Paso” showcases a throwback, Western story-song style, and “White Lightning” is a much more modern take on hillbilly drinking. These songs set the stage for the future of white rural music.
After listening, VOTE for the greatest songs of all time! Songs from 1959, plus tunes from 1958, 1957, 1956, and 1955, are up for a shot to make the Hall of Songs! Vote now and come back in 12 days to find out which song or songs get in!
Our 1959 nominees:
“Peter Gunn” as performed by Ray Anthony
Written by Henry Mancini; recorded January 1959; released January 1959
“White Lightning” as performed by George Jones
Written by J.P. Richardson; recorded December 1958; released February 1959
“Come Softly to Me” as performed by The Fleetwoods
Written by Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, and Gary Troxel; recorded fall 1958; released February 1959
“Dream Lover” as performed by Bobby Darin
Written by Bobby Darin; recorded March 1959; released April 1959
“I Only Have Eyes For You” as performed by The Flamingos
Written by Al Dubin and Harry Warren; recorded October 1958; released April 1959
“There Goes My Baby” as performed by The Drifters
Written by Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson, and George Treadwell; recorded March 1959; released April 1959
“What’d I Say” as performed by Ray Charles
Written by Ray Charles; recorded February 1959; released June 1959
“Shout” as performed by The Isley Brothers
Written by O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley; recorded July 1959; released August 1959
“Money (That’s What I Want)” as performed by Barrett Strong
Written by Janie Bradford and Berry Gordy; recorded summer 1959; released August 1959
“Mack the Knife” as performed by Bobby Darin
Written by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, and Marc Blitzstein; recorded December 1958; released August 1959
“El Paso” as performed by Marty Robbins
Written by Marty Robbins; recorded April 1959; released October 1959
Listen to the full episode for more, and then vote for the songs that you think are the greatest of all-time. Scroll down or click here to vote. Then, come back on June 13, 2021, for our discussion on 1960.
