Tag Archives: Pop

7th Class Results! 4 New Hall of Songs Inductees!

The hits just keep on coming! We have four new inductees to the Hall of Songs after the latest round of voting. One song skates right through without a problem, another is a bit of a surprise, and two get in by the skin of their teeth. 

Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …

Crazy / Patsy Cline – 86.27%
Can’t Help Falling in Love / Elvis Presley – 82.35%
Stand By Me / Ben E. King – 66.67%
Crying / Roy Orbison – 66.67%

Continuing to the next round of voting

Georgia on My Mind / Ray Charles – 60.78% (2nd round)
I Fall to Pieces / Patsy Cline – 58.82% (1st round)
Only the Lonely / Roy Orbison – 56.86% (2nd round)
The Wanderer / Dion – 54.9% (1st round)
That’ll Be the Day / The Crickets – 52.94% (5th round)
Wake Up Little Susie / The Everly Brothers – 50.98% (5th round)
Please Mr. Postman / The Marvelettes – 43.13% (1st round)
Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 41.17% (7th round)
La Bamba / Ritchie Valens – 41.17% (4th round)
Runaway / Del Shannon – 41.17% (1st round)
Wonderful World / Sam Cooke – 37.25% (2nd round)
Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin – 35.29% (3rd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Runaround Sue / Dion – 33.33% (1st round)
The Twist / Chubby Checker – 31.37% (2nd round)
Running Scared / Roy Orbison – 9.80% (1st round)
Back Door Man / Howlin’ Wolf – 3.92% (1st round)
Let’s Go Trippin’ / Dick Dale and the Del-Tones – 3.92% (1st round)

6th Class Results! A Big Class + A Ray Charles Debate for the Golden Vote

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.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …

Shout / The Isley Brothers – 68% (2nd round)
Will You Love Me Tomorrow / The Shirelles – 68% (1st round)
At Last / Etta James – 68% (1st round) [Golden Vote]
What’d I Say / Ray Charles – 68% (2nd round) [Golden Vote]

Continuing to the next round of voting

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)

1955: Our Nominees for the Hall of Songs

A massive year with some big songs. We add 10 nominees to the Hall of Songs pool. Now, it’s your turn to vote.

The film Blackboard Jungle signals that rock ‘n’ roll has arrived. About unruly high school students and the teacher who attempts to save them from destruction, the movie did well in the box office but was more popular for the song that accompanied its opening title card.

“Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets plays at the very beginning of the film. It’s a propulsive way to introduce Americans to the world of mid 1950s youth. This wild sound was what the kids were listening to, and thanks to “Rock Around the Clock” it would become much more popular.

Of course, that’s one narrative. Rock ‘n’ roll had been building and shifting already by 1955. What we hear throughout this episode are songs that seem to perfect their individual genres. Little Richard gives New Orleans R&B some sheen with “Tutti Frutti” while Elvis Presley continues to rule rockabilly with “Mystery Train.” Over in blues, Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters trade slaps and get better from it. All the while, Chuck Berry seemingly creates the first great post-“Rock Around the Clock” song.

This is 1955. Listen, then click here to vote for who you think should make the Hall of Songs.

Our 1955 nominees:

  • “Bo Diddley” as performed by Bo Diddley
    • Written by Ellas McDaniel (as Bo Diddley), recorded March 1955, released April 1955
  • “I’m a Man” as performed by Bo Diddley
    • Written by Ellas McDaniel (as Bo Diddley), recorded March 1955, released April 1955
  • “Ain’t That a Shame” as performed by Fats Domino
    • Written by Antoine Domino (as Fats Domino), Dave Bartholomew, recorded March 1955, released April 1955
  • “Rock Around the Clock” as performed by Bill Haley & His Comets
    • Written by Max C. Freedman, recorded April 1954, released May 1954 and May 1955
  • “Mannish Boy” as performed by Muddy Waters
    • Written by McKinley Morganfield (as Muddy Waters), Mel London, Ellas McDaniel (as Bo Diddley), recorded May 1955, released June 1955
  • “Maybellene” as performed by Chuck Berry
    • Written by Chuck Berry, Russ Fratto, Alan Freed, recorded May 1955, released July 1955
  • “Mystery Train” as performed by Elvis Presley
    • Written by Junior Parker, recorded July 1955, released August 1955
  • “Tutti Frutti” as performed by Little Richard
    • Written by Little Richard, Dorothy LaBostrie, recorded September 1955, released October 1955
  • “The Great Pretender” as performed by The Platters
    • Written by Buck Ram, recorded fall 1955, released November 1955
  • “Rock Island Line” as performed by Lonnie Donegan
    • Traditional song, recorded fall 1955, released late 1955

Check out the full episode to learn more about these songs and why they’re so great, vote now by clicking here, and come back on April 18, 2021, when we discuss our nominees from 1956.

1951-54 Veterans Committee Meeting

Our current list of nominees for the Hall of Songs is at 28 songs. In this bonus episode, we add another.

The “veterans committee” meets, and we discuss “Dust My Broom” by Elmore James (1951) as we add it to the pool. Then we go deep into the list itself, picking out trends we’ve seen between 1951 and ’54, highlighting some of the bigger stories we’ve talked about, and handicapping listener picks for the Hall of Songs.

Here’s the current list of nominees:

Our next episode, unveiling the nominees from 1955, drops on April 4, 2021.

1954: Our Nominees for the Hall of Songs

We continue to fill up the pool of nominees as we reach 1954. Here is our next set of nominees for the Hall of Songs.

Smack in the middle of 1954, a young man from Memphis records his first single late at night during a session at Sun Records. That single, a cover of Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right,” causes a fervor in Memphis and makes a name of its singer, Elvis Presley.

While Elvis’ origin story casts a large shadow over 1954, it’s not just him making noise. In fact, 1954 is the year doo-wop really steps up and becomes a force in pop music. Two hits specifically – “Sh’Boom” and “Mr. Sandman” – prove mightiest as massive hits on the pop charts.

With all this shifting on the charts, that means the era of the big-selling, old-school pop vocalist is beginning to end. The most popular names in pop heading into 1954 are Tony Bennett, Perry Como, and Eddie Fisher, and their fortunes are soon to change. Meanwhile another major vocalist of the last 15 years, Frank Sinatra, is about to see his career take a major shift in a good way.

We talk about all of that and more in our 1954 episode of Hall of Songs.

Our 1954 nominees:

  • “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” as performed by Muddy Waters
    • Written by Willie Dixon, recorded January 1954, released January 1954
  • “Work With Me Annie” as performed by Hank Ballard & His Midnighters
    • Written by Hank Ballard, recorded January 1954, released February 1954
  • “Sh’Boom” as performed by The Chords
    • Written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, recorded March 1954, released spring 1954
  • “Shake, Rattle and Roll” as performed by Big Joe Turner
    • Written by Jesse Stone (as Charles F. Calhoun), recorded February 1954, released April 1954
  • “That’s All Right” as performed by Elvis Presley
    • Written by Arthur Crudup, recorded July 1954, released July 1954
  • “Earth Angel” as performed by The Penguins
    • Written by Curtis Williams, Jesse Belvin, Gaynel Hodge, recorded August 1954, released October 1954
  • “Hearts of Stone” as performed by The Charms
    • Written by Eddie Ray and Rudy Jackson, recorded fall 1954, released fall 1954
  • “Mr. Sandman” as performed by The Chordettes
    • Written by Pat Ballard, recorded fall 1954, released November 1954

Check out the full episode to learn more about these songs and why they’re so great, and come back on April 4, 2021, when we discuss our nominees from 1955.

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.