rockabilly

8th Class Results! Motown Joins the Hall of Songs!

That’s right: The Hall of Songs has a new inductee, and it’s from Hitsville U.S.A.! So what is the 15th member of our exclusive hall of fame for songs? Listen and find out!

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

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

Do You Love Me / The Contours – 70.58%

Continuing to the next round of voting

Georgia on My Mind / Ray Charles – 58.82% (3rd round)
Only the Lonely / Roy Orbison – 58.82% (3rd round)
Wake Up Little Susie / The Everly Brothers – 58.82% (6th round)
Runaway / Del Shannon – 52.94% (2nd round)
That’ll Be the Day / The Crickets – 52.94% (5th round)
Green Onions / Booker T & The M.G.’s – 52.94% (1st round)
You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me / The Miracles – 52.94% (1st round)
I Fall to Pieces / Patsy Cline – 47.05% (2nd round)
Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 47.05% (8th round)
Wonderful World / Sam Cooke – 47.05% (3rd round)
Love Me Do / The Beatles – 47.05% (1st round)
The Wanderer / Dion – 41.17% (2nd round)
Sherry / The Four Seasons – 41.17% (1st round)
Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin – 35.29% (4th round)
You Don’t Know Me / Ray Charles – 35.29% (1st round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Runaround Sue La Bamba / Ritchie Valens – 29.41% (5th round)
Please Mr. Postman / The Marvelettes – 23.52% (2nd round)
I Can’t Stop Loving You / Ray Charles – 23.52% (1st round)
Miserlou / Dick Dale and the Del-Tones – 17.64% (1st round)
If I Had a Hammer / Peter, Paul and Mary – 17.64% (1st round)
The Loco-Motion / Little Eva – 11.76% (1st round)
Telstar / The Tornados – 11.76% (1st round)
He’s a Rebel / The Crystals – 11.76% (1st round)

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)

An Hour on Elvis: A Retrospective with Justin Gausman of TCBCast

One decade down, and Hall of Songs has seen a lot of Elvis Presley. So for this bonus episode, we chatted with Justin Gausman, co-host of TCBCast, the popular Elvis fan podcast, about the man, the myth … the King?

The illuminating conversation touches on perspectives and opinions of Elvis’ career and story, the songs of his that we’ve nominated for the Hall of Songs, and what 1960s and ’70s Elvis songs we should consider going forward.

By the way … have you voted yet? Here is the current list of nominees:

Scroll down to vote! Then come back on July 11, 2021, for our episode on 1962. Then, we’ll start voting for the eighth class of the Hall of Songs.

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)

5th Class Results! Oh No …

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.

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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)

4th Class Results! Two Quintessential 1950s Tracks are in the Hall of Songs!

Once again, two songs were voted into the Hall of Songs! But which two tracks from our 25-song ballot made it in?

Congratulations to “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry and “Good Golly, Miss Molly” by Little Richard; they’ve been inducted to the Hall of Songs!

Here are the full results:

Johnny B. Goode / Chuck Berry – 75% (1st round)
Good Golly, Miss Molly / Little Richard – 70% (1st round)

Continuing to the next round of voting

Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 60% (4th round)
Roll Over Beethoven / Chuck Berry – 55% (3rd round)
La Bamba / Ritchie Valens – 52.5% (1st round)
Lonely Teardrops / Jackie Wilson – 52.5% (1st round)
Jailhouse Rock / Elvis Presley – 45% (2nd round)
Stagger Lee / Lloyd Price – 45% (1st round)
That’ll Be the Day / The Crickets – 42.5% (2nd round)
Summertime Blues / Eddie Cochran – 42.5% (1st round)
The Great Pretender / The Platters – 40% (4th round)
Hound Dog / Elvis Presley – 40% (3rd round)
Bye Bye Love / The Everly Brothers – 40% (2nd round)
Wake Up Little Susie / The Everly Brothers – 37.5% (2nd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree / Brenda Lee – 30%
Don’t Be Cruel / Elvis Presley – 25%
Not Fade Away / The Crickets – 25%
Tequila / The Champs – 25%
All I Have to Do is Dream / The Everly Brothers – 25%
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On / Jerry Lee Lewis – 22.5%
Peggy Sue / Buddy Holly – 20%
All Shook Up / Elvis Presley – 15%
It’s Only Make Believe / Conway Twitty – 15%
Rebel-‘Rouser / Duane Eddy – 10%
Rumble / Link Wray – 5%

1955-58 Veterans Committee Meeting

We’ve added three songs to our Hall of Songs nominee list.

Those songs are “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Cochran (1957), “Don’t Let Go” by Roy Hamilton (1958), and “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters (1958). In this episode we discuss those songs as we let them enter the voting process starting with the fifth class (May 30, 2021). We also talk about the voting so far, how we feel about the tunes in the Hall of Songs, and what performances have surprised us so far.

Here is the current list of nominees:

Come back on May 30, 2021, for our episode on 1959. Then, we’ll start voting for the fifth class of the Hall of Songs.

3rd Class Results! Two Songs Make the Hall of Songs!

The third round of voting is complete, and thanks to a new golden vote rule, two new tunes have entered the Hall!

The newest inductees are: “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis and “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke. Congratulations!

Here are the full results:

Great Balls of Fire / Jerry Lee Lewis – 74.50% (1st round)
You Send Me / Sam Cooke – 66.67% (1st round)

Continuing to the next round of voting

Jailhouse Rock / Elvis Presley – 54.90% (1st round)
Wake Up Little Susie / The Everly Brothers – 54.90% (1st round)
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On / Jerry Lee Lewis – 49.01% (1st round)
Hound Dog / Elvis Presley – 49.01% (2nd round)
Bye Bye Love / The Everly Brothers – 47.05% (1st round)
All Shook Up / Elvis Presley – 45.09% (1st round)
That’ll Be the Day / The Crickets – 43.13% (1st round)
Peggy Sue / Buddy Holly – 43.13% (1st round)
Roll Over Beethoven / Chuck Berry – 39.21% (2nd round)
Don’t Be Cruel / Elvis Presley – 37.25% (2nd round)
Not Fade Away / The Crickets – 37.25% (1st round)
The Great Pretender / The Platters – 35.29% (3rd round)
Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 35.29% (3rd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

That’s All Right / Elvis Presley – 33.33%
Lucille / Little Richard – 31.37%
Ain’t That a Shame / Fats Domino – 29.41%
Rock and Roll Music / Chuck Berry – 29.41%
Your Cheatin’ Heart / Hank Williams – 29.41%
Blue Suede Shoes / Carl Perkins – 29.41%
Blueberry Hill / Fats Domino – 27.45%
I Walk the Line / Johnny Cash – 27.45%
Maybellene / Chuck Berry – 25.49%
In the Still of the Night / The Five Satins – 25.49%

1957: Our Nominees for the Hall of Songs

It’s a big year in music: From the westward expansion of teen culture to a West Side Story that sets a new tone for Broadway, so much is changing in 1957. Our 12 nominees for the Hall of Songs from this year reflect that.

Elvis Presley is still making big tunes, like “All Shook Up” and third movie theme “Jailhouse Rock.” And what exactly do Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller slip into the lyrics of the latter song?

Presley is joined by other big stars of the mid 1950s like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Big songs like “Rock and Roll Music” and “Lucille,” respectively, find these stars at the top of their game. And then there are newcomers like Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, and Buddy Holly, each adding something dynamic and fresh to the already established rock ‘n’ roll soud.

1957 is a year when everything expands just a little. Hear more of this expansion in our latest episode, then VOTE for the greatest songs of all-time! Below, choose up to 10 songs to join the Hall of Songs and current inductees “Rock Around the Clock” and “Heartbreak Hotel.”

Our 1957 nominees:

“Lucille” as performed by Little Richard
- Written by Richard Penniman and Albert Collins; recorded July 1956; released February 1957
“All Shook Up” as performed by Elvis Presley
- Written by Otis Blackwell and Elvis Presley; recorded January 1957; released March 1957
“Bye Bye Love” as performed by The Everly Brothers
- Written by Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant; recorded March 1957; released March 1957
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” as performed by Jerry Lee Lewis
- Written by Dave Williams and James Faye Hall; recorded February 1957; released April 1957
“That’ll Be the Day” as performed by The Crickets
- Written by Charles Hardin, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty; recorded February 1957; released May 1957
“Wake Up Little Suzie” as performed by The Everly Brothers
- Written by Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant; recorded August 1957; released September 1957
“You Send Me” as performed by Sam Cooke
- Written by Sam Cooke; recorded June 1957; released September 1957
“Rock and Roll Music” as performed by Chuck Berry
- Written by Chuck Berry; recorded May 1957; released September 1957
“Jailhouse Rock” as performed by Elvis Presley
- Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller; recorded April 1957; released September 1957
“Peggy Sue” as performed by Buddy Holly
- Written by Jerry Allison and Norman Petty; recorded July 1957; released September 1957
“Not Fade Away” as performed by The Crickets
- Written by Charles Hardin and Norman Petty; recorded May 1957; released October 1957
“Great Balls of Fire” as performed by Jerry Lee Lewis
- Written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer; recorded October 1957; released November 1957

Listen to the full episode to learn more, then vote for the songs you think are the greatest of them all. Scroll down or click here to vote. Then, come back on May 16, 2021, for our discussion on 1958.

2nd Class Results! Which 1956 Song is in the Hall of Songs?

After our second round of voting, we have a new song in the Hall of Songs? Which one got in?

Inductee No. 2 is “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley. Congratulations!

And here are the full results:

Heartbreak Hotel / Elvis Presley – 67.74%

Continuing to the next round of voting

Don’t Be Cruel / Elvis Presley – 61.29% (2nd round)
Hound Dog / Elvis Presley – 56.45% (2nd round)
Roll Over Beethoven / Chuck Berry – 51.61% (2nd round)
I Walk the Line / Johnny Cash – 50% (2nd round)
Blueberry Hill / Fats Domino – 48.38% (2nd round)
The Great Pretender / The Platters – 43.54% (3rd round)
That’s All Right / Elvis Presley – 41.93% (3rd round)
Tutti Frutti / Little Richard – 41.93% (3rd round)
Maybellene / Chuck Berry – 41.93% (3rd round)
Your Cheatin’ Heart / Hank Williams – 40.32% (3rd round)
Ain’t That a Shame / Fats Domino – 40.32% (3rd round)
Blue Suede Shoes / Carl Perkins – 38.70% (2nd round)
In the Still of the Night / The Five Satins – 35.48% (2nd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Shake, Rattle and Roll / Big Joe Turner – 33.87%
Long Tall Sally / Little Richard – 24.19%
I Put a Spell on You – ‘Screamin’ Jay’ Hawkins – 22.58%
Why Do Fools Fall in Love – Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers – 20.96%
Earth Angel – The Penguins – 17.74%
Mr. Sandman – The Chordettes – 17.74%
Hey, Good Lookin’ – Hank Williams – 14.51%
Hound Dog – Big Mama Thornton – 14.51%
Be-Bop-a-Lula – Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps – 14.51%
Cold, Cold Heart – Hank Williams – 12.90%
Mess Around – Ray Charles – 12.90%
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley – 12.90%
Sh’Boom – The Chords – 11.29%
I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters – 11.29%
Mannish Boy – Muddy Waters – 11.29%
How High the Moon – Les Paul and Mary Ford – 3.22%