Our first chapter sees us digging through the solemnity of the 1950s to discover how the popular music of the era reflected the changing mores of the time. Starting with Johnnie Ray’s emotional howler “Cry”, we watch as traditional pop music mingles increasingly with the rock and rollers, enticing more and more girls and boys to let their hair down, before finishing up at the first Australian #1 of note in 1958. Along the way: ghostly choirs, pizza pies, and a putrid Christmas song that we scream a lot at. It’s gonna be fun!
If you’d like to read our thoughts on a particular song, simply click on the link, and you’ll be taken through to our review. Scores on this page are arranged in alphabetical order: first Chamois, then Liz, with the reviewer’s score bolded.
Note: in the 1950s, it was quite common for multiple versions of the same hit to reach #1 in Australia, which would then all be counted towards one song. For most of these occasions, we’ve reviewed the version which had the greatest success elsewhere — so for instance, we chose The Four Aces’ version of “Tell Me Why” (#2 on Billboard) over Eddie Fisher’s version (#7 on the same chart), much to Liz’s chagrin.
1952
Date
14 June
19 July
2 August
23 August
20 September
4 October
1 November
22 November
Song
The Weavers’ “Around the Corner”
Johnnie Ray’s “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home”
Al Martino’s “Here in My Heart”
Score (C / L)
8 / 4
6 / 6
4 / 7
6 / 6
5 / 5
4 / 8
3 / 9
5 / 7
1953
Date
10 January
17 January
28 February
14 March
28 March
25 April
9 May
23 May
13 June
4 July
18 July
25 July
8 August
22 August
3 October
10 October
7 November
5 December
12 December
Song
Rosemary Clooney’s “Half as Much”
Jo Stafford’s “You Belong to Me”
Mario Lanza’s “Because You’re Mine”
Eddie Fisher’s “Lady of Spain”
Patti Page’s “I Went to Your Wedding”
Pearl Bailey’s “Takes Two to Tango”
Perry Como’s “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes”
Teresa Brewer’s “Till I Waltz Again with You”
Dinah Shore’s “Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo”
Ethel Merman and Dick Haymes’ “You’re Just in Love”
Lawrence Welk’s “Oh Happy Day”
Jimmy Boyd and Frankie Laine’s “Tell Me A Story”
Patti Page’s “The Doggie in the Window”
Percy Faith’s “The Song from Moulin Rouge”
Frank Chacksfield’s “Eternally”
Eddie Fisher’s “I’m Walking Behind You”
Les Paul and Mary Ford’s “Vaya con Dios”
Score (C / L)
5 / 5
6 / 8
3 / 3
4 / 9
6 / 7
7 / 7
5 / 5
7 / 9
4 / 5
7 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 6
3 / 2
4 / 8
5 / 7
4 / 7
6 / 5
6 / 6
1 / 4
1954
Date
2 January
20 February
27 February
3 April
17 April
8 May
5 June
3 July
24 July
31 July
25 September
9 October
23 October
27 November
4 December
Song
The Ames Brothers’ “You, You, You”
Tony Bennett’s “Rags to Riches”
Frank Chacksfield’s “Ebb Tide”
Frankie Laine’s “Answer Me, Lord Above”
Frank Sinatra’s “Young at Heart”
The Obernkirchen Children’s Choir’s “The Happy Wanderer”
Frank Sinatra’s “Three Coins in the Fountain”
The Gaylords’ “The Little Shoemaker”
Score (C / L)
6 / 8
5 / 6
8 / 7
4 / 9
5 / 6
4 / 6
5 / 7
6 / 7
4 / 7
8 / 7
6 / 6
4 / 7
4 / 7
7 / 8
5 / 8
1955
Date
1 January
15 January
29 January
12 March
2 April
30 April
14 May
28 May
9 July
30 July
20 August
1 October
8 October
12 November
19 November
10 December
Song
Mario Lanza’s “Serenade (from ‘The Student Prince’)”
Eddie Fisher’s “I Need You Now”
Joan Weber’s “Let Me Go, Lover!”
The Ames Brothers’ “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane”
The Four Aces’ “Melody of Love”
Les Baxter’s “The High and the Mighty”
Pérez Prado’s “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White”
Bill Haley and His Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock”
Darryl Stewart’s “A Man Called Peter”
Al Hibbler’s “Unchained Melody”
Frank Sinatra’s “Learnin’ the Blues”
Score (C / L)
3 / 6
8 / 7
4 / 5
5 / 7
9 / 7
4 / 2
6 / 8
6 / 6
4 / 9
6 / 6
7 / 8
2 / 7
5 / 5
8 / 7
3 / 5
2 / 6
1956
Date
7 January
18 February
31 March
14 April
19 May
16 June
21 July
11 August
18 August
25 August
15 September
10 November
8 December
Song
Mitch Miller’s “The Yellow Rose of Texas”
Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons”
Dean Martin’s “Memories Are Made of This”
Louis Armstrong’s “Mack the Knife”
Kay Starr’s “Rock and Roll Waltz”
The Platters’ “The Great Pretender”
Les Baxter’s “The Poor People of Paris”
Morris Stoloff’s “Moonglow and Theme from Picnic”
Joe “Fingers” Carr’s “Portuguese Washerwoman”
Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”
Score (C / L)
5 / 6
8 / 7
9 / 6
5 / 5
7 / 8
4 / 8
7 / 7
4 / 8
5 / 8
5 / 7
7 / 9
6 / 8
6 / 7
1957
Date
9 February
9 March
20 April
4 May
25 May
15 June
22 June
17 August
14 September
21 September
26 October
21 December
Song
Rosemary Clooney’s “Hey There”
Guy Mitchell’s “Singing the Blues”
Eddie Fisher’s “Cindy, Oh Cindy”
Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders’ “Marianne”
Perry Como’s “Round and Round”
Marty Robbins’ “A White Sport Coat”
Johnny Mathis’ “Wonderful! Wonderful!”
Pat Boone’s “Love Letters in the Sand”
Score (C / L)
6 / 5
6 / 6
4 / 8
5 / 6
6 / 5
6 / 4
6 / 6
5 / 7
8 / 8
5 / 7
4 / 8
4 / 5
1958
Date
15 February
29 March
5 April
31 May
28 June
26 July
2 August
6 September
Song
Johnny Mathis’ “The Twelfth of Never”
Perry Como’s “Catch A Falling Star”
Laurie London’s “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”
David Seville’s “Witch Doctor”
Score (C / L)
3 / 6
5 / 6
4 / 6
3 / 3
7 / 8
1 / 6
5 / 6
(7) / 7
One At A Time 