Romantic 1950s Love Songs for Guitar

The 1950s gave us unforgettable classics like Donna, Blueberry Hill, and Since I Don’t Have You — songs that still make people sway, sing along, and remember their first dances.

Each tutorial here includes full song demos, easy-to-follow chords, and strumming patterns so you can bring these romantic 1950s songs to life on your own guitar.

Take Good Care Of My Baby was co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin but made famous by Bobby Vee in 1961. Vee had a #1 hit with this song.

It can be found on the album of the same name.

Looking for more Bobby Vee? Check out the song  The Night Has A Thousand Eyes on my Songs From The 50s page.

Runaway was a song written by a guy named Charles Westover, (who changed his name to Del Shannon), and a keyboard player named Max Crook. Max had built a keyboard with a unique sound and he called it a Musitron. 

When their manager persuaded them to record the song they had no idea it would peak at #1 on Billboard in the US and three weeks later top the charts in the UK. The song can be found on the 1961 album "Runaway With Del Shannon".

Hallelujah I Love Her So is a song originally written and recorded by Ray Charles, in 1959. Cochran's rendition features his signature rockabilly style, with a prominent guitar riff and driving rhythm section but was never released as a single.

The song showcases Cochran's smooth vocals and impressive guitar skills, with a solo that incorporates bluesy bends and fast runs up and down the fretboard. The track was released as a single and performed moderately well on the charts, cementing Cochran's reputation as a skilled interpreter of other artists' songs.

Looking for more Eddie Cochran? Check out songs like Twenty Flight Rock and Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie and I Remember on my Popular 50s Guitar Songs page.

Blueberry Hill was recorded 6 times in 1940, the same year it was published. The Glenn Miller Orchestra had the biggest hit with the song that year reaching #2 in the US.

Fats Domino had a #1 on the R&B charts and a #2 Pop Hit when he released his version in 1956. Even Russian President Putin covered the song on Dec 10th 2010 in a benefit show for sick kids.

Looking for more Fats Domino? Check out songs like Ain't That A Shame and I'm Walkin on my Songs From The 50s page. 

Honeycomb is a song recorded by Jimmie Rodgers, but it was released in 1957.  The song was written by Bob Merrill.  The song was a major hit and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1957. The success of "Honeycomb" contributed to Jimmie Rodgers' prominence in the music scene during that time.

In the song "Honeycomb," the term "honeycomb" is used metaphorically to describe the sweetness of love.  The song was never released on an album.

We Belong Together is a song from 1958 and first recorded by the duo "Robert & Johnny" and was a #12 R&B hit for them. Ritchie Valens recorded the song in 1959 and had success with the song.

Los Lobos, who formed in LA in 1973, were chosen to record a version of the song in 1987 for the movie about Ritchie Valens life called "La Bamba".

Donna was recorded in Dec of 1958 as the A-side for a single which was to include La Bamba as the B-Side. The song peaked at #2 and his highest charting single of the 3 he managed to release before his death. The other was Come On let's Go.

This song appears on an album entitled "Ritchie Valens".

Looking for more Ritchie Valens? Check out the song  Come On Let's Go on my Popular 50s Guitar Songs page.

Since I Don't Have You was co-written by all members of the group in 1958 and appeared on their self titled album The Skyliners. The song was released as a single in Dec of 1958. The song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as making it to #5 on the R&B Charts.

In 1991 Ronnie Milsap recorded a version of the song and had a hit record and a few years later in 1994, Guns N Roses took the song to #1 in the U.K.

Chord sheet and video lesson found in the zip file below.

To Know Him Is to Love Him is a famous song by The Teddy Bears, written by Phil Spector. Spector got the idea from the words on his father's tombstone. The song was a big hit in 1958, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on the UK's New Musical Express chart.

Even though The Teddy Bears didn't have a whole album with this song, it's still remembered as one of the greats of early rock and roll. Other artists like Peter & Gordon, Bobby Vinton, and Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris also had hits with it later on.