Best 50s Guitar Songs – Volume 3

This collection highlights more overlooked gems and unforgettable one-hit wonders, each one packed with style, rhythm, and emotional punch.

From the high-energy piano and rasp of Little Richard to the dreamy harmonies of The Teddy Bears, you’ll find a rich palette of strumming and chord work to explore.

Whether you're just beginning your 50s guitar journey or looking to expand your setlist, these songs are accessible, fun to play, and full of charm. Every lesson includes rhythm guidance, chord breakdowns, and tips for nailing the feel of the original recordings.

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".

The Blues Don't Mean A Thing was one written and recorded by Melvin Endsley but the only reference to the song is on a rockabilly album called The Last Great Rockabilly Saturday Night.

Most of the artists listed on the album cover are not well known. Endsley himself had a successful career as a writer, penning over 400 songs, but his commercial success as a singer was limited.

Shama Lama Ding Dong is a fun song from the 1978 movie National Lampoon's Animal House. Mark Davis wrote it, and it was performed by a fictional band called Otis Day and the Knights. Although DeWayne Jessie played Otis Day in the film, the vocals were actually sung by Lloyd G. Williams, with Melvin Britt and Sidney Juston doing backing vocals.

The song was popular and won an award in 1995. John Mellencamp covered it in 1987, and it's also played by the band Goose. It's been recorded by different groups like the University of California Men's Octet and the Dartmouth Aires.

Come On Let's Go hails from 1958 and was written by Ritchie Valens himself.

It peaked at #42 on Billboard and was one of four singles from his debut album "Ritchie Valens".

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".

Gee was the only hit from this group who formed in 1951 and released this song in 1953. Many considered this song to be the first rock and roll song.

The song reached #14 on the Pop charts and #2 on the R&B charts.

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.