Rock From The 50s
On The Acoustic

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.

You'll find the Fats Domino track on his album "This Is Fats Domino".

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".

Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby was written in 1936 by Rex Griffin but often given credit to Carl Perkins who recorded the song in 1957 and covered by The Beatles in 1964.

To my knowledge the song was released as a single in 1957 but I'm not sure if it charted. The track is from the album "Dance Album Of Carl Perkins".

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.

Hey Joe was copyrighted by Billy Roberts in 1962. Later the song was covered by many artists and groups including The Leaves in 1965 and Jimi Hendrix in 1966.

To my knowledge this song was a single release and never appeared on a Billy Roberts album.

I'm Walkin became a #1 hit on the R&B chart by Fats Domino in 1957. Others covered the song including Ricky Nelson, Nancy Sinatra and Tom Petty.

The song hails from the album "Here Stands Fats Domino".

Just Dropped In was considered a psychedelic rock song written Mickey Newbury. Jerry Lee Lewis first recorded the song in May of 1967. But it was Kenny Rogers and The First Edition who released their version later that year and scored a #5 hit.

I don't believe Jerry Lee Lewis released his version as a single but it can be found on the album "Soul My Way".

Let's Twist Again was released in 1961 and probably his best know song, reaching #8 on Billboard and #3 on the Cash Box charts. The song won a Grammy in 1962. He also recorded the song in German and Italian.

The song was #1 in the UK, Holland and Belgium. The song is found on the album of the same name.

Rock Around The Clock was not written by Bill Haley but by Max Freedman and James Myers in 1952.  Bill Haley recorded the song in 1954 and it took only two takes combined to make the final version.

And because of a delay arriving at the studio to record the song, Sammy Davis Jr's studio time was delayed while he waited in the hallway as Bill Haley recorded this song. Bill Haley had a #1 with this song and can be found on his album of the same name.

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".

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.

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.

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".

Whole Lotta Shakin was first recorded by Big Maybelle in 1955, but the 1957 version by Jerry Lee Lewis is the one most people know best because he radically changed the vibe.

He said he'd knew it would be a hit when he cut the song at Sun Studios in Feb 1957. It hit #3 on Billboard and #1 on the R&B Charts.

This track can be found on the "Original Hits Vol 1" album from 1969.