Popular 1950s Guitar Songs You’ll Love Playing

These are the tracks that filled jukeboxes, packed dance halls, and launched the careers of music legends like Little Richard, Ritchie Valens, and Eddie Cochran.

On this page, you’ll find guitar lessons for popular 50s songs that every player should know — complete with chords, strumming patterns, and full demos.

If you’ve ever wanted to bring the energy of top 1950s hits to your own playing, this is the perfect place to start.

I Remember is a touching ballad that Eddie Cochran recorded in 1959, just a year before his untimely death.

The song is notable for its tender lyrics, which reflect on past memories of love and loss. Cochran's emotive vocals are backed by a simple arrangement featuring acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, which allows the poignant lyrics to take center stage.

Although "I Remember" was not a major commercial success at the time of its release, it has since become a fan favorite and is widely regarded as one of Cochran's most heartfelt recordings.

Looking for more Eddie Cochran? Check out the song Hallelujah I Love Her So on my 50s Love Songs On Guitar page.

Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie is a high-energy rock 'n' roll song that Eddie Cochran recorded in 1958. The track features a driving rhythm section and a catchy guitar riff that is instantly recognizable. Cochran's vocals are infused with a sense of playful energy, and his lyrics tell the story of a girl who has caught his eye.

Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie peaked at #98 in the US and  after his death it was released again in the UK in 1961 and reached #33. It can be found on an album called "Legendary Masters Series". The Stray Cats also covered this number.

Twenty Flight Rock was a single release by Eddie Cochran back in 1957 but the song never charted. Eddie also appeared in the film "The Girl Can't Help It" with Jane Mansfield, where he performed the song in that movie.

Twenty Flight Rock also gained notoriety for its role in the history of rock 'n' roll, as it was famously performed by a young Paul McCartney during his audition for John Lennon and the Quarrymen, which led to his eventual inclusion in the Beatles.

The song was written by a lady named Nelda Fairchild and can be found on the album "Never To Be Forgotten", which was released after Eddie's death in 1960.

Venus came out in in 1959 and became Frankie Avalon’s biggest hit and later appeared on his album Frankie Avalon’s Greatest Hits. Issued as a single, it soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached No. 10 on the R&B chart.

Although no music video existed, Avalon performed it on numerous teen-music TV shows, which helped make him one of the era’s top teen idols. “Venus” was re-recorded in 1976 as a disco version that briefly returned him to the Billboard charts.

Avalon originally wanted to record a more upbeat track, but his producer insisted he try this ballad — which became his signature song.

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".

Looking for more Jerry Lee Lewis? Check out the song Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On on my Songs From The 50s page.

Good Golly Miss Molly hit the airwaves in  in 1958 but was recorded two years prior in 1956 and appeared on Little Richard’s album Here’s Little Richard and became one of rock ’n’ roll’s foundational singles.

The track reached No. 4 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 10 on the pop chart. No video was produced, but Richard’s wild TV performances became legendary. Dozens of artists later covered it, including Creedence Clearwater Revival on their 1969 album Bayou Country.

The opening piano intro was inspired by Ike Turner’s playing style, which Little Richard openly admired.

The Blues Don't Mean A Thing released in the late 1950s, is one of Melvin Endsley’s lesser-known recordings and did not chart nationally.

It appeared on various country compilations featuring his songwriting work. With no music video, the song circulated mainly through radio play and Endsley’s live performances.

Very few recorded covers exist, making it more of a deep-catalog track.

Endsley wrote over 400 songs despite spending most of his life in a wheelchair due to polio — a fact that adds emotional weight to many of his performances.

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.

Let's Go hails to us from 1958 and later included on the posthumous 1959 album Ritchie. Although not released as a major U.S. single, it became popular with fans after Valens’ death and showcased his energetic rock-and-roll style.

No music video exists, but live clips of Valens performing upbeat numbers like this have helped preserve its appeal. Some garage-rock bands in the ’60s later covered the tune for regional releases.

Valens wrote the song during downtime on the Winter Dance Party tour, intending it as a lively concert piece.

Check out the song Donna on my 50s Love Songs On Guitar page.

It Was I was released in 1959 and became Skip & Flip’s breakout hit that appeared on later compilation albums since they never released a full studio LP during their chart years.

The single reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the charts for 15 weeks. No music video existed, though the duo appeared on several TV programs.

The song has been covered occasionally, including by Linda Ronstadt early in her career. Skip & Flip were actually college friends Gary Paxton and Clyde Battin — both later went on to influential careers, with Battin joining The Byrds in the 1970s.

Gee was released in 1953 and is considered one of the first true rock ’n’ roll records, predating Elvis by several years. The single reached No. 14 on the Billboard pop chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart, an impressive crossover for its time.

It was issued before albums were common for teenage acts, so it wasn’t tied to a studio LP. No video exists, but the song became a staple of doo-wop compilations and inspired covers by The Hollywood Flames and The Delltones.

The Crows were a neighborhood group from Harlem who recorded “Gee” almost as a joke — and it unexpectedly became one of the decade’s most influential records.

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.

Rockin' Robin came out in 1958, appeared on Bobby Day’s album Rockin’ Robin and Other Favorites and became his biggest hit. Issued as a single, it soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached No. 1 on the R&B chart.

No official music video existed, but Day performed it on several TV shows as rock ’n’ roll grew on American television. The song was later made famous again when Michael Jackson covered it in 1972, taking it back to No. 2 on the Billboard charts.

Despite its cheerful bird-themed lyrics, the song’s publishing rights were tied up for years because the songwriter, Leon René, had used a pseudonym (“Jimmie Thomas”).

The Night Has A Thousand Eyes hit the airwaves in 1962 and was included on his album Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets.

Released as a single, it climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. No music video was produced, though Vee promoted the song heavily on teen-music programs of the era.

The tune was later covered by artists such as Gary Lewis & The Playboys (1968) and by British singer Anita Harris. Trivia: the song’s writers, Benjamin Weisman and Dorothy Wayne, were best known for their work with Elvis Presley but considered this track one of their most poetic compositions.

Party Doll is a rock 'n' roll song recorded in 1956 and released nationally in 1957 and became Buddy Knox’s breakout hit and appeared on his debut album Buddy Knox. The single went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 and spent 23 weeks on the charts, making Knox one of the first rockabilly artists to write and record his own No. 1 hit.

No video was produced, but he performed the song frequently on American Bandstand. Several artists recorded it later, including Steve Lawrence in 1960.

Knox originally tracked the song in a makeshift studio in a Texas building using mattresses for soundproofing — and that homemade version became the master recording.

Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby recorded by Carl Perkins in 1956 for Sun Records, appeared on compilation releases such as Dance Album of Carl Perkins. Although it wasn’t released as a major single, the song became a rockabilly staple.

No video existed, but Perkins performed it often in his early shows. The most famous cover came from The Beatles, who recorded it in 1964 for Beatles for Sale, with George Harrison singing lead.

While long assumed to have been written solely by Perkins, the tune is adapted from a 1936 song by Rex Griffin — an authorship detail that was clarified only decades later.

Let's Twist Again was release in 1961 and appeared on Chubby Checker’s album of the same name and became a follow-up to his earlier hit “The Twist.”

The single reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Best Rock & Roll Recording. The song did not receive a formal music video, but Checker performed it on numerous TV shows, including iconic dance programs that helped fuel the twist craze.

Several international versions popped up, including a popular German-language rendition by Checker himself. The song re-charted in the UK in 1962, hitting No. 14 — a rare second-year revival for a dance hit.

Johnny B Goode was written in 1955 but not recorded and released until 1958. Chuck Berry said later on the song was a reflection of his early days and changed the lyrics country boy from colored boy to ensure the song received radio play. The opening riff was lifted from a song from 1946 entitled "Ain't That Just Like A Woman".

The song has become one of the most recognized and influential rock and roll songs of all time.

"Johnny B. Goode" has been covered by many artists over the years and has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, and commercials.

Roll Over Beethoven is a rock and roll song written by Chuck Berry, which was released in 1956. The song became a hit, reaching number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helping to establish Berry as a major force in the emerging rock and roll genre.

The song's lyrics describe a desire to leave classical music behind in favor of rock and roll, with Berry urging the titular composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, to "roll over" in his grave and make way for the new music.

"Roll Over Beethoven" has since become a staple of rock and roll music, and has been covered by many artists over the years, including The Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra.

Sweet Little 16 was recorded and released in Jan of 1958 and managed a #2 on the Billboard chart. Berry surpassed this with a number one eventually, but not until 1972 with My -Ding-A-Ling.

The song became a massive hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helping to solidify Berry's status as one of the biggest stars in rock and roll music.

"Sweet Little Sixteen" has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The song has also been referenced in popular culture, appearing in films, television shows, and commercials.

Promised Land a.k.a The Promised Land follows the melody of an old American folk song called The Wabash Cannonball. He had just gotten released from prison when this song was released in Dec 1964 and reached #41 on Billboard a month later.  In fact, Berry used a prison atlas to chart the travels listed in the song.

The song tells the story of a man who is traveling from Norfolk, Virginia to the "promised land" of Los Angeles, California. The lyrics describe the man's journey, his encounters with various people and places along the way, and his excitement at finally reaching his destination.

You Never Can Tell was released in 1964 on his album "St. Louis to Liverpool". The song is known for its upbeat rhythm, catchy melody, and clever lyrics, which tell the story of a young couple who get married and start a new life together.

"You Never Can Tell" was a hit for Berry, reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has since become one of his most beloved and enduring classics, and has been covered by many artists over the years, including Emmylou Harris, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Seger.

Ain't That a Shame is a famous rock and roll song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Fats Domino recorded the song in 1955, and it became really popular. It reached number 1 on the R&B chart and number 10 on the pop chart.

The song is about feeling sad and disappointed because of a breakup. Fats Domino included it in his first album, "Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino," released in 1956. The song's success helped Fats Domino become well-known in the rock and roll genre.

An interesting fact is that the original title was "Ain't It a Shame," but it was changed to "Ain't That a Shame" for the single release.

Looking for more Fats Domino? Check out the song Blueberry Hil on my 50s Love Songs On Guitar page.

I'm Walkin filled the airwaves  in 1957 and became one of Fats Domino’s signature singles and later appeared on his album Here Stands Fats Domino.

The song topped the R&B chart for six weeks and reached No. 6 on the Billboard pop chart. No official music video existed, but Domino’s TV performances helped solidify the song’s popularity.

Ricky Nelson famously covered it the same year, taking his version to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Domino co-wrote the tune with Dave Bartholomew after a fan shouted “Hey Fats, you walkin’?” as he left a club — inspiring the song’s opening line.

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.