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1957:
Fats Domino
"(rock and roll) the same rhythm and blues we've been playing in New Orleans for years."
-- Fats Domino
Considered to be one of the founders of rock and roll, Fats Domino had been performing and recording in New Orleans long before he emerged as a rock and roll star. In his case, rather than bursting on the scene like Elvis or Jerry Lee, the white majority audience more or less stumbled across him. His first record success had come on the R & B chart in 1953 with “the Fat Man” -- thus Antoine Domino got his nickname. He crossed over to the pop charts in 1955 when Pat Boone covered “Aint It a Shame.” Fats would take the song to #6. When asked what rock and roll is, Domino would describe it as “the same rhythm and blues we’ve been playing in New Orleans for years.” At the end of 1956, Fats recorded his biggest hit, “Blueberry Hill.” Its popularity would stretch over to 1957 -- it spent three weeks at #2, Domino was attracted to the song when he heard a Louis Armstrong recording. In 1957 there were four Fats Domino Songs in the top 10: “Blue Monday” (#5), “I’m Walkin’” (#4), the two sided hit, “It’s You I Love” (#6) and “Valley of Tears” (#8). Just about the opposite of Jerry Lee Lewis’ piano style, Fats Domino’s success was based on an easy rhythm, and a toned down, less threatening boogie woogie piano. Much of his success was in collaboration with co-writer and producer Dave Bartholemew. Domino was one of the most consistent performers of the Elvis Era, second only to Elvis in number of gold records. Fats Domino would be one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
title week debuted highest ranking weeks on chart
Ain't That a Shame 1955 7 16 10 13
I'm in Love Again 1956 5 5 3 18
My Blue Heaven 1956 5 5 19 13
Blueberry Hill 1956 10 13 2 21
Blueberry Hill 1956 10 13 2 21
Blue Monday 1957 1 12 5 12
I'm Walkin' 1957 3 9 4 14
Valley of Tears 1957 5 27 8 13
It's You I Love 1957 6 24 6 6
Whole Lotta Loving 1958 12 1 6 12
I'm Ready 1959 5 25 16 7
I Want to Walk You Home 1959 8 10 8 10
I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Some Day 1959 8 10 17 9
Be My Guest 1959 11 9 8 10
Walking to New Orleans 1960 7 4 6 11
Three Nights A Week 1960 9 12 15 9
My Girl Josephine 1960 11 14 14 11
Let the Four Winds Blow 1961 7 31 15 6