The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has developed a list of the "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." Originally it was a list of 500 songs, but titles have been added so that now there are over 600. Of course, some of the songs on the list pre-date The Elvis Era. Some are rock and roll classics such as "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets, "Earth Angel" by The Penquins and Elvis Presley's Sun Records recordings such as "That's All Right Mama." There are 104 songs that were issued during The Elvis Era. Songs were selected because the committee thought they were significant, not because they were necessarily popular. For example, Dick Dale & The Deltones' "Let's Go Trippin'" is listed because it pioneered surf music. Bob Dylan's 1963 single of "Blowin' In The Wind" is on the list along with four other Dylan songs, but it didn't chart. However, Peter, Paul & Mary's version was a #2 hit and wasn't on the list. "Shout" by The Isley Brothers never cracked the top 40, but it is clearly a rock and roll classic. Some of the committee's selections seem to defy logic. "I Am Not a Juvenile Delinquent" by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers wasn't a popular release (not ranked) and hardly seems to be "influential" but it is on the list. Carl Perkins' "Matchbox" is perhaps best known because it was eventually covered by The Beatles. "Oh What a Night" by The Dells was unranked in 1956, but when it was remastered in 1969 it earned a number ten ranking. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have the most songs on the list (8) -- The Elvis Era's namesake has seven. |
Elvis Era Most Influential Titles
NOT Ranked in Billboard Weekly Top 20: |
| Title |
Artist |
highest ranking |
year |
| Brown Eyed Handsome Man |
Chuck Berry |
not ranked
|
1956 |
| Blowin' In The Wind |
Bob Dylan |
not ranked |
1963 |
| Oh What A Night |
The Dells |
not ranked
|
1956 |
| I Put a Spell On You |
Screamin' Jay Hawkins |
not ranked
|
1956 |
| I m Not A Juvenile Delinquent |
Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers |
not ranked
|
1956 |
| Matchbox |
Carl Perkins |
not ranked
|
1957 |
| Say Man |
Bo Diddley |
20 |
1959 |
| La Bamba |
Ritchie Valens |
22 |
1959 |
| Love Potion No. 9 |
The Clovers |
23 |
1959 |
| Money (That's What I Want) |
Barrett Strong |
23 |
1960 |
| I'll Remember (In the Still of the Night) |
The Five Satins |
24 |
1956 |
| Fever |
Little Willie John |
24 |
1956 |
| Susie-Q |
Dale Hawkins |
27 |
1957 |
| Turn On Your Love Light |
Bobby Bland |
28 |
1962 |
| Roll Over Bethoven |
Chuck Berry |
29 |
1956 |
| C'mon Everybody |
Eddie Cochran |
35 |
1959 |
| Shout |
Isley Brothers |
47 |
1959 |
| Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu |
Huey "Piano Smith & the Clowns |
52 |
1957 |
| Let's Go Trippin' |
Dick Dale & The DelTones |
60 |
1961 |
|
| Most Influential Songs of The Elvis Era listed by year: |
1956 Be-Bop-a-Lula by Gene Vincent 3/24/1956 #7
1956 Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino 10/13/1956 #2
1956 Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins 3/10/1956 #2
1956 Brown Eyed Handsome Man by Chuck Berry 10/6/1956 #
1956 Fever by Little Willie John 7/24/1956 #24
1956 The Great Pretender by The Platters 12/24/1955 #1
1956 Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley 3/10/1956 #1
1956 Hound Dog by Elvis Presley 8/4/1956 #1
1956 I'll Remember (In the Still of the Night) by The Five Satins 9/29/1956 #24
1956 I’m Not A Juvenile Delinquent by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers 11/5/1956 #
1956 I Put a Spell On You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins 11/8/1956 #
1956 I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash 10/20/1956 #17
1956 Long Tall Sally by Little Richard 4/7/1956 #6
1956 Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley 10/20/1956 #1
1956 Oh What a Night by The Dells 9/8/1956 #
1956 Rock Island Line by Lonnie Donegan 3/31/1956 #8
1956 Roll Over Bethoven by Chuck Berry 6/30/1956 #29
1956 Tutti-Frutti by Little Richard 1/28/1956 #17
1956 Why Do Fools Fall in Love by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers 2/18/1956 #6
1957 Bony Moronie by Larry Williams 7/8/1957 #5
1957 Bye Bye Love by The Everly Brothers 5/27/1957 #2
1957 C. C. Rider by Chuck Willis 5/13/1957 #12
1957 Come Go With Me by The Dell-Vikings 3/2/1957 #4
1957 Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis 12/2/1957 #2
1957 Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley 10/14/1957 #1
1957 Jim Dandy by LaVern Baker 12/29/1956 #17
1957 Matchbox by Carl Perkins #
1957 Party Doll by Buddy Knox 3/2/1957 #1
1957 Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly 11/11/1957 #3
1957 Rock & Roll Music by Chuck Berry 11/11/1957 #8
1957 Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu by
. . . . . . . . . . . . .Huey "Piano Smith & the Clowns 7/11/1957 #52
1957 Susie-Q by Dale Hawkins 7/1/1957 #27
1957 That'll Be the Day by Buddy Holly & the Crickets 8/19/1957 #1
1957 Wake Up Little Susie by The Everly Brothers 9/30/1957 #1
1957 Walking After Midnight by Patsy Cline 3/2/1957 #12
1957 Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On by Jerry Lee Lewis 7/17/1957 #3
1957 Young Blood by The Coasters 5/20/1957 #8
1957 You Send Me by Sam Cooke 10/28/1957 #1
1958 All I Have To Do Is Dream by The Everly Brothers 4/28/1958 #1
1958 At the Hop by Danny & the Juniors 12/9/1957 #1
1958 Book of Love by The Monotones 4/7/1958 #5
1958 Chantilly Lace by Big Bopper 8/4/1958 #6
1958 Good Golly, Miss Molly by Little Richard 2/24/1958 #10
1958 Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis 12/2/1957 #2
1958 Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry 5/5/1958 #8
1958 Maybe by The Chantels 1/27/1958 #15
1958 Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly 11/11/1957 #3
1958 Rebel Rouser by Duane Eddy 7/7/1958 #6
1958 Splish Splash by Bobby Darin 6/30/1958 #3
1958 Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran 8/28/1958 #8
1958 Tequila by The Champs 3/3/1958 #1
1958 Willie and the Hand Jive by The Johnny Otis Show 6/30/1958 #9
1958 Yakety Yak by The Coasters 6/9/1958 #1
1959 C'mon Everybody by Eddie Cochran 1/5/1959 #35
1959 I Only Have Eyes for You by The Flamingos 6/8/1959 #11
1959 Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison 4/27/1959 #1
1959 La Bamba by Ritchie Valens 1/19/1959 #22
1959 Lonely Teardrops by Jackie Wilson 12/8/1958 #7
1959 Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin 9/7/1959 #1
1959 Say Man by Bo Diddley 10/5/1959 #20
1959 Shout by Isley Brothers 10/12/1959 #47
1959 A Teenager in Love by Dion & the Belmonts 4/27/1959 #5
1959 There Goes My Baby by The Drifters 6/29/1959 #2
1960 Money (That's What I Want) by Barrett Strong 3/21/1960 #23
1960 Only the Lonely by Roy Orbison 6/20/1960 #2
1960 The Twist by Chubby Checker 8/8/1960 #1
1960 Walk -- Don't Run by The Ventures 7/25/1960 #2
1961 Blue Moon by The Marcels 3/20/1961 #1
1961 Dedicated to the One I Love by The Shirelles 2/6/1961 #3
1961 Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson 5/8/1961 #9
1961 I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline 7/24/1961 #12
1961 Let’s Go Trippin’ by Dick Dale & The Deltones 9/3/1961 #60
1961 Quarter to Three by Gary "U.S." Bonds 6/5/1961 #1
1961 Runaround Sue by Dion 10/2/1961 #1
1961 Runaway by Del Shannon 3/27/1961 #1
1961 Shop Around by The Miracles 12/31/1960 #2
1961 Spanish Harlem by Ben E. King 1/30/1961 #10
1961 Stand by Me by Ben E. King 5/22/1961 #4
1961 Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles 12/12/1960 #1
1962 Big Girls Don't Cry by The Four Seasons 10/27/1962 #1
1962 Bring It On Home To Me by Sam Cooke 8/4/1962 #13
1962 Do You Love Me by The Contours 9/22/1962 #3
1962 Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler 1/27/1962 #1
1962 Green Onions by Booker T. & The MGs 9/1/1962 #3
1962 He's a Rebel by The Crystals 10/6/1962 #1
1962 I Can't Stop Loving You by Ray Charles 5/19/1962 #1
1962 If I Had A Hammer by Peter, Paul & Mary 9/8/1962 #10
1962 The Locomotion by Little Eva 7/21/1962 #1
1962 Turn On Your Love Light by Bobby Bland 1/20/1962 #2
1963 Be My Baby by The Ronettes 9/14/1963 #2
1963 Da Doo Ron Ron by The Crystals 5/11/1963 #3
1963 Heat Wave by Martha & the Vandellas 8/17/1963 #4
1963 Louie Louie by The Kingsmen 11/30/1963 #2
1963 On Broadway by The Drifters 4/6/1963 #9
1963 Pipeline by The Chantays 4/6/1963 #4
1963 Surf City by Jan & Dean 6/22/1963 #1
1963 Surfin' U.S.A. by The Beach Boys 4/13/1963 #3
1963 Up on the Roof by The Drifters 12/29/1962 #5
1963 Walk Like A Man by The Four Seasons 1/26/1963 #1
1963 Wipe Out by The Surfaris 7/6/1963 #2
1963 You've Really Got a Hold on Me by The Miracles 1/12/1963 #8
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| While "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" obviously belongs on the list, "I Am Not a Juvenile Delinquent" is questionable. |
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| "Bony Maronie" is an example of a song that wasn't all that popular making it onto the list. |
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| Only six of the 104 Elvis Era songs on the list are instrumentals. |
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| "Donna" was released in December of 1958 and was a #2 record for Ritchie Valens. But by February, the flip side, "La Bamba" was getting a lot of play, too. The list makers found it to be more influential. |
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| Only four songs from 1960 made the list -- Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely" was his first #1 record. |
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| The committee gave a nod to rock and roll's country side with Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces." They obviously thought it had more rock and roll influence than her earlier crossover hit, "Crazy." |
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| "if I Had A Hammer" wasn't as popular as "Blowin' in the Wind" or "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and Trini Lopez had a more popular version of the song in 1963 (#3) but it is on the list. |
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| The Drifters had two songs from 1963 on the list, the other being "On Broadway" (#9). |
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