Billboard Top 20,11/4/1957
Rank..Previous .. # Weeks .. Title .. Artist
#1 .. 2 / 4 Jailhouse Rock----------------Elvis Presley
#2 .. 1 / 6 Wake Up Little Susie------------The Everly Brothers
#3 .. 14 / 4 Silhouettes----------------The Rays
#4 .. 4 / 13 Honeycomb----------------Jimmie Rodgers
#5 .. 7 / 8 Chances Are----------------Johnny Mathis
#6 .. 16 / 3 You Send Me----------------Sam Cooke
#7 .. 10 / 5 Be Bop Baby----------------Ricky Nelson
#8 .. 3 / 16 Tammy----------------Debbie Reynolds
#9 .. 13 / 17 Diana----------------Paul Anka
#10 .. 8 / 6 Keep A Knockin'----------------Little Richard
#11 .. 5 / 8 Happy, Happy Birthday Baby-----The Tune Weavers
#12 .. 6 / 13 That'll Be The Day----Buddy Holly & The Crickets
#13 .. 25 / 3 Little Bitty Pretty One----------------Thurston Harris
#14 .. 11 / 14 Mr. Lee----------------The Bobbettes
#15 .. 21 / 4 My Special Angel----------------Bobby Helms
#16 .. 9 / 20 Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On------Jerry Lee Lewis
#17 .. 12 / 10 Hula Love----------------Buddy Knox
#18 .. 18 / 11 Fascination----------------Jane Morgan
#19 .. 15 / 12 Lotta Lovin'----------------Gene Vincent
#20 .. 19 / 5 Melodie D'Amour----------------The Ames Brothers |
On November 4th, 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" reached #1 on the Billboard chart and would remain their for six weeks. It was the title song from Elvis Presley's third movie which was released to theaters nation wide on November 8th. The B side of the record, "Treat Me Nice" also made the top twenty (#16). The song was featured as the big production number of the movie which Elvis choreographed.
The November 4th top twenty was repleat with number one songs. "Wake Up Little Susie" had preceded "Jailhouse Rock" in the top spot. "Diana," "Tammy," "Chances Are," and "That'll Be The Day" were former #1's, while "You Send Me" would reach the top of the charts in December.
The 1957 November charts reveal how influential rock and roll had become. At least sixteen of the top twenty could be labeled as some form of the new music. Rockabilly was represented by The Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, and Buddy Knox . "My Special Angel" came from the country side of rock and roll. The sound of doo-wop was present in "Silhouettes," "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," "Little Bitty Pretty One," and "Mr. Lee." Six of the initial ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were represented: Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, and Sam Cooke.
Little Richard's "Keep a Knockin'" was an interesting entry on the chart as it was released by Specialty records after his abandonment of rock and roll. Richard Penniman had undergone some kind of religious conversion and quit the business to enroll in a Bible college -- he wouldn't record rock and roll for seven years, and never as successfully as he did in the mid 1950's. "Keep a Knockin'" was an effort by Specialty records to maintain Richard's success even thoiugh they didn't have an actual complete record. The engineers pieced together the record from various short takes that had been recorded. |
