In 1954 the popular music charts were the province of the traditional vocalist; the chanteuses and chansonniers occupied eight of Billboards end of year top ten spots. There were only ten number one songs that year.  Eight were single vocals and two were vocal groups.  The other most popular genre of the era was the orchestra and accompanying vocal chorale which had six ranked in the top fifty at year’s end.  During World War II, the big bands that had been so popular during the 1930’s began to decline in popularity, possibly due to the hardships imposed by the war.  Touring became more difficult due to shortages of gasoline and rubber.  And it was becoming more expensive to press records as the shellac used in the old 78’s was needed for war time manufacturing.  The vocalists stepped forward to fill the void – easier and cheaper to produce and providing a more personal touch, many that had been featured by the big band leaders went out on their own.  Frank Sinatra was one of the first.  His band leader, Tommy Dorsey proclaimed him a “damned fool” but it soon became apparent that Sinatra was nobody’s fool as his popularity soared.  By the 1950’s many vocalists such as Doris Day, Perry Como, and Patti Page were consistently topping the charts.  Such was the case in 1954.

Billboard’s number one song for the year was Kitty Kallen’s “Little Things Mean a Lot.”  Of all the number ones, it had the longest tenure at the top, spending nine weeks from May 29th to July 24th as #1 and staying in the top twenty for 25 weeks.  Kallen had begun her career in the 1940’s as a vocalist with some of the big bands of that era such as Tommy Dorsey.  She had another top ten record in 1954 with “In The Chapel In The Moonlight” (#5). 

The most successful artist of 1954 was Eddie Fisher.  He would begin and end the year at #1 on the Billboard chart.  “Oh Mein Papa” was a German song written in 1939 which trumpeter Eddie Calvert recorded and released in 1953 and eventually reached #9 on the Billboard chart.  Eddie Fisher’s version hit the top spot on the chart on December 26th, 1953 and remained there for the first six weeks of 1954.  Fisher had two previous #1’s with “Wish You Were Here” in 1952 and earlier in 1953 with “I’m Walking Behind You.”  He ended 1954 with another #1, “I Need You Now.”  He had a total of seven songs listed in the top twenty.

Rosemary Clooney joined Fisher as the only other artist to produce two top hits in 1954.  “Hey There” was #1 for six weeks in September and October and its flip side, “This Ole House” was credited as a #1 on October 30th.  Chart makers have always had difficulty dealing with “double-sided” hits.  When a flip side received substantial play time on the radio, it was a common practice in the early 1950’s to list that song separately, but with the same ranking as the “A” side.  But sometimes a “B” side would gain popularity after an “A” side had waned, and then it might get listed on its own.  Whether “This Ole House” was successful enough to have its own #1 ranking is debatable.

The Four Aces were the most successful vocal group with five top twenty hits in 1954.  Most of their records were in competition with versions by other artists.  Their rendering of “Three Coins in a Fountain” was the highest ranked at #2 and their “Stranger in Paradise” (#5) trailed behind Tony Bennett.  The group registered “Mister Sandman” as a top ten entry (#9) at the end of the year, but was outdistanced by The Chordettes who took it to #1. 

Several other artists placed four records in the top twenty.  Tony Bennet had four including his #1, “Rags to Riches” and #3, “Stranger in Paradise.”  Les Paul & Mary Ford’s most successful was “I’m a Fool to Care” (#10).  Patti Page had two in the top ten with “Cross Over the Bridge” (#3) and “Changing Partners” (#4).

The most successful record not belonging to a single vocalist was “Sh-Boom” by The Crew Cuts.  This was an early example of a “cover” record.  “Sh-Boom” was written and recorded by The Chords and released in March – it reached #2 on the R&B chart and #9 on the pop chart.  Some consider it to be the first rock and roll record to reach the top ten.  The Crew Cuts’ version was released in June and made it to #1 by the end of the month and would remain there for seven weeks.  The Canadian group had had some earlier success with “Crazy ‘Bout You Baby” (#8) and in 1955 their version of The Penguins’ “Earth Angel” (#8) would do slightly better than the original.

“Sh-Boom” was a portent of the future.  By 1956, rock and roll “covers” consistently charted and their r&b originals met with more and more success.  In 1954, the male and female crooners occupied center stage, but those paying close attention heard the echoes of something new coming from the wings.  While Bill Haley & The Comets’ first release from Decca which included “Rock Around The Clock” as the “B” side met with little success in the spring, their fall release of “Shake, Rattle and Roll” which was actually a cover of Joe Turner’s version (#22) made it to #7 on the pop chart.  The Spaniels are often recognized as one of the originators of the doo-wop sound with their lead singer, “Pookie” Hudson, on one microphone and the others sharing a second mic.  In 1954 their version of “Goodnight Sweetheart” was #5 on the r&b chart and #25 on the pop chart – The McGuire Sisters’ cover was #8.  The white teens listening to deejays such as Alan Freed might also have heard The Drifters’ “Such a Night,” The Crows’ “Gee,” or Ruth Brown’s “Oh What a Dream.”  And if you were in the south you would have heard the new sound coming out of Memphis with Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right.”

But for the most part, 1954’s most popular music was a sharp contrast to rock and roll.  Some of those artists would survive the rock and roll revolution and continue to produce hit records.  The “Rat Pack” trio of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. all had hit records in 1954 and would be found on the charts in the 1960’s as well.  Doris Day had a #1 with “Secret Love” in 1954 and would continue her top twenty success, ending with “Everybody Loves a Lover” in 1958.  But just as the crooners of 1954 had replaced the big band sound of the 1940’s, they would eventually yield to the new sound which would come to be called rock and roll.