Rocket 88
1951
Kizart's amp fell off the car, Phillips stuffed the blown cone with paper, and distorted guitar entered the language.
★ 7.5
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1951
Showing 13 songs from 1951
Dust My BroomElmore James
Dust My Broom
1951
Johnson's 1936 triplet figure run through an amplifier, Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonica, and a riff everybody stole.
★ 7.5
Hey Good Lookin'
1951 · From 40 Greatest Hits
Williams wrote it for Little Jimmy Dickens, recorded it first himself, and held country number one for eight weeks.
★ 7.4
Sixty Minute ManThe Dominoes
Sixty Minute Man
1951
Bill Brown's bass voice, not McPhatter's tenor, carried fourteen weeks at R&B number one past nervous radio programmers.
★ 6.2
How High the Moon
1951
Twelve guitar parts and twelve vocals, by Paul's own count, layered in a Queens apartment studio; nine weeks at number one.
★ 6.1
Cold, Cold Heart
1951
Mitch Miller took a Hank Williams country ballad, wrapped it in Percy Faith's strings, and country crossed over.
★ 5.0
Too Young
1951
Sidney Lippman and Sylvia Dee handed Cole a teenage lament, and Capitol got five weeks at number one.
★ 4.6
Because of You
1951
A 1940 flop revived by a film, cut with Percy Faith conducting, and ten weeks at number one.
★ 4.1
On Top of Old Smoky
1951
Cecil Sharp collected it in Appalachia in 1916; Seeger's arrangement and Terry Gilkyson's voice sold a million.
★ 3.5
Be My LoveMario Lanza
Be My Love
1951
Cahn and Brodszky wrote it for The Toast of New Orleans; Lanza's tenor turned it into two million records.
★ 3.3
Come On-a My House
1951
Miller threatened to fire Clooney if she refused, Stan Freeman played harpsichord, and it sat six weeks at number one.
★ 2.8
IfPerry Como
If
1951
Written in 1934 and revived by a crowded field of 1950 covers; Como's held number one for eight weeks.
★ 2.3
The Loveliest Night of the Year
1951
A Juventino Rosas waltz from 1888, fitted with English words for The Great Caruso and sung to number three.
★ 1.3