Uncovering the Next Generation's Hall of Fame
| ⇦ 1950s | 1960s ⇨ |
The Defining Artists of the 1950s
The following artists released some of the best music of the 1950s. Hall of Famers are highlighted in orange.
LaVern Baker Hank Ballard Screamin' Jay Hawkins Brenda Lee Charlie Parker Miles Davis Johnny Ace The Moonglows Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers Jimmy Reed Howlin' Wolf Wanda Jackson Carl Perkins Dinah Washington Link Wray Bobby Darin The Drifters Ray Charles Professor Longhair Ella Fitzgerald Billie Holiday Fats Domino The Flamingos Gene Vincent Bill Haley Little Walter Elizabeth Cotten Ricky Nelson Chet Atkins The Coasters Sarah Vaughan Count Basie Muddy Waters The Weavers Nina Simone The "5" Royales Big Mama Thornton Little Richard Cliff Richard & the Shadows T-Bone Walker Jackie Wilson Eddie Cochran Johnny Cash The Everly Brothers Ritchie Valens Charles Mingus The Dominoes Odetta Little Willie John Chuck Berry The Four Freshmen Sonny Rollins Lloyd Price Bo Diddley Buddy Holly Bing Crosby Frank Sinatra Sun Ra Lightnin' Hopkins Johnny Burnette and the Rock N Roll Trio Duke Ellington Elvis Presley The Kingston Trio Big Joe Turner John Coltrane Hank Williams Jerry Lee Lewis Dion Dave Brubeck Ruth Brown Chuck Willis Thelonious Monk The Platters Duane Eddy Les Paul Mahalia Jackson B. B. King Nat "King" Cole Harry Belafonte The Clovers Sam Cooke Connie Francis Ravi Shankar Elmore James
Of the 84 artists listed above, 67% have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
| ⇦ 1950s | 1960s ⇨ |
The Defining Albums of the 1950s
Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours (1955)
Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)
Little Richard - Here's Little Richard (1957)
Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean (1957)
Buddy Holly & The Crickets - The "Chirping" Crickets (1957)
Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin (1958)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)
Al Martino - Al Martino (1959)
Howlin' Wolf - Moanin' in the Moonlight (1959)
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz To Come (1959)
Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles (1959)
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (1959)
| ⇦ 1950s | 1960s ⇨ |
The Defining Songs of the 1950s
Professor Longhair - Tipitina (1950)
Muddy Waters - Rollin' Stone (1950)
Elmore James - Dust My Broom (1951)
B. B. King - Three O'Clock Blues (1951)
Les Paul & Mary Ford - How High The Moon (1951)
Jackie Brenston - Rocket 88 (1951)
Johnnie Ray - Cry (1951)
The Dominoes - Sixty Minute Man (1951)
Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy (1952)
Little Walter - Juke (1952)
Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog (1952)
The Orioles - Crying in the Chapel (1953)
The Crows - Gee (1953)
The Drifters - Money Honey (1953)
Guitar Slim - The Things That I Used to Do (1953)
Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line (1954)
Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man (1954)
Bill Haley & His Comets - (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock (1954)
The Chords - Sh-Boom (1954)
The Moonglows - Sincerely (1954)
Elvis Presley - That's All Right (1954)
Ruth Brown - Oh What a Dream (1954)
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy (1955)
Chuck Berry - Maybellene (1955)
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (1955)
The Platters - The Great Pretender (1955)
Fats Domino - Ain't That a Shame (1955)
Elvis Presley - Mystery Train (1955)
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti (1955)
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Chuck Berry - Roll Over Beethoven (1956)
Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio - Train Kept A-Rollin' (1956)
Dale Hawkins - Susie Q (1956)
Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel (1956)
Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby (1956)
Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (1956)
Chuck Berry - Brown Eyed Handsome Man (1956)
Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning (1956)
The Five Satins - In The Still Of The Nite (1956)
James Brown & The Famous Flames - Please, Please, Please (1956)
The Del-Vikings - Come Go With Me (1956)
Bill Doggett - Honky Tonk (1956)
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally (1956)
Lavern Baker - Jim Dandy (1956)
The Dells - Oh, What a Night (1956)
Carl Perkins - Matchbox (1956)
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent (1956)
Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line (1956)
Little Willie John - Fever (1956)
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on You (1956)
Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender (1956)
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1956)
Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill (1956)
Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working (1957)
Danny & The Juniors - At The Hop (1957)
Buddy Knox - Party Doll (1957)
Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue (1957)
Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight (1957)
Chuck Willis - C.C. Rider (1957)
The Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love (1957)
The "5" Royales - Think (1957)
The Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie (1957)
The Coasters - Young Blood (1957)
Sam Cooke - You Send Me (1957)
Buddy Holly & The Crickets - That'll Be the Day (1957)
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Bobby Darin - Splish Splash (1957)
Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock (1957)
The Chantels - Maybe (1957)
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (1958)
The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream (1958)
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues (1958)
Eddie Cochran - C'mon Everybody (1958)
Ritchie Valens - La Bamba (1958)
The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace (1958)
Link Wray - Rumble (1958)
Cliff Richard And The Drifters - Move It (1958)
Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly (1958)
Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops (1958)
The Champs - Tequila (1958)
Johnny Otis - Willie and the Hand Jive (1958)
The Coasters - Yakety Yak (1958)
Wilbert Harrison - Kansas City (1959)
Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want) (1959)
The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You (1959)
The Clovers - Love Potion No. 9 (1959)
Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife (1959)
Dion & the Belmonts - A Teenager in Love (1959)
Miles Davis - So What (1959)
The Drifters - There Goes My Baby (1959)
Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely (1959)
Bo Diddley - Say Man (1959)
| ⇦ 1950s | 1960s ⇨ |