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.
Duke Ellington Ritchie Valens Nina Simone Duane Eddy The "5" Royales Fats Domino Little Willie John Carl Perkins The Four Freshmen Cliff Richard & the Shadows Muddy Waters Johnny Cash Odetta Bing Crosby Chet Atkins B. B. King Dave Brubeck The Drifters Howlin' Wolf Bill Haley Miles Davis Charlie Parker Bo Diddley Big Joe Turner The Clovers Professor Longhair John Coltrane Ella Fitzgerald Sarah Vaughan Wanda Jackson Dinah Washington Screamin' Jay Hawkins The Platters Elizabeth Cotten Ray Charles Les Paul Johnny Burnette and the Rock N Roll Trio Ricky Nelson Jackie Wilson Little Walter Buddy Holly Sonny Rollins Lloyd Price Little Richard Dion Charles Mingus Jerry Lee Lewis The Weavers Nat "King" Cole Hank Ballard Chuck Willis Connie Francis Sun Ra Gene Vincent The Flamingos The Dominoes LaVern Baker Thelonious Monk Brenda Lee Bobby Darin Elvis Presley Jimmy Reed Lightnin' Hopkins Ravi Shankar Link Wray Chuck Berry The Kingston Trio Billie Holiday Ruth Brown Johnny Ace T-Bone Walker Big Mama Thornton The Everly Brothers Hank Williams Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers Sam Cooke Mahalia Jackson The Coasters The Coasters Harry Belafonte The Moonglows Count Basie Frank Sinatra Eddie Cochran
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)
Bill Haley & His Comets - (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock (1954)
Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man (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)
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally (1956)
Bill Doggett - Honky Tonk (1956)
Lavern Baker - Jim Dandy (1956)
The Dells - Oh, What a Night (1956)
Carl Perkins - Matchbox (1956)
Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line (1956)
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent (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 Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie (1957)
The "5" Royales - Think (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)
The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream (1958)
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (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)
Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife (1959)
The Clovers - Love Potion No. 9 (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 ⇨ |