Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1986 - (page 212)

RobMCFC said:
Got the Dachau reference - I never knew that. As he is in my 1962 write-up, I'll leave that for somebody else to nominate. Instead, I'll go for something that reminds me of a certain Italian manager.

"Volare" - Domenico Modugno
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Yay our first Eurovision entry !! (and if it turns out to be the last then it shows the contest in the best possible light).
 
I'm sure in the various music threads there's multiple fans of the later Philly sound, I'll just mention that there's rich pickings in the earlier Philly sound too :-)
 
I'd say Johnnie Ray was the bridge between Sinatra and Elvis. He was the teen heart throb early to mid 50s before Elvis broke through. Tommy Steele was Rockin' with the Caveman and the first bona fide English rock n' roller before Cliff came along. Tommy became a family entertainer after his moment in the sun passed just as Cliff did when the Beatles came along.
 
stan bowles said:
I'd say Johnnie Ray was the bridge between Sinatra and Elvis. He was the teen heart throb early to mid 50s before Elvis broke through. Tommy Steele was Rockin' with the Caveman and the first bona fide English rock n' roller before Cliff came along. Tommy became a family entertainer after his moment in the sun passed just as Cliff did when the Beatles came along.
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Good shout on Johnny Ray, do you want to nominate a track for the playlist?

Yes, no doubt that Tommy was before Cliff, I suggested Cliff as the first big pop star because as you say Tommy's music career at the highest level was fairly short lived and Richards did go on to have hits across multiple decades albeit with an increasingly aging audience! Different sources have different views on which of them qualifies as our first big star but Tommy was definitely our first real rock n roller. That said if I'd have been putting a TS track on the playlist I'd have gone for Little White Bull, a song I loved as as a small child !
 
threespires said:
Btw - there's a very obvious song that qualifies as traditional pop that it will be utter utter madness if nobody nominates it !

Also if anyone needs a nudge on a couple of other giants I didn't include in the original write-up...
  • one of them was part of the liberation of one of the Dachau concentration camps
  • the other was a man who nearly died on Route 66 and had a permanent reminder for the rest of his life
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Ah yes arguably the best entertainer on stage the US has produced IMO but no doubt shared by many others Sammy Davis Jr.

Blind in one eye as a result of the car accident and thank god for music lovers he survived.

I was fortunate enough to see him live on a couple of occasions and there was little he could not do.

He could make Broadway sexy and what a voice especially for a chain smoker.

I was going to nominate him in 1962 for an obvious choice but as you actuate in a good way TS I will nominate:

I Got Plenty o' Nuttin from Porgy and Bess.
 
threespires said:
Btw - there's a very obvious song that qualifies as traditional pop that it will be utter utter madness if nobody nominates it !

Also if anyone needs a nudge on a couple of other giants I didn't include in the original write-up...
  • one of them was part of the liberation of one of the Dachau concentration camps
  • the other was a man who nearly died on Route 66 and had a permanent reminder for the rest of his life
Click to expand...
As for Mr Benefit I think we should leave that to Fog.
 
Some thoughts on pop music from the 20s to 1960.

Some additions to threespires excellent list:

Noël Coward’s witty and sophisticated songs, such as “Mad About the Boy,” made him a symbol of British high society. Gracie Fields, the “Lancashire Lass,” charmed audiences with her cheerful songs like “Sally.” American star Al Jolson, famous for “Swanee” and *The Jazz Singer*, helped define early pop. The Andrews Sisters became wartime favorites with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Vera Lynn, the “Forces’ Sweetheart,” brought hope with “We’ll Meet Again.” George Formby’s humor in “When I’m Cleaning Windows” delighted audiences. Anne Shelton resonated with wartime songs, while Frankie Vaughan’s jazzy hits, like “The Garden of Eden,” became UK favourites. Ruby Murray’s record-breaking hits made her one of Britain’s top singers in the 1950s.

Special mention as well to Hollywood that spawned some absolute classic pop songs:

Iconic Disney films like *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* (1937) and *Pinocchio* (1940) featured beloved songs like “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” *The Wizard of Oz* (1939) with Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” became legendary. The 1940s saw hits like *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944) and Bing Crosby’s *Holiday Inn* (1942) featuring “White Christmas.” The 1950s brought Gene Kelly classics Singin' in the Rain (1952) and An American in Paris (1951), plus Rodgers and Hammerstein’s *Carousel* had the original WNWA (1956). In 1959, *Porgy and Bess* introduced “Summertime” as a hit. These soundtracks defined an era, with timeless songs that captivated audiences and set new standards for musical film.

The songs in bold would be good additions to the playlist as they are either 'of their time' and help show the development of the genre or they are iconic and have passed the test of decades.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Some thoughts on pop music from the 20s to 1960.

Some additions to threespires excellent list:

Noël Coward’s witty and sophisticated songs, such as “Mad About the Boy,” made him a symbol of British high society. Gracie Fields, the “Lancashire Lass,” charmed audiences with her cheerful songs like “Sally.” American star Al Jolson, famous for “Swanee” and *The Jazz Singer*, helped define early pop. The Andrews Sisters became wartime favorites with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Vera Lynn, the “Forces’ Sweetheart,” brought hope with “We’ll Meet Again.” George Formby’s humor in “When I’m Cleaning Windows” delighted audiences. Anne Shelton resonated with wartime songs, while Frankie Vaughan’s jazzy hits, like “The Garden of Eden,” became UK favourites. Ruby Murray’s record-breaking hits made her one of Britain’s top singers in the 1950s.

Special mention as well to Hollywood that spawned some absolute classic pop songs:

Iconic Disney films like *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* (1937) and *Pinocchio* (1940) featured beloved songs like “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” *The Wizard of Oz* (1939) with Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” became legendary. The 1940s saw hits like *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944) and Bing Crosby’s *Holiday Inn* (1942) featuring “White Christmas.” The 1950s brought Gene Kelly classics Singin' in the Rain (1952) and An American in Paris (1951), plus Rodgers and Hammerstein’s *Carousel* had the original WNWA (1956). In 1959, *Porgy and Bess* introduced “Summertime” as a hit. These soundtracks defined an era, with timeless songs that captivated audiences and set new standards for musical film.

The songs in bold would be good additions to the playlist as they are either 'of their time' and help show the development of the genre or they are iconic and have passed the test of decades.
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All excellent additions timeless in fact as you allude to.

Like the fact you mentioned Porgy and Bess one of my all time favorite musicals.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Some thoughts on pop music from the 20s to 1960.

Some additions to threespires excellent list:

Noël Coward’s witty and sophisticated songs, such as “Mad About the Boy,” made him a symbol of British high society. Gracie Fields, the “Lancashire Lass,” charmed audiences with her cheerful songs like “Sally.” American star Al Jolson, famous for “Swanee” and *The Jazz Singer*, helped define early pop. The Andrews Sisters became wartime favorites with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Vera Lynn, the “Forces’ Sweetheart,” brought hope with “We’ll Meet Again.” George Formby’s humor in “When I’m Cleaning Windows” delighted audiences. Anne Shelton resonated with wartime songs, while Frankie Vaughan’s jazzy hits, like “The Garden of Eden,” became UK favourites. Ruby Murray’s record-breaking hits made her one of Britain’s top singers in the 1950s.

Special mention as well to Hollywood that spawned some absolute classic pop songs:

Iconic Disney films like *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* (1937) and *Pinocchio* (1940) featured beloved songs like “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” *The Wizard of Oz* (1939) with Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” became legendary. The 1940s saw hits like *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944) and Bing Crosby’s *Holiday Inn* (1942) featuring “White Christmas.” The 1950s brought Gene Kelly classics Singin' in the Rain (1952) and An American in Paris (1951), plus Rodgers and Hammerstein’s *Carousel* had the original WNWA (1956). In 1959, *Porgy and Bess* introduced “Summertime” as a hit. These soundtracks defined an era, with timeless songs that captivated audiences and set new standards for musical film.

The songs in bold would be good additions to the playlist as they are either 'of their time' and help show the development of the genre or they are iconic and have passed the test of decades.
Click to expand...
Was going to mention "When You Wish Upon A Star". Disney has been responsible for some fabulous songs over the years.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Some thoughts on pop music from the 20s to 1960.

Some additions to threespires excellent list:

Noël Coward’s witty and sophisticated songs, such as “Mad About the Boy,” made him a symbol of British high society. Gracie Fields, the “Lancashire Lass,” charmed audiences with her cheerful songs like “Sally.” American star Al Jolson, famous for “Swanee” and *The Jazz Singer*, helped define early pop. The Andrews Sisters became wartime favorites with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Vera Lynn, the “Forces’ Sweetheart,” brought hope with “We’ll Meet Again.” George Formby’s humor in “When I’m Cleaning Windows” delighted audiences. Anne Shelton resonated with wartime songs, while Frankie Vaughan’s jazzy hits, like “The Garden of Eden,” became UK favourites. Ruby Murray’s record-breaking hits made her one of Britain’s top singers in the 1950s.

Special mention as well to Hollywood that spawned some absolute classic pop songs:

Iconic Disney films like *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* (1937) and *Pinocchio* (1940) featured beloved songs like “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” *The Wizard of Oz* (1939) with Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” became legendary. The 1940s saw hits like *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944) and Bing Crosby’s *Holiday Inn* (1942) featuring “White Christmas.” The 1950s brought Gene Kelly classics Singin' in the Rain (1952) and An American in Paris (1951), plus Rodgers and Hammerstein’s *Carousel* had the original WNWA (1956). In 1959, *Porgy and Bess* introduced “Summertime” as a hit. These soundtracks defined an era, with timeless songs that captivated audiences and set new standards for musical film.

The songs in bold would be good additions to the playlist as they are either 'of their time' and help show the development of the genre or they are iconic and have passed the test of decades.
Click to expand...

Great list. I'm not entirely convinced they all qualify as traditional pop but I never really found a definitive definition anyway and great music is great music. In which case I'd also add the great Cole Porter to your list too, a cross between Coward and the Gershwins.
 
threespires said:
Great list. I'm not entirely convinced they all qualify as traditional pop but I never really found a definitive definition anyway and great music is great music. In which case I'd also add the great Cole Porter to your list too, a cross between Coward and the Gershwins.
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I think the most questionable is Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B which has clear jazz influences. But I like it ;-)

Cole Porter deserves a spot. What about ‘Night and Day’ sung by another iconic artist Fred Astaire.
 
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