This was the year that rock and roll exploded onto the music scene. Many R & B performers now had easier access to the nation’s charts. This was a defining year in popular music. The following is a sampling of some of the hits of 1955. All dates used in this article will refer to the date when a particular song would enter the national Top 40, unless the song was denoted as popular on the R & B charts only.
January-June 1955
“Open Up Your Heart” by The Cowboy Church Sunday School would debut on the week of January 1, peaking at #8. On the week of January 8, The McGuire Sisters would debut on the national charts with “Sincerely” (this song would peak at #1 for 10 weeks)
“Tweedlee Dee” by LaVern Baker would debut on the week of January 15, peaking at #14. “Melody Of Love” by The Four Aces would also debut on the week of January 15, peaking at #3. “Ko Ko Mo” by Gene & Eunice would debut on the R & B charts on the week of January 16, peaking at #7. “Earth Angel” and “Ko Ko Mo” by The Crewcuts would debut on the week of January 29 (“Earth Angel” would peak at #3 while “Ko Ko Mo” would peak at #6). Etta James would debut on the R & B charts on the week of February 9 with “Wallflower” (this was the original version of “Dance With Me Henry” and it would peak at #2 on the R & B charts, but it would never make the national Top 40). “How Important Can It Be” by Joni James would debut on the week of February 19, peaking at #2. After years of success on the R & B charts, Johnny Ace would finally hit the pop charts on the week of February 19, peaking at #17. Johnny had died on December 24, 1954 while playing Russian Roulette backstage at an auditorium in Houston, Texas. He would enter the nation’s Top 40 with his, recording of “Pledging My Love”. “Glad Rag Doll” by Crazy Otto would debut on the week of February 26, peaking at #19. “The Ballad Of Davy Crockett” by Bill Hayes would debut on the week of February 26, peaking at #1 for 5 weeks. This song was from the popular Disney TV show “Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Frontier”. “Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup” by Nat ‘King’ Cole would debut on the week of March 5, peaking at #7. “Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White” by Prez Prado would also debut on the week of March 5, peaking at #1 for 10 weeks. “Don’t You Know” by Fats Domino would debut on the R & B charts on the week of March 9, peaking at #12. “Lonely Nights” by The Hearts would debut on the R & B charts on the week of March 16, peaking at #8. “Dance With Me Henry” by Georgia Gibbs would debut on the charts on the week of March 26, peaking at #1 for 3 weeks. “Blue Velvet” by The Clovers would debut on the R &B charts on the week of March 30, peaking at #14. “Don’t Be Angry” by Nappy Brown would debut on the R & B charts on the week of April 6, peaking at #2. “Most Of All” by The Moonglows would also debut on the R & B charts on the week of April 6, peaking at #11. “Unchained Melody” by Al Hibbler would debut on the week of April 9, peaking at #3. “The Door Is Still Open To my Heart” by the Cardinals would debut on the R & B Charts on the week of April 13, peaking at #10. “Whatever Lola Wants” by Sarah Vaughan would debut on the week of April 23, peaking at #6. “Unchained Melody” by Roy Hamilton would also debut on the week of April 23, peaking at #6. “Don’t Be Angry” by The Crewcuts would debut on the week of April #30, peaking at #14. “Bo Diddly” by Bo Diddly would debut on the R & B charts on the week of May 4, peaking at #2. “A Blossom Fell” by Nat ‘King’ Cole would debut on the week of May 7, peaking at #2. “Learnin’ The Blues” by Frank Sinatra would also debut on the week of May 7, peaking at #1 for 2 weeks. “This Is My Story” by Gene & Eunice would debut on the R & B charts on the week of May 11, peaking at #13. “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & The Comets would debut on the charts on the week of May 14, peaking at #1 for 8 weeks. “Heart” by Eddie Fisher would also debut on the week of May 14, peaking at #6. “If I May” by Nat ‘King’ Cole would debut on the week of May 21, peaking at #8. “Story Untold” by The Nutmegs would debut on the R & B charts on the week of May 25, peaking at #2. “Heart” by The Four Aces would debut on the week of May 28, peaking at #13. “Hard To Get” by Gisele MacKenzie would debut on the week of June 4, peaking at #4. Gisele would be one of the regulars on the TV show “Your Hit Parade”. “Soldier Boy” by The Four Fellows would debut on the R & B charts on the week of June 22, peaking at #4. “Story Untold” by The Crewcuts would debut on the week of June 25, peaking at #16.
July -December 1955
“Ain’t That A Shame” by Pat Boone would debut on the week of July 9, peaking at #1 for 2 weeks. “Seventeen” by Boyd Bennett & The Rockets would also debut on the week of July 9, peaking at #5.
“Aint That A Shame” by Fats Domino would debut on the week of July 16, peaking at #10. “Razzle Dazzle” by Bill Haley & The Comets would now debut on the week of July 23, peaking at #15. “The Kentuckian Song” by The Hilltoppers would debut on the week of July 30, peaking at #20. “Why Don’t You Write Me” by The Jacks would debut on the R & B charts on the week of August 3, peaking at #4. “The Yellow Rose Of Texas” by Mitch Miller would debut on the week of August 6, peaking at #1 for 6 weeks. “Tina Marie” by Perry Como would debut on the national charts on the week of August 13, peaking at #5. “Maybelline” by Chuck Berry would debut on the week of August 20, peaking at #5. “Seventeen” by The Fontane Sisters would also debut on the week of August 20, peaking at #3. “Autumn Leaves” by Roger Williams would also debut on the week of August 20, peaking at #1 for 4 weeks. “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” by The Four Aces would debut on the week of August 27, peaking at #1 for 6 weeks. “The Shifting Whispering Sands” by Billy Vaughn would debut on the week of September 3, peaking at #5. “Moments To Remember” by The Four Lads would also debut on the week of September 3, peaking at #2. “All By Myself” by Fats Domino would debut on the R & B charts on the week of September 7, peaking at #3. “Suddenly There’s A Valley” by Gogi Grant would debut on he week of October 1, peaking at #9 (Gogi Grant’s biggest hit was yet to come in the summer of 1956). “He” by Al Hibbler would also debut on the week of October 1, peaking at #4. “Only You” by The Platters would also debut on the week of October 1, peaking at #5. “You Painted Pictures” by The Spaniels would debut on the R & B charts on the week of October 5, peaking at #13. “At My Front Door” by The El Dorados would debut on the week of October 15, peaking at #17. “I Hear You Knocking” by Gale Storm would debut on the week of October 22, peaking at #2. “Adorable” by The Drifters would debut on the R & B charts on the week of October 26, peaking at #5. “He” by The McGuire Sisters would debut on the charts on the week of October 29, peaking at #10. “Love And Marriage” by Frank Sinatra would debut on the week of November 5, peaking at # 5. “It’s Almost Tomorrow” by The Dream Weavers would debut on the week of November 12, peaking at #7. “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford would debut on the week of November 12, peaking at #1 for 8 weeks,
“Poor Me” by Fats Domino would debut on the R & B charts on the week of November 16, peaking at #3. “Burn That Candle” and “Rock A Beatin’ Boogie” by Bill Haley & The Comets would debut on the week of November 19 (“”Burn That Candle” would peak at #9, while “Rock A Beatin’ Boogie would peak at #23). “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” by The Robins would debut on the R & B charts on the week of November 23, peaking at #13. “Daddy-O” by Bonnie Lou would debut on the week of November 26, peaking at #14, while “Daddy-O” by The Fontane Sisters would also debut on the week of November 26 (this version would peak at #11). “Memories Are Made Of This” by Dean Martin would debut on the week of December 3, peaking at #1 for 6 weeks. “A Woman In Love” by The Four Aces would also debut on the week of December 3, peaking at #14. “Band Of Gold” by Don Cherry would debut on the week of December 10, peaking at #4. “Angels In The Sky” by The Crewcuts would debut on the week of December 17, peaking at #11. “Teenage Prayer” by Gale Storm would debut on the week of December 24, peaking at #6, while “Teenage Prayer” by Gloria Mann would debut on the same week, peaking at #19. “Gee Whittakers” by Pat Boone would also debut on the week of December 24, peaking at #19. “The Great Pretender” by The Platters would also debut on the week of December 24, peaking at #1 for 2 weeks. “Lisbon Antigua” by Nelson Riddle would debut on the week of December 31, peaking at #1 for 4 weeks. “Memories Are Made Of This” by Gale Storm would debut on the week of December 31, peaking at #5. These were some of the hits from the year 1955. 🙂 🙂 🙂
References: The Billboard R & B Charts and “The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition” by Joel Whitburn.
