(vanity) TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS II - '50s

author | 1/9/22 | the OlLine Rebel

[the OlLine Rebel]

FREEPERS, LET'S START THIS CONTEST FOR THE GREATEST SONG OF THE '50S!

ROUND 1A – ‘50s

The baseline for the survey is the top 10 hits of each year of the '50s, as compiled by BILLBOARD. This is NOT based on personal preferences, biases, prejudices, or counter-culture fringe-element reactionism. Nor based on weekly charts.

Round 1 involves ranking candidate songs in order of preference for each year. Part A (as well as B next week) will be 5 years’ worth of rankings, so hunker down because that’s 50 songs to handle!

(The remaining rounds are handled as play-offs, starting with 32 pairs of songs to compare. More on that later.)

For the first time ever, WE WILL USE A SURVEY WEBSITE for the polling! NO MORE TYPING YOUR CHOICES IN THE THREAD!

Following posts list the pieces for instant review. Again, however, links to SurveyHero will be used for the surveys, and links to YouTube for the hits.

ROUND 1A DUE DATE: SUNDAY JANUARY 16 @12:00PM EST

[Fiji Hill]

It might be better to type the links into Word and then paste them into Notepad before importing them to FR.

[Dr. Sivana]

Done. Those who sit through all of 1950 deserve some kind of little combat medal for trauma to their ears. Theres some real stinkers there.

First, there's more than the Top 10 to listen to. You'll see some stinkers from every decade (Having My Baby, Disco Duck, etc.) Second, if you can listen more than once, just note the great quality of the vocalists. Also note that in 1950, you could hit the Top 10 for the year with a waltz, blues, orchestral instrumental, easy listening or a catchy sounding zither.

Compare that to the early '90s that will have Grunge and its three chords, rap derivatives, retreads, Mariah Carey and singers who don't even try along with a handful of Pop Tarts who should have been auto-tuned if it had been invented.

[the OlLine Rebel]

LOL sad to say. That’s why I stated it’s more adult. Also, more eclectic. (Amazing how versatile and eclectic all those evil moralistic white people were, eh.)

I like lots of music, including modern, but it’s the truth that they’re extremely limited in scope as far as what’s “acceptable”.

BTW, don’t diss Disco Duck….you know it’s a novelty act, right? Something else that has disappeared since the ‘70s: novelty/comic tunes!

[Fiji Hill]

Something else that has disappeared since the ‘70s: novelty/comic tunes!

The 1950's saw plenty of those--like Cry of the Dying Duck in a Thunderstorm (1950), a spoof of Frankie Laine's "Cry of the Wild Goose." Or Homer & Jethro's That Hound Dog in the Window (1953), which lampoons "The Doggie in the Window" as well as Hound Dog.

[the OlLine Rebel]

And “Ape Call”, which was in our jukebox. Childhood memories!

[Dr. Sivana]

Something else that has disappeared since the ‘70s: novelty/comic tunes!

Some of the novelty tunes are really good, actually. Larry Groce's "Junk Food Junkie" has aged well. However, the Dickie Goodman novelty records are all but unlistenable now.

[gnarledmaw]

There is exactly one 1950 Top 10 in this survey which I was commenting on. We have so far been given 50-54, Im not commenting on any other year. I know that other decades had some bad songs too. I may comment on those too if they are on the lists we choose from when we get there.

[Dr. Sivana]

Out of those four years, I found 1953 to be the problem. I don’t know what I would have done if I were constantly exposed to “I Believe” by Frankie Laine. My only worse experience was working an office summer job in Chicago in 1984, tuned into some urban station that had a three song play list, guaranteeing that I would be exposed to “State of Shock” by Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger every half hour.

[the OlLine Rebel]

My husband loves the Goodman stuff. Or at least Mr. Jaws. Which I had never heard. I think it’s meh.

In our jukebox was Convention ‘72, which is brilliant. Just hilarious. My son has heard it now and loves it.

[SamAdams76]

Larry Groce's "Junk Food Junkie" has aged well. However, the Dickie Goodman novelty records are all but unlistenable now.

"Junk Food Junkie" has aged extremely well. The lyrics are still razor-sharp and relevant today. I also sort of like "Dead Skunk (In The Middle Of The Road)" by Loudon Wainwright III.

The Dickie Goodman "cut-in" records were cringe-worthy even back then and utterly painful to listen to now. Though the little snippets of songs are fun for a "name that tune" trivia game.

[Fiji Hill]

I like every one of those top 10 hits from 1953. But I like these better. This list includes some rockers.

1. Stalin Kicked the Bucket--Ray Anderson

2. Rompin' and Stompin'--Curtis Gordon

3. Good Googa Mooga--The Magic Tones

4. I Believe--Jane Froman

5. Fool at the Wheel--The Deuces of Rhythm

6. Hey, Now--The Platters

7. No Help Wanted--Rusty Howard

8. Hard Top Race--Merrill Moore

9. Highway 60--Young John Watson (Johnny "Guitar" Watson)

10. Laundromat Blues--The Five Royales

[Fiji Hill]

There's also this topical oddity from 1953.

Hey, Dr. Kinsey--Big Duke

[the OlLine Rebel]

Wow!

[CaptainPhilFan]

Hey! Fantastic! I forgot how much fun this was. Rated and done. It was easier than I thought it would be because really, there are only a few 50’s tunes I like 8-)

Thanks so much OLR. Ask your mum what her favorite tunes from her teen years are- I’d love to hear them.

That said - For everyone chatting about missing Novelty Tunes, here’s a list of 50’s and 60’s - please to enjoy :)

https://www.waybackattack.com/top100-noveltyhits.html

[Fiji Hill]

Thanks for posting that. I was unaware of WayBackAttack, but it will be fun to explore that site.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Finally did the rest of the years.

Had something screwy with which “device” I could use for each year! LOL Not sure how that happened.

[workerbee]

I clicked on one of the Surveys today but didn’t vote yet. Now when I go back it tells me I already voted. Can I just send you my 1-10 list as a post here, or a PM?

[rocksblues]

BFL

[SamAdams76]

Just finished 1952 and chose "Half As Much" by Rosemary Clooney as #1.

I learned something new. I always thought Hank Williams wrote that song but no, it was written by Curley Williams (no relation). Of Hank sang the song and helped to make it famous. The song was later covered by some of my favorite artists like Emmylou Harris, George Jones and Van Morrison, among many others.

For those who struggle with the format of the survey, my advice is to open both links (for the year) and as you listen to the songs in the one link, pull the song over into the ranking column in the other page. As you hear the songs, you can change the order as much as you want until you are ready to hit the submit button.

I find this is a very well done survey so thank you for putting this together.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Really? I thought this was supposed to let you complete it later, if you did not “finish”.

I am so sorry. I cannot do it myself.

Tell you what - PM me. We can see if there is some way I can wiggle out of it.