[Hemingway's Ghost]

Yes, proof that popular music didn't cater to the swooning girl/moony romance set can be found by a casual examination of 1959's top hits alone:

1. Mack The Knife, Bobby Darin
2. The Battle Of New Orleans, Johnny Horton
3. Personality, Lloyd Price
4. Venus, Frankie Avalon
5. Lonely Boy, Paul Anka
6. Mr. Blue, Fleetwoods
7. The Three Bells, Browns
8. Come Softly To Me, Fleetwoods
9. Kansas City, Wilbert Harrison
10. Dream Lover, Bobby Darin
11. Sleep Walk, Santo & Johnny
12. Put Your Head On My Shoulder, Paul Anka
13. Stagger Lee, Lloyd Price
14. Donna, Ritchie Valens
15. ('Til) I Kissed You, Everly Brothers
16. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Platters
17. Charuk Brown, Coasters
18. Quiet Village, Martin Denny
19. My Heart Is An Open Book, Carl Dobkins Jr.
20. Pink Shoelaces, Dodie Stevens

[Chad Fairbanks]

You raise a good point. It's my personal opinion, however, that with the coming of the Beatles, it pretty much told the record companies that if they want to make millions, then follow the formula... The Beatle's arrival, to me, was just the "writing on the wall", so to speak.

[CyberCowboy777]

I do not think anyone is denying that "popular" music catered to the juvenile.

Just that the Beatles are the pinnacle of the practice, yet heralded as something different.

We all accept Bobby Darin for what he was, not so with the Beatles.