The Best Pop Songs of the 50s

What are the best pop songs from the 1950s?

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Initially the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous with, popular music, but evolved around the 1950s to describe a specific musical category. Pop songs are generally marked by a consistent and noticeable rhythmic element, a mainstream style and traditional structure. The most common variant is strophic in form and focuses on melodies, catchy hooks and the appeal of the verse-chorus-verse arrangement, with the chorus sharply contrasting the verse melodically, rhythmically and harmonically.

Some of the most common themes in pop music are romantic love and feelings. Pop music often uses the technique of taking themes from other records producing a satirical or self-referential mixture of past styles. It also employs techniques of sampling and sequencing to introduce individuality and creativity.

The first songs to belong to the new category were crossover styles from the standard formats of the day. In country music, instrumental soloing was de-emphasised and more prominent vocals added, commonly backed by a string section and vocal chorus, as exemplified in "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window", which became a hit in both the US and the UK in 1953. Two years later American folk music entered the pop spectrum with a modern version of a traditional tune, "The Yellow Rose of Texas."

Vocal performers of the great American songbook classics, crooners and big band singers, incorporated elements of other styles and orchestral enhancements to their repertoire, giving them greater formal complexity than their traditional antecedents. The Marc Blitzstein arrangement of "Mack the Knife" is an emblematic example, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1954, as did "Singing the Blues" in late 1956 and early 1957.

Located below you will find a list of some of the best pop songs of the 1950s. For your convenience, we have included links to the sheet music on Sheetmusicplus.com as well as the CD on Amazon.com whenever available. If you are looking to purchase the mp3 or would like to listen to a sample, then click on either the Amazon, Rhapsody, or iTunes links.

Rhapsody provides both music subscriptions as well as individual mp3s for sale in WMA format and iTunes only provides MPEG-4 audio files for sale. However, Amazon does offer mp3s that are compatible with both Windows Media Player and iTunes. For more information about where to purchase music online, we provide it on our Music Downloads page or our Music Subscriptions page.


These singles are considered among the best pop songs to hit the charts in the 1950s.

  1. "Autumn Leaves" performed by Roger Williams
     Find it on:  Roger Williams - Roger Williams' Greatest Hits - Autumn Leaves   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  2. "Day O" (Banana Boat Song) performed by Harry Belafonte
     Find it on:  Harry Belafonte - Harry Belafonte: Greatest Hits - Day-O (Banana Boat Song)   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  3. "Chances Are" performed by Johnny Mathis
     Find it on:  Johnny Mathis - Johnny Mathis: A 50th Anniversary Celebration - Chances Are   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  4. "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" performed by Perez "Prez" Prado & Alan Dale
     Find it on:  Pérez Prado - The Best of Perez Prado: The Original Mambo #5 - Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  5. "Cry" performed by Johnnie Ray
     Find it on:  Johnnie Ray - The Fabulous 50s: 1951 - Cry   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  6. "Crying In The Chapel" performed by the Orioles
     Find it on:  The Orioles - Doo Wop Classics, Vol. 2 - Crying in the Chapel   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  7. "Earth Angel" performed by Penguins or the Crew Cuts
     Find it on:  Penquins - Doo Wop Battle - Earth Angel   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  8. "Fever" performed by Peggy Lee
     Find it on:  Peggy Lee - The Best of Miss Peggy Lee - Fever   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  9. "It's All in the Game" performed by Tommy Edwards
     Find it on:  Tommy Edwards - The Best of Tommy Edwards - It's All in the Game   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  10. "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" performed by Louis Armstrong
     Find it on:  Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong's All-Time Greatest Hits - A Kiss to Build a Dream On   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  11. "Little Things Mean a Lot" performed by Kitty Kallen
     Find it on:  Kitty Kallen - The Fabulous 50s: 1954 - Little Things Mean a Lot   Amazon CD   Sheetmusicplus
  12. "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" performed by the Four Aces
     Find it on:  The Four Aces - The Four Aces: Greatest Hits - Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  13. "Love Letters in the Sand" performed by Pat Boone
     Find it on:  Pat Boone - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Pat Boone - Love Letters in the Sand   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  14. "Mack the Knife" performed by Bobby Darin or Frank Sinatra
     Find it on:  Bobby Darin - The Bobby Darin Story - Mack the Knife - Mack the Knife   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  15. "Memories Are Made Of This" performed by Dean Martin
     Find it on:  Dean Martin - Dino - The Essential Dean Martin - Memories Are Made of This   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  16. "Moments to Remember" performed by The Four Lads
     Find it on:  The Four Lads - Radio Classics of the 50's - Moments to Remember   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  17. "Mr. Sandman" performed by The Chordettes
     Find it on:  The Chordettes - The Fabulous 50s: 1954 - Mr.Sandman   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  18. "On the Street Where You Live" performed by Vic Damone
     Find it on:  Vic Damone - 16 Most Requested Songs - On the Street Where You Live   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  19. "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)" performed by The Crew-Cuts
     Find it on:  The Crew Cuts - K-TEL Presents Great Vocal Groups of the Fifties, Vol. 1 - Sh-Boom   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  20. "Sixteen Tons" performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford
     Find it on:  Tennessee Ernie Ford - Vintage Collections - Sixteen Tons   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  21. "Tennessee Waltz" performed by Patti Page
     Find it on:  Patti Page - The Fabulous 50s: 1951 - Tennessee Waltz   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  22. Theme From "A Summer Place" performed by Percy Faith & His Orchestra
     Find it on:  Percy Faith & His Orchestra - Percy Faith's Greatest Hits - Theme from "A Summer Place"   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
  23. "Twilight Time" performed by The Platters
     Find it on:  The Platters - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Series: The Best of The Platters (Remastered) - Twilight Time   Amazon CD   Amazon mp3s   Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus


The Best Songs Music Line

Find some of the best songs of the 1950s by selecting one of the links below:





Click on any of the links below to find the:


The Best Songs Music Line