The rockin' '50s: the decade that transformed the pop music scene

I. Introduction : 1. Summer of 1955 : Col. Tom Parker ; Elvis Presley ; Bill Randle ; Sam Phillips ; "I forgot to remember to forget" ; Steve Sholes

II. Death of an era tin pan alley 1950-1953 : 2. It's later than you think : Pop music at midcentury ; Song forms and shibboleths of the tin pan alley era

3. Muzak and mister in-between : Perry Como ; Sinatra ; Nat "King" Cole ; Billy Eckstine ; Johnny Mathis

4. The beard : Mitch Miller ; Guy Mitchell ; Hank Williams ; "Come on-a my house"

5. The exciters : The Weavers ; Teresa Brewer ; The Ames brothers ; The four aces ; Maria Lanza ; Tony Bennett ; Les Paul and Mary Ford ; Joni James ; Sunny Gale ; Georgia Gibbs ; The bunny hop ; Julius La Rosa ; Patti Page ; Eartha Kitt ; Jo Stafford ; Harry Belafonte

6. The beats and the belters : Sinatra ; Frankie Laine interview ; Eddie Fisher ; Johnnie ray interview

7. The personality deejays : Dick Haynes ; Martin Block ; Al Jarvis ; Eddie Hubbard ; Kurt Webster ; Al Collins ; Bob Horn ; Bill Randle ; Howie Richmond ; Gene Rayburn

8. "Your hit parade"

III. Upheavel in pop 1954-1955 : 9. "Sh-boom" : The chords ; The crew cutes ; Jerry Wexler interview

10. Blues with a beat : Louis Jordan ; Ahmet Erteguin interview ; R & B grows

11. The back of the charts : The orioles ; Joe Liggens and his honeydrippers ; Percy Mayfield ; Roy Milton and his solid senders ; Little Esther and Johnny Otis ; Fats Domino ; Ivory Joe Hunter ; Ruth Brown ; Mempthis Slim ; Lowell Fulson ; BMI ; The clovers and A. Nugetre ; Billy Ward and the dominoes ; Earl Bostic ; Jackie Brenston ; Johnny Ace ; Chuck Willis ; Howlin' wolf ; Lloyd Price ; B. B. King interview ; Clyde McPhatter ; The drifters ; The five royales ; Big mama Thornton ; Leiber and Stoller

12. Rock 'n' roll's superpromoter : Alan Freed ; Paul Sherman

13. Confrontation : Rebel without a cause ; "Shake, rattle and roll" ; Joe Turner ; White Balladeers ; ASCAP ; Muddy waters ; Hank Ballard and the mid-nighters ; The penguins ; The charms ; Roy Hamilton ; "Let me go lover"

IV. The rock 'n' roll years 1956-1960 : 16. The god of r 'n' r arrives : Elvis Presley

17. Knocking the rock : Alan Freed ; The celler committee ; ASCAP vs BMI ; Nat "King" Cole

18. Teen-age eruption : Little Richard ; Fats domino ; James Brown ; Ivory Joe Hunter ; Carl Perkins ; Johnny Cash ; George Hamilton IV ; Gene Vincent ; The Cadillac's ; The coasters ; Frankie Lyman and the teenagers ; "Flying saucer" ; James Dean ; Calypso ; Record hops

19. The American Bandstand : "Young love" ; Dick Clark ; "Lip-syncing"

20. The audacious amateurs

and the country rockers : Fabian ; Sal Mineo ; The tune weavers ; The bobbettes ; The rays ; Charlie Gracie ; Bobby Helms ; Tommy Sands ; Buddy Knox ; Jimmy Bowen ; Tex-mex sound ; Buddy Holly ; The everly brothers ; Jerry Lee Lewis interview ; Bill Justis ; Link Wray ; Duane Eddy

21. We're so young

and they're so old : Paul Anka interview ; Ricky Nelson ; Jimmie Rodgers ; Eddie Cochran ; Johnny Mathis ; Sam Cooke ; Della Reese interview ; Micky and Sylvia ; Larry Williams ; The Stroll ; Chuck Willis ; The coasters ; Thurston Hraris ; Huey Smith and the clowns ; The del Vikings ; Little Richard

22. Get Presley! : Skiffle ; Ray Anthony

23. Going Steady : "Lollipop" ; Danny and the juniors ; The silhouettes ; Billy and Lillie ; Frankie Avalon ; Connie Francis ; Four preps ; The champs ; Laurie London ; Sheb Wooley ; Jack Scott ; Ed Townsend ; Bobby Freeman

24. Hula hoops, chipmunks, and the Kingston trio : Perez Parado ; Bobby Darin ; George "houng dog" Lorenz ; "Volare" ; Peggy Lee ; The elegants ; The poni-tails ; Little Anthony and the imperials ; Jimmy Clanton ; Hula hoop craze ; The Olympics ; Bobby day ; Jerry Wallace ; Dion and the Belmonts ; Earl Grant ; Tommy Edwards ; The Kingston trio ; Conway twitty ; The big bopper ; Cozy Cole ; Bob Braun ; "The chipmunk song" ; Phil Spector ; The playmates ; "The little drummer boy

25. What a difference a decade makes : Johnny Horton ; Jimmy Driftwood ; Marty Robbins ; Bobby Darin ; The browns ; Ritchie Valens ; Neil Sedaka ; Bobby Rydell ; Freddy Cannon ; Brenda Lee ; The fleetwoods ; The crests ; Santa and Johnny ; Lloyd Price ; Dinah Washington ; Sarah Vaughan ; Jackie Wilson ; Brook Benton ; Nina Simone ; Ray Charles ; The Isley brothers

26. Payola.

ONE: Death of an era tin pan alley 1950-1953

It's later than you think

Muzak and mister in-between

The beard

The exciters

The beats and the belters

The personality deejays

"Your hit parade."

TWO: Upheaval in pop 1954-1955

"Sh-boom"

Blues with a beat

The back of the charts

Rock 'N' Roll's superpromoter

Confrontation

Black originals and white covers

"Rock around the clock."

THREE: The rock 'n' roll years 1956-1960

The God of R "N" R arrives

Knocking the rock

Teen-age eruption

The american bandstand

The audacious amateurs-and the country rockers

We're so young-and they're so old

Get Presley!

Going steady

Hula hoops, chipmunks, and the Kingston trio

What a difference a decade makes

Payola.