1,001 songs to listen to before you die...

[Liam]

67.      

‘Burundanga’, Celia Cruz (1956)

A word that now refers to a drug that is used by robbers and rapists, ‘Burundanga’ the song is a story of a male-only society that eventually sees its members stolen away to Cuba as slaves. You wouldn’t necessarily know that is you heard the music and didn’t understand the lyrics as it all sound fairly uplifting. This was apparently Fidel Castro’s favourite song to listen to whilst he cleaned his gun. I can only assume that, like myself, he appreciated the skill of Cruz in terms of how easily the quick lyrics roll off of her tongue. She would become known as ‘The Queen of Salsa’, but this was an early success within her career.

68.      

‘Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love)’, Ella Fitzgerald (1956)

It may say love on the marquee, but this is a song that is all about sex. Written by Cole Porter in the 1920s, there is an additional element of intrigue as Fitzgerald wasn’t the type of singer that you expected to release a song such as this. Fitzgerald is a great singer, of that there is no doubt, but the star of the show here are the lyrics. Clever and playful in equal measure, it is the reason that song still maintains a modern legacy.

69.      

‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, Frank Sinatra (1956)

Another Cole Porter tune is up next, though this is as much about the recording as it is about the song itself. Originally written for a musical (Born to Dance) in 1936 and sung by Sinatra in the 1940s, it was the big band arrangement of this 1956 recording that has become the most enduring version of the song. There is a swagger in both the music and the delivery that is irresistible, all leading up to the solo towards the tail end of the tune, a final minute that showcases Sinatra in full flight. Just a great song.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Liam

[Malenko]

BurundAnga*

[Liam]

Fixed

[Malenko]

Out of those 3 I like Ella's the most.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I dig Burundanga.

[Liam]

70.      

 ‘Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye’, Ella Fitzgerald (1956)

More Cole Porter, though that the two Fitzgerald comes from her album in which she covered a raft of Porter songs makes that somewhat more likely. I assumed I’d know the song once it got going, which I did, though I don’t feel like this is a version I’ve heard before. The simplicity of the lyrics and melody are effective in telling the straightforward story of love and loss that the song is about, whilst Fitzgerald’s vocals are understated, yet melodious in their delivery.

71.      

 ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’, Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps (1956)

An example of rockabilly that would be copied or used as an inspiration for a range of different bands, the book claims that the song is both sexy and eerie – a description that couldn’t be more apt. The driving guitar, the drawl that accompanies the vocals, the squeals that comes from the bassist; it all builds up to a song that maintains an element of unease alongside its protestations of love. Gene Vincent never had the same level of success with his future work as he did with this song, before dying at the age of 36 due to alcoholism.

72.      

‘Heartbreak Hotel’, Elvis Presley (1956)

The first of what I assume may be a number of Elvis Presley songs on the list. This is a world away from a lot of what has been on the list of songs thus far mainly due to its very negative lyrics and delivery marrying up to create a pretty gloomy look at loss. It was dirge-like in comparison to a lot of what had come before it, yet hypnotic because of it. There were a lot of complaints about the songs, the recording, even Presley himself; I’m sure the record company were eventually happy with the results once it was released.

[Malenko]

Good stuff. The 60s are right around the corner though. And I just know I won't enjoy the whole decade as much as this one.

[Liam]

73.      

‘Blueberry Hill’, Fats Domino (1956)

What I have noticed in this journey so far is how many songs had existed long before the most celebrated version was recorded. It is the case for this song as it was first released in 1940, yet the Domino version is the one that many (including myself) are aware of. Apparently, the recording ended up being spliced together as Domino was never able to record the song in one go, often forgetting the lyrics. The vocals aren’t particularly emotional for the lyrical content, though the piano playing itself is particularly effective and makes it a more memorable song.

74.      

‘Hound Dog’, Elvis Presley (1956)

Another song that had originally been recorded by someone else (though this time only three years previous), this is the epitome of what I feel people remember about Presley. Loud, snarling for its time, sexually charged – it wasn’t too difficult to see why Presley not only stood out amongst the stuff that had come before him, but also caused a stir amongst the more conservative in society. Special mention should go to the drum work – the driving percussion as memorable as Presley’s actual delivery.

75.      

‘Honey Hush’, Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio (1956)

We’re very much into the era of rock and roll, and whilst this doesn’t have the immediacy (or legacy) of ‘Hound Dog’, it is a great song as well. This is one of the first – if not the first – example of fuzz guitar, caused by a broken amp that the guitarist realised he could recreate on demand if needed. Outside of the slightly twangy rockabilly element to it, it sounds like a song that could have been recorded much more recently, with the rumbling sound from the guitar making this feel heavier than any song that has come before.

[VerbalPuke]

Ah yeah this is getting really good, cool to see Gene Vincent here. Also Elvis was inevitable, but Hound is a great song. 

I haven't listened to as much 50s rock lately,  probably should change that.

[Malenko]

Love all of these but noticing a lack of Chuck Berry in this list who I felt would have quite a few. Since we're still in 1956, roll over Beethoven and Johnny B. Goode should still pop up but there are so many other great songs that won't.

[METALMAN]

Be-bop-a-lop-boo is cool. It just sounded a lot more menacing and loping than a lot of the other songs of the time.

Blueberry Hill is very nice but I prefer the Vladimir Putin version.

Rest are good too 

[Liam]

76.      

‘I Walk The Line’, Johnny Cash (1956)

A song that was early in Cash’s career, yet his vocal delivery already sounded wizened and gravelly. It feels profound and is probably why it is still remembered to this day. The book talks about the outmoded nature of the guitar line due to its sound and simplicity, which is hard to argue. However, I feel Cash’s songs have always been about lyrics and the tone within his voice that made him sound world weary and knowing all at once. A classic.

77.      

‘Knoxville Girl’, The Louvin Brothers (1956)

What feels more interesting about this song is how many iterations it went through before it came to be the song that is listed here. Between its origin as one of potentially two different ballads from the UK rather than Knoxville, it also found its way in and out of the repertoire of the Brothers until they recorded it in the 50s (after a move away from gospel music that had been their stock and trade in the 40s). I enjoy a good, dark ballad, but this is nothing overly special in and of itself outside of some decent enough singing – time and place probably as much of a barrier as anything.

78.      

‘Ella’, Jose Alfredo Jimenez (1956)

I’m reliably informed that Jimenez effectively dominated and reshaped the Mexican songbook, though I have never heard the song or even of him before. The style of song that ‘Ella’ is tells the story of the hardships of the singer, which is made clearer by the bittersweet strings and the mournful vocals. Not my style of song but a pleasant enough distraction.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Liam

[METALMAN]

I get what you're saying about Johnny Cash, and I do like a lot of his choonz, but I've never got into I Walk the Line. It bores me. And I used to have a pair of poor quality headphones that would crackle really annoyingly when he went HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I love the Louvin Brothers but more for the feel than any specific song, so Knoxville Girl doesn't really jump out at me: it sounds like all their other songs and that's fine.

Dunno the third one but it sounds cool

[MalaCloudy Black]

You obviously don't find it very, very easy to be true.

neither did he though heyooooo

[Liam]

79.      

‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’, Mahalia Jackson (1956)

I don’t think it is too far to suggest that you just expect a good singing voice when you get played a gospel tune, and Mahalia Jackson has definitely got a good singing voice. Written by Thomas A. Dorsey following the death of his wife in childbirth, it was a quarter of a century later that this song was recorded by Jackson (Dorsey and Jackson had worked for a similar length of time at this point). Martin Luther King Jr’s favourite song, and he knew how to pick them it would seem. If this is your jam, this is golden.

80.      

‘Folsom Prison Blues’, Johnny Cash (1956)

Re-released around the time that Cash recorded a live album in Folsom Prison in 1968, the song gained most of its notoriety from that recording, rather than the original. Mixing trains and prisons, staples of folk music, it also contained a lyric that many might claim is one of the greatest of all time. Cash was trying to think of the most horrible thing he could think of when he talked about shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die and it perfectly encapsulated his somewhat counter-culture approach to country and folk music.

81.      

‘I Put A Spell On You’, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1956)

Another song that stands out as much as anything because of how little it sounds like everything else up until now, Hawkins’ screams and wails leap out of the speakers even today. Apparently the result of a drunken session in the studio that Hawkins completely forgot (he’d need to re-listen to the recording to actually work out what he needed to sound like when playing it live), it paved the way for shock rock amongst other things. It isn’t surprising to hear that this was banned in some places – the convulsive nature of the grunts, groans and screams were far beyond anything going on at this time.

[METALMAN]

See, THAT'S a good Johnny Cash song. The other two are great too, there's still nothing that sounds quite like the Screamin' Jay Hawkins one.

It's a very strong trio.

[Malenko]

I like the last two. I won't deny Mahalia has a good voice but the style just isn't for me.

[Skummy]

Johnny Cash bloody loves singing about trains.

"I Put A Spell On You" is menacing and spooky and magnificent even now, and while there are some covers of it I adore, no one has matched Screamin' Jay. 

[Liam]

82.      

‘Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody’, Louis Prima (1956)

A playful duo that came during the second peak of Prima’s career, this was recorded live in studio and sounds all the better for it. The songs weren’t necessarily meant to go together, but with Prima using them as such, it became the done way to cover them in later years. It is raucous and playful, swinging and soulful. Prima had a third coming as the voice of King Louie in ‘The Jungle Book’ just under a decade later. Something something this song proves he is certainly the king of the swingers something.

83.      

‘Rock Island Line’, Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group (1957)

Apparently heralding an interest in skiffle in the UK, ‘Rock Island Line’ was a prison song from the US that was given a makeover by Lonnie Donegan, a singer and guitarist from Glasgow. What really stands out here is the speed at which the lyrics are delivered and the guitar is strummed, somewhat mimicking the noise of the train that Donegan is singing about. An inspiration to John Lennon and one of the first examples of a song promoted on television, it isn’t difficult to see why this was enjoyed by teenagers looking for something a bit different from the standard pop songs.

84.      

'Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On’, Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)

performance on Steve Allen Show

I include both versions here as it is claimed that it was the performance on the Steve Allen Show that launched this song into the (relative) stratosphere. Whilst the song was lively enough when coming out of the speakers, it was a whole different ball game when you saw the live performance. It really accentuated the wailing vocal delivery, the speed at which keys were pressed and the manic presentation of Lewis himself, especially during the middle of the song as he almost threatened to jump out of his chair. Eventually, the chair isn’t needed anymore and a star is born as Lewis doesn’t just tinkle on the ivories, he hammers the shit out of them. A good tune made all the better for the live version.

[Liam]

85.      

‘That’ll Be The Day’, Buddy Holly and The Crickets (1957)

Having had little success with a 1956 version of the song, a quicker, lower pitched version finally found some interest from Brunswick and a legend was launched. In hindsight, the song is good and catchy, but doesn’t particularly feel like anything special. However, what is interesting is Holly’s vocal stylings as his hiccupping style offered something a little different compared to the swagger of the other rock and roll bands that seemed to be taking off around this time period.

86.      

‘Little Darlin’’, The Diamonds (1957)

A Canadian quarter repurposing songs by black artists and bringing them to mass radio probably shouldn’t work, but there is something very enjoyable about ‘Little Darlin’’. Apparently, it was the cleaning up of the production compared to the original that was most stark, allowing the playful rhythm and vocals stand out. It almost verges on the cusp of a parody, it feels so exaggerated in spots, but a decent little tune for sure.

87.      

‘Great Balls of Fire’, Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)

This feels like the natural progression for Jerry Lee Lewis after the success of ‘Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On’. The frenetic pace and the thumping piano are front and centre, and with a change of lyrics in order to work within Lewis’ God-fearing upbringing (‘Good God almighty’ the original lyric), a classic was born. Still as good to sing and bop along to with now, it feels like it stands the test of time in a way that not all of the songs on this list so far do.