Oldies but Goodies

Buddy Holly and the Crickets (True Love Ways)

 Did you enjoy your parent’s music growing up or was it forced on you, and you hated it.  Because there are only two ways it can go, you either embrace or hate so much that as soon as you can control your own music you are into your own thing.  I grew up in a time when the music that was on the radio was destined to shape the future of music.  I’m talking rock and roll, Motown, The Beatles, Elvis, The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, and then there was the ever popular variety shows that brought it all home on the television set;  American Bandstand, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Soul Train.

The Oldies of the time for me were the Big Band sounds of the 1940’s, Blues, and one time wonders.  Here is a list of the top 5 party songs of the 1940’s (didn’t mean much to me but my parents loved them);

• Elmer's Tune ~ Glenn Miller (1941)
• In the Mood ~ Glenn Miller (1940)
• Mule Train ~ Frankie Laine (1949)
• Rum and Coca-Cola ~ The Andrews Sisters (1946)
• Swinging on a Star ~ Bing Crosby (1944)

Top five most requested songs of the 1940s:

• Sentimental Journey ~ Les Brown And His Orchestra
• You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It) ~ Harry James And His Orchestra
• Buttons And Bows ~ Dinah Shore
• (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover ~ Kay Kyser And His Orchestra
• Amor ~ Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra
  
  

Top five songs of the swing era/war years (after eliminating those listed as being from the 1930s):

• Around Midnight ~ Thelonius Monk 1948
• Blue Moon of Kentucky ~ Bill Monroe 1945
• Body and Soul ~ Coleman Hawkins 1940
• Boogie Chillun ~ John Lee Hooker 1948
• Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy ~ The Andrews Sisters 1941

For my generation Oldies was what was happening fresh and influencing the future music; Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Rick Nelson, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers, Bill Haley & The Comets, Ray Charles, The Platters, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Cooke, and Roy Orbison to name a few of about 200 contributors that I could name.  I could listen to the music of my era full time and never get tired, but I try to be progressive and open minded, so listen to the current adult Top 40 and contemporary music of the time.  The best is yet to come…..