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1956 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

Top 10 Songs of 1956

  1. Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley
  2. Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
  3. My Prayer – The Platters
  4. Long Tall Sally – Little Richard
  5. Why Do Fools Fall in Love – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
  6. Mack the Knife – Louis Armstrong
  7. Blue Suede Shoes – Carl Perkins
  8. My Blue Heaven – Fats Domino
  9. Singing the Blues – Guy Mitchell
  10. In the Still of the Night – The Five Satins

1956 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 1956 music shows the moment when early rock and roll, doo-wop, R&B, pop standards, country, novelty records, and movie songs were all sharing radio space. Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, The Platters, Doris Day, Pat Boone, Johnny Cash, and Bill Haley & His Comets helped make 1956 one of the true turning-point years in popular music.

1956 Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, and Early Teen Hits

Rock and roll was exploding in 1956, and the sound was loud, young, exciting, and a little scary to parents who preferred their music to sit up straight. Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley, and Fats Domino helped push rock and roll from a trend into a cultural shift.

See You Later, Alligator – Bill Haley & His Comets
Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
Don’t Be Cruel – Elvis Presley
Be-Bop-A-Lula – Gene Vincent
Tutti Frutti – Little Richard
Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Presley
R-O-C-K – Bill Haley & His Comets
Tutti Frutti – Pat Boone
Rip It Up – Little Richard
I Was the One – Elvis Presley
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You – Elvis Presley
Rip It Up – Bill Haley & His Comets
Bo Weevil – Fats Domino
I’m in Love Again – Fats Domino
So Long – Fats Domino
A Rose and a Baby Ruth – George Hamilton IV

1956 Doo-Wop, R&B, Vocal Groups, and Jump Blues

Doo-wop and R&B gave 1956 some of its richest vocal harmonies and most memorable group records. The Platters, The Five Satins, The Cadillacs, The Turbans, Shirley & Lee, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, and Buchanan & Goodman helped make the year feel both romantic and playful.

Let the Good Times Roll – Shirley & Lee
The A.B.C.’s of Love – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch – The Platters
Speedo – The Cadillacs
When You Dance – The Turbans
The Great Pretender – The Platters
Eddie My Love – The Chordettes / The Fontane Sisters
Stranded in the Jungle – The Cadets
Heaven on Earth – The Platters
Born to Be with You – The Chordettes
Tonight You Belong to Me – Karen Chandler & Jimmy Wakely
Cindy, Oh Cindy – Vince Martin & The Tarriers

1956 Pop Standards, Crooners, and Traditional Pop Hits

Traditional pop was still very strong in 1956, with crooners, vocal groups, movie songs, and polished orchestral records sharing the charts with rock and roll. Doris Day, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Pat Boone, The Four Lads, Rosemary Clooney, and The Four Aces helped represent the smoother side of the year.

Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day
Memories Are Made of This – Dean Martin
Standing on the Corner – The Four Lads
The Wayward Wind – Gogi Grant
True Love – Grace Kelly & Bing Crosby
Rock and Roll Waltz – Kay Starr
I’ll Be Home – Pat Boone
Just Walking in the Rain – Johnnie Ray
A Tear Fell – Teresa Brewer
Confidential – Sonny Knight
Love Is the Tender Trap – Frank Sinatra
Graduation Day – The Four Freshmen / The Rover Boys
In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town – Somethin’ Smith and the Redheads
Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) – Perry Como
Lovely One – The Four Voices
No, Not Much! – The Four Lads
Main Title and Molly-O – Dean Martin
To You, My Love – Nick Noble
My Little Angel – The Four Lads
Allegheny Moon – Patti Page
I’m in Love Again – The Fontane Sisters
Ivory Tower – Cathy Carr
On London Bridge – Jo Stafford
Too Close for Comfort – Eydie Gormé
On the Street Where You Live – Vic Damone
Two Different Worlds – Roger Williams & Jane Morgan
Band of Gold – Don Cherry
Sweet Heartaches – Eddie Fisher
More – Perry Como
Mutual Admiration Society – Eddy Arnold & Jaye P. Morgan
Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – Pat Boone
I Could Have Danced All Night – Rosemary Clooney
Memories Are Made of This – Gale Storm
My Believing Heart – Joni James
Teen Age Prayer – Gale Storm
Ivory Tower – Gale Storm
I Saw Esau – The Ames Brothers
Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – The Four Aces
You’re Sensational – Frank Sinatra
It Only Hurts for a Little While – The Ames Brothers
To Love Again – The Four Aces

1956 Country, Folk, and Roots-Leaning Hits

Country and roots music were also part of the 1956 story. Johnny Cash, Eddy Arnold, Jimmy Wakely, George Hamilton IV, and other country-leaning performers helped keep storytelling, twang, and crossover appeal alive while rock and roll was busy kicking down the front door.

I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash
Mutual Admiration Society – Eddy Arnold & Jaye P. Morgan
Tonight You Belong to Me – Karen Chandler & Jimmy Wakely
A Rose and a Baby Ruth – George Hamilton IV
Cindy, Oh Cindy – Vince Martin & The Tarriers

1956 Novelty Records, Comedy Songs, and Pop Culture Curveballs

1956 had more than polished ballads and early rock classics. Novelty records, sound-effect songs, and oddball radio hits also found an audience. These songs helped make the year feel like a jukebox, a comedy sketch, and a teenager’s record collection were all fighting for space.

Transfusion – Nervous Norvus
The Green Door – Jim Lowe
The Flying Saucer – Buchanan & Goodman
The Happy Whistler – Don Robertson
Sadie’s Shawl – Bob Sharples

1956 Instrumentals, Jazz, Easy Listening, and Big Band Favorites

Instrumentals, jazz, easy listening, and big band records still had a place in 1956. Nelson Riddle, Les Baxter, Count Basie, Bill Doggett, Hugo Winterhalter, Eddie Heywood, George Cates, Chet Atkins, and other musicians showed that the year was not only about vocals and rock rebellion.

Moonglow / Theme from Picnic – Morris Stoloff
Lisbon Antigua – Nelson Riddle
April in Paris – Count Basie
Heart and Soul – Johnny Maddox
The Poor People of Paris – Les Baxter
Honky Tonk – Bill Doggett
Canadian Sunset – Hugo Winterhalter with Eddie Heywood
Moonglow & Theme from Picnic – George Cates
Soft Summer Breeze – Eddie Heywood
When the White Lilacs Bloom – Florian Zabach
Lullaby of Birdland – The Blue Stars
The Poor People of Paris (Jean’s Song) – Chet Atkins
City of Angels – The Highlights

PCM’s 1956 Top 100 Music Hits

  1. Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley
  2. Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
  3. My Prayer – The Platters
  4. Long Tall Sally – Little Richard
  5. Why Do Fools Fall in Love – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
  6. Mack the Knife – Louis Armstrong
  7. Blue Suede Shoes – Carl Perkins
  8. My Blue Heaven – Fats Domino
  9. Singing the Blues – Guy Mitchell
  10. In the Still of the Night – The Five Satins
  11. See You Later, Alligator – Bill Haley & His Comets
  12. Let the Good Times Roll – Shirley & Lee
  13. Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
  14. The A.B.C.’s of Love – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
  15. Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day
  16. (You’ve Got) The Magic Touch – The Platters
  17. Blueberry Hill – Louis Armstrong
  18. Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
  19. Don’t Be Cruel – Elvis Presley
  20. I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash
  21. Be-Bop-A-Lula – Gene Vincent
  22. Tutti Frutti – Little Richard
  23. Speedo – The Cadillacs
  24. Memories Are Made of This – Dean Martin
  25. When You Dance – The Turbans
  26. The Great Pretender – The Platters
  27. Standing on the Corner – The Four Lads
  28. The Wayward Wind – Gogi Grant
  29. True Love – Grace Kelly & Bing Crosby
  30. Eddie My Love – The Chordettes / The Fontane Sisters
  31. Rock and Roll Waltz – Kay Starr
  32. Stranded in the Jungle – The Cadets
  33. Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Presley
  34. I’ll Be Home – Pat Boone
  35. Moonglow / Theme from Picnic – Morris Stoloff
  36. Just Walking in the Rain – Johnnie Ray
  37. Transfusion – Nervous Norvus
  38. R-O-C-K – Bill Haley & His Comets
  39. A Tear Fell – Teresa Brewer
  40. Tutti Frutti – Pat Boone
  41. Rip It Up – Little Richard
  42. The Green Door – Jim Lowe
  43. Lisbon Antigua – Nelson Riddle
  44. Confidential – Sonny Knight
  45. Love Is the Tender Trap – Frank Sinatra
  46. Graduation Day – The Four Freshmen / The Rover Boys
  47. In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town – Somethin’ Smith and the Redheads
  48. Bo Weevil – Fats Domino
  49. April in Paris – Count Basie
  50. Heart and Soul – Johnny Maddox
  51. The Poor People of Paris – Les Baxter
  52. I Was the One – Elvis Presley
  53. Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) – Perry Como
  54. Lovely One – The Four Voices
  55. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You – Elvis Presley
  56. No, Not Much! – The Four Lads
  57. Main Title and Molly-O – Dean Martin
  58. Rip It Up – Bill Haley & His Comets
  59. Honky Tonk – Bill Doggett
  60. To You, My Love – Nick Noble
  61. Canadian Sunset – Hugo Winterhalter with Eddie Heywood
  62. My Little Angel – The Four Lads
  63. Allegheny Moon – Patti Page
  64. I’m in Love Again – The Fontane Sisters
  65. Ivory Tower – Cathy Carr
  66. On London Bridge – Jo Stafford
  67. I’m in Love Again – Fats Domino
  68. Too Close for Comfort – Eydie Gormé
  69. The Flying Saucer – Buchanan & Goodman
  70. Heaven on Earth – The Platters
  71. On the Street Where You Live – Vic Damone
  72. Two Different Worlds – Roger Williams & Jane Morgan
  73. Band of Gold – Don Cherry
  74. Sweet Heartaches – Eddie Fisher
  75. Moonglow & Theme from Picnic – George Cates
  76. Soft Summer Breeze – Eddie Heywood
  77. More – Perry Como
  78. So Long – Fats Domino
  79. Born to Be with You – The Chordettes
  80. Mutual Admiration Society – Eddy Arnold & Jaye P. Morgan
  81. Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – Pat Boone
  82. I Could Have Danced All Night – Rosemary Clooney
  83. Memories Are Made of This – Gale Storm
  84. My Believing Heart – Joni James
  85. The Happy Whistler – Don Robertson
  86. Tonight You Belong to Me – Karen Chandler & Jimmy Wakely
  87. Teen Age Prayer – Gale Storm
  88. When the White Lilacs Bloom – Florian Zabach
  89. Ivory Tower – Gale Storm
  90. I Saw Esau – The Ames Brothers
  91. A Rose and a Baby Ruth – George Hamilton IV
  92. Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – The Four Aces
  93. Cindy, Oh Cindy – Vince Martin & The Tarriers
  94. You’re Sensational – Frank Sinatra
  95. It Only Hurts for a Little While – The Ames Brothers
  96. Sadie’s Shawl – Bob Sharples
  97. Lullaby of Birdland – The Blue Stars
  98. The Poor People of Paris (Jean’s Song) – Chet Atkins
  99. City of Angels – The Highlights
  100. To Love Again – The Four Aces