27 Best Songs From 1953

“O (Oh!)” by Pee Wee Hunt

Song Year: 1953

This recording of the instrumental hit saw great success in 1953. Pee Wee Hunt was a famed performer, most well-known for his orchestral work and his command of the trombone.

“Ebb Tide” by Frank Chacksfield

Song Year: 1953

This sensual hit by Carl Sigman and Robert Maxwell is nautical naughtiness all the way down. Lovers entangle as the tide, exchanging kisses as the tides meet the shores. Featuring a rare level of innuendo for the era, “Ebb Tide” was a popular song for the youth and was covered many times in the decades to follow.

“Pretend” by Nat King Cole

Song Year: 1953

Nat King Cole’s recording of this song by Cliff Parman, Frank Levere, Lew Douglas, and Dan Belloc ruled for 20 weeks on the charts, managing to make it to the number three spot.

The singer calls upon the listener to do their best to pretend that things are better than they are, and call upon memories of their lover to bring them comfort.

“Ruby” by Richard Hayman

Song Year: 1953

The single “Ruby” was the theme song for the film Ruby Gentry. Many versions of the song were released to promote the movie and as a response to the popularity of the movie. The version with Richard Hayman featured Hayman playing the harmonica.

“St. George and the Dragonet” by Stan Freberg

Song Year: 1953

A parody track that lampshaded the popular franchise Dragnet, “St. George and the Dragonet” is a piece that combines themes of medieval knights and contemporary police procedurals. This parody reached number one on the Billboard charts.

In this timeless mockery of police media, a dragon is being accused of devouring young women, and St. George is dispatched to take care of the threat. A dragon net is his weapon of choice to combat the threat, though he winds up nailing the beast to the wall with bureaucracy and word salad in the end.

“P.S. I Love You” by The Hilltoppers

Song Year: 1953

The original version of this song was written in 1934 by Gordon Jenkins and Jonny Mercer, and recorded by Rudy Vallee. The Hilltoppers was a quartet active for a decade, and this was one of their earliest hits as the fresh-faced boys had only begun their careers the year prior.

“P.S. I Love You” is a sweet track of a lover penning letters to their lost beloved that they have been estranged.

“Eh, Cumpari!” by Julius La Rosa

Song Year: 1953

An adaptation of a traditional Italian tune, this novelty song found mass appeal. The 1953 adaptation was created by Julius La Rosa and Archie Bleyer, with Bleyer’s orchestra providing the instrumentation. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard charts.

The song is sung in Sicilian and describes the sound of musical instruments. The lyrics are cumulative, in that each verse adds itself to the verses that preceded it.

“Say You're Mine Again” by Perry Como feat. the Ramblers

Song Year: 1953

Perry Como performed this song written by Dave Heisler and Charles Nathan in 1953. The single reached number 3 on the pop chart.

Como was a massively successful singer who made a significant impact on the music scene. Among a massive array of other lofty distinctions, he has three different stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Como has one each for his work in music, television, and film.

“Dragnet” by Ray Anthony

Song Year: 1953

Even those who have never seen the Dragnet franchise can't deny the impact it has made on American media and culture. Modern media is saturated with police-themed media and its spinoffs due to the massive success and popularity of Dragnet.

“Dragnet” was the instrumental theme from the shows. It was intended for use in the radio show, then repurposed for subsequent entries in the franchise, including the television show.  

“Tell Me a Story” by Jimmy Boyd & Frankie Laine

Song Year: 1953

In this poorly-aged song, a father and son sing a duet. The son begs his father to tell him a story. The child lists all the things his father could tell him stories of, from mystical sea creatures to barnyard fables. The father relays that his workday has been long and his patience has run short.

The father then beats the child for continuing to ask for a bedtime story.

The song was written by Terry Gilkyson and performed well in the U.S. and the U.K.