27 Best Songs From 1957

11. “Come Go With Me” by The Del-Vikings

If you didn’t recognize the song by its title or the artists who performed it, once that doo-wop of an opening started, you couldn’t mistake it for the world. “Come Go With Me” is so popular that it appears in nearly any movie based on the 1950s. This top ten hit for Del-Vikings is heard in American Graffiti, Diner, Stand by Me, and other Hollywood films. It is also covered by The Beach Boys and John Lennon’s early band, The Quarrymen.

12. “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis has seen his share of trouble. His career was nearly destroyed after fans discovered that he had legally married his 13-year-old cousin. Lewis once drove to Graceland with a pistol in his glove box in a drunken threat to kill Elvis. He once shot his drummer in the chest. But no one could play the piano like “the killer”, and that’s why “Great Balls of Fire” will forever be remembered as one of the pillars of 1950s rock and roll music.

13. “Lucille” by Little Richard

Little Richard was already on top of the world in 1957 when “Lucille” was released. It is considered a precursor to the rock style of early 1960s music. Listen to that bassline; it makes sense. The number one R&B hit from 1957 also broke the top ten in the pop and UK charts, and maybe that’s how the Beatles heard it. John and Paul covered “Lucille” frequently during the next three decades.

14. “Stardust” by Nat King Cole

Yes, 1957 was all about rock and roll – but there were plenty of chill singles, too. Nat King Cole was phenomenal at crooning calm, love tunes. “Stardust” was no exception. First recorded in 1927, “Stardust” has been covered an astonishing 1,500 times!

Cole’s rendition is included on his 1957 number-one-selling album Love is the Thing. Cole initially refused to record the track because of the overabundance of variations at the time. But he was eventually convinced to include it on the album.

15. “Tammy” by Debbie Reynolds

Another slow love song perfect for romance is “Tammy”, the number one hit song from the forgettable movie Tammy and the Bachelor. Two versions of the song are included in the film, but the Debbie Reynolds version is the one people preferred. The song was so popular that it was nominated for Best Original Song at the 1957 Academy Awards. “Tammy” would lose to Frank Sinatra’s “All the Way” from his movie The Joker Is Wild.

16. “Witchcraft” by Frank Sinatra

Speaking of Ol’ Blue Eyes, he had a busy 1957. The Chairman of the Board appeared in two other movies that year: The Pride and the Passion and Pal Joey. Sinatra also released four albums in 1957, three of which would break the top ten – and the fourth was a Christmas album.

But the hit single “Witchcraft” wouldn’t be released on an LP until it appeared on the 1961 compilation album All the Way. “Witchcraft” went on to reach number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957.

17. “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley

“Jailhouse Rock” was written for the Elvis movie of the same name. The song hit the top of the charts in several countries, and radio stations played it often from coast to coast in 1957. The smash single was one of many successful pairings of Elvis and songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

The trio would also work together on the songs “Love Me”, “Loving You”, and “Don’t.” The song, one of Elvis’ many hits, is also listed at number 67 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

18. “April in Paris” by Count Basie

William James, better known as Count Basie, is considered one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. His storied career includes multiple awards and hall of fame inductions. In 1957, Basie became the first African American to win a Grammy award. Basie had a great year, appearing in the 1957 movie Jamboree and releasing the instant classic jazz album April in Paris. The title track from that album helped catapult its sales that year.

19. “Ain’t That Love” by Ray Charles

When Ray Charles released his self-titled debut album in 1957, it already included ten top hits like that year’s “Ain’t That Love.” The rhythm and blues track fused perfectly with traditional American gospel music. The song could be considered a precursor to the Motown hits of the 1960s. And despite losing his mother and brother at an early age, as well as going blind by age seven, Ray Charles would become one of the greatest American musicians of all time.

20. “Love Letters in the Sand” by Pat Boone

Although it was first written in 1931, “Love Letters in the Sand” didn’t become an American standard until Pat Boone recorded and released it in 1957. The crooner’s hit stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and remained there for 34 weeks in 1957. The slow-dancing pop tune appeared in the movie Bernadine, in which Boone himself starred. It must have been a thing in the 50s to market singers and songs in Hollywood films.