A good year for some classic blues and rock ‘n’ roll songs, and another Aussie (Johnny O’Keefe) makes the list with his song “The Wild One (Real Wild One)”. Now, before yáll go, wasn’t that an Iggy Pop song? The answer is yes, but it was a cover. Also staying with Johnny O’Keefe, I saw him at the Sunbury Music Festival (1973). I thought his style of rock music would be out of place. He wandered out on stage in a white suit, and I waited for the boos. I was blowin’away with his performance. After only one song, he had the pot heads and the piss heads in the palm of his hands.

It is interesting to note that several songs on the ’58 list were first heard by me on records by other bands as I began exploring music in the ’60s. I first heard “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” and “Money” sung by the Beatles; the Rolling Stones also did a cover of “Dizzy Miss Lizzie”. I first heard “Summertime Blues” sung by the Who at Woodstock. Also listed are some groundbreaking instrumentals by artists such as Duane Eddy, Link Wray, the Shadows, and Little Walter.

The song “I’m Battie Over Hattie”, sung by the out there Esquerita, who often wore heavy makeup, sunglasses, and two wigs, piling his pompadour high on his head. Little Richard ( also on this list) was greatly influenced by Esquerita (photo below).

The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and pilot Roger Peterson all died in a plane crash on February 3rd 1959. The event is infamously known as “The Day the Music Died,” a name popularised by Don McLean’s song “American Pie”.  

A couple of interesting notes: The Beach Boys song “Surfin’ U.S.A. (1962). Listen to the song and you will hear Chuck Berry’s ‘Sweet Little Sixteen”, so much so that Chuck eventually collected a writer’s credit and royalties! How politically incorrect in today’s world is The Pips singing “Ching Chong”? Jimi Hendrix recorded Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B.Goode in 1972. The Zanies Novelty Hit “The Blob” was from the movie of the same name

“Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price dates back a long way. Variously known as “Stack O’Lee”, “Stack O’Lee Blues” and sung by so many old-time Blues singers. The earliest recorded version of the song I have is “Stack O’Lee Blues” by Ma Rainey (1926). The “Twist” by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters was, of course, made famous by Chubby Checker in 1961.

Ninteen and fifty – eight

• All American Boy – Bill Parsons
  All I Have to Do Is Dream – The Everly Brothers
  Big Man – The Four Preps
  Bluebirds Over the Mountain – Ershel Hickey
  Candles – The Crests
  Cha Dooky-Doo -Art Neville *
  Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper
  Chisholm Trail – Cisco Houston
  Cigarettes and Coffee Blues – Lefty Frizzell
  Come On, Let’s Go – Ritchie Valens
  Didn’t It Rain – Evelyn Freeman
  Dizzy Miss Lizzy – Larry Williams
  Do You Wanna Dance? – Bobby Freeman
  Donna – Ritchie Valens
  Don’t You Just Know It – Huey ‘Piano’ Smith
  Don’t Your House Look Lonesome – Cat-Iron
  Down by the Riverside – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
  Drip Drop – The Drifters
  Early in the Morning – The Ding Dongs
  Endless Sleep – Jody Reynolds
  Everything’s Gonna Be All Right – Magic Sam
  Evil – Howlin’ Wolf
  Fever – Peggy Lee
  For Your Love – Ed Townsend
  For Your Precious Love – The Impressions
  Forty Days – Ronnie Hawkins
  Gee Whiz – Bob & Earl
  Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard
  Got A Job – The Miracles
  Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
  He’s Gone – The Chantels
  High Blood Pressure – Huey ‘Piano’ Smith
  Hollywood Party – Dick Bush
  Honky Tonk – Dinah Washington
  How Many More Years – Howlin’ Wolf
  I Cried A Tear – LaVern Baker
  I Wonder Why – Dion & The Belmonts
  I’m A Mojo Man – Lonesome Sundown
  I’m Battie Over Hattie – Esquerita
  Itchy Twitchy Feeling – Bobby Hendricks
  Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
  Juke – Little Walter
  Jungle Rock – Jim Bobo
  Junker Blues – Champion Jack Dupree
  Just a Dream – Jimmy Clanton
  Just Walkin’ In The Rain – The Prisonaires
  Justine – Don & Dewey
  Koko Joe – Don & Dewey
  La Bamba – Ritchie Valens
  Little Star – The Elegants
  Lonely Teardrops – Jackie Wilson
  Lovers Never Say Goodbye – The Flamingos
  Matilda – Cookie And The Cupcakes
  Memphis Boogie – Jesse Fuller
  Moanin’ At Midnight – Howlin’ Wolf
  Money – The Miracles
  Moonlight Bay – Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
  My Starter Won’t Start – Lightnin’ Slim
  Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu – Dicky Doo And The Don’Ts
  Need You – Donnie Owens
  One Night – Elvis Presley
  One Summer Night – The Danleers
  Ooh! My Soul – Little Richard
  Over And Over – Bobby Day
  Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly
  Poor Boy – The Royaltones
  Pretty Girls Everywhere -Eugene Church
   Rama Lama Ding Dong – The Edsels
  Ramrod – Duane Eddy
  Rave On – Buddy Holly
  Rebel Rouser – Duane Eddy
  Reelin’ And Rockin’ – Chuck Berry
  Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay – Danny & the Juniors
  Rockhouse – Big Maybelle
  Rockin’ Robin – Bobby Day
  Rumble – Link Wray & The RayMen
  Short Fat Fannie – Larry Williams
  Since I Don’t Have You – The Skyliners
  Sit and Cry (The Blues) – Buddy Guy*
  Smokestack Lightnin’ – Howlin’ Wolf
  So Blue – The Jades
  Splish Splash – Bobby Darin
  Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran
  Sweet Little Sixteen – Chuck Berry
  Symbol of Heaven – Little Julian Herrera & Johnny Otis
  Tears On My Pillow – Little Anthony & The Imperials
  Tequila – The Champs
  The Blob – The Zanies
  The Twist – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
  The Walk – Jimmy McCracklin
  The Wild One – Johnny O’Keefe*
  To Know Him Is to Love Him – The Teddy Bears
  Train To Nowhere – The Champs
  True, Fine Mama – Little Richard
  Try Me – James Brown
  Two People In the World – Little Anthony & The Imperials
  Under the Stars of Love – The Shadows
  Walkin’ With Mr Lee – Lee Allen
  We Belong Together – Robert & Johnny
  Western Movies – The Olympics
  What Am I Living For – Chuck Willis
  What’d I Say, Pt . 1 & 2 – Ray Charles
  Willie and the Hand Jive – Johnny Otis
  Yakety Yak – The Coasters
  You Cheated – The Shields
  You’re So Fine – Little Walter

• *Seen perform live