"Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets hit number one the week ending June 29, 1955 on Billboard's
"Best Sellers in Stores" chart, which was one of the magazine's several different surveys to measure the popularity
of recordings. The chart only listed 25 songs and it wasn't until November of that year that Billboad debuted
its "Top 100" chart, which eventually became the "Hot 100" three years later. The Haley record was originally released
in 1954 but did not make an impact until 1955 when it was popularized by the MGM film Blackboard Jungle. Although
it was by no means the first "rock and roll record" ever, it was definitely the first such record to become
a bestseller as reported by Billboard. Due to this milestone, it is often credited as marking the beginning
of the "rock era."
TOP HITS
Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around the Clock
Perez Prado - Cherry Pink and Apple Blosson White
Nat King Cole - Blossom Fell
Les Baxter - Unchained Melody
Frank Sinatra - Learnin' The Blues
RECENT HITS
Al Hibler - Unchained Melody
Georgia Gibbs - Dance With Me Henry
Sammy Davis, Jr. - That Old Black Magic
Tennessee Ernie Ford - Ballad of Davy Crockett
Nat King Cole - If I May
Bill Hayes - Ballad of Davy Crockett
Sarah Vaughan - Whatever Lola Wants
RISING HITS
Art Mooney & His Orchestra - Honey Babe
McGuire Sisters - Something's Gotta Give
Gisele MacKenzie - Hard To Get
Sammy Davis Jr. - Something's Gotta Give
Somethin' Smith & The Redheads - It's a Sin To Tell a Lie
Alan Dale - Sweet and Gentle
Roy Hamilton - Unchained Melody
Eddie Fisher - Heart
Pat Boone - Ain't It a Shame
Chuck Miller - The House of Blue Lights
Crew Cuts - Story Untold
Les Paul & Mary Ford - Hummingbird Song
NEW MUSIC
Fats Domino - Ain't It a Shame
Caterina Valente - The Breeze and I (Andalucia)
Nat King Cole - My One Sin
Fontane Sisters - Rollin' Stone
Eddie Barclay & His Orchestra - Bandit (O'Cangaceiro)
Sarah Vaughan - Experience Unnecessary
Lena Horne - Love Me or Leave Me
OTHER RECORDS
Ferko String Band - Alabama Jubilee
Boyd Bennett and His Rockets - Seventeen
Priscilla Wright - Man In The Raincoat
Sunnysiders - Hey, Mr. Banjo
Perry Como & J.P. Morgan - Chee Chee Oo Chee
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