Classic albums down the decades

The 1950s was the era of the musical. Long playing records were in their infancy and 'gramophones' expensive. My parents had one the size of a small hearse and it's mock mahogany was polished to a mirror finish.

The old 78s were stacked in brown paper sleeves, carefully blown and dusted before being placed delicately onto the turntable. The new-fangled long playing discs were made of new-fangled plastic and went on forever at 33rmp.

They were cast in virtually indestructible vinyl. Indestructible that is until you scratched it with a very sharp metal needle at 33rmp. As for the charts, they didn't begin until 1956 - nobody could be bothered to count.

1956

The crooners dominate the singles charts - Dean Martin, Pat Boone, Doris Day - but musicals hold sway in album country. Carousel, Oklahoma! and the King and I all #1. Sinatra gets a a hit with Songs For Swinging Lovers - but there are howls off stage.

A tubby Bill Haley was at #17 with his Rock Around the Clock single a year before. This year Heartbreak Hotel has the girls wetting themselves and Elvis's Rock N Roll Stage Shows album is #1 in October. It doesn't cut the mustard with baldy Yul Brynner though. His The King and I sinks the hip-wriggling squirt and reigns for 11 consecutive weeks.

1957

Britain's first rock star Tommy Steele gets a #1 single in January with Singing the Blues but the musicals are still holding out at Fort Album. The King and I finishes its run and Sinatra's back for another six weeks. Then Oklahoma! and High Society both make #1. But there are cracks in the vinyl.

Tommy hits #1 with his album The Tommy Steele Story and Elvis is back with Loving You in September. Elvis is also the year's most successful singles chart act with 10 hits, seven in the chart simultaneously in early November.

1958

Musical soundtracks still dominate with Pal Joey, South Pacific, The King and I and even The Duke Wore Jeans hitting the top spot, though not as hard as My Fair Lady which is #1 for an huge 17 weeks. It takes Elvis to push it off its perch with his own musical number King Creole in September.

He stays top for seven weeks. In November The Kingston Trio becomes the first group ever to have a US #1 single. Only solo artists had hit #1s before. Meanwhile, in the UK, a quiffed Elvis lookalike called Cliff Richard is kick-starting a lifetime in pop with his hit single Move It.

1959

It takes a plane crash to make Buddy Holly a legend and he and Elvis dominate the singles chart. But the albums are a different story. South Pacific hits the top spot on November 8, 1958 and stays, and stays, . . . until March 12 1960, an incredible 70 weeks.

Cliff Richard has his first #1 UK single with Living Doll as does Adam Faith with What Do You Want. Meanwhile, in the US junior high school student Florence Ballard recruits best friend Mary Wilson and classmate Diana Ross to the Primettes. In two years' time they will sign for Mowtown, as the Supremes.

Bob Cartwright is a short break travel writer for SavvyNetworks: Europe City Breaks.

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