3 Classic Rock Songs From the 1950s That Changed Radio for Good

While rock and roll songs from the 1950s tend to make it to “oldies” radio stations rather than classic rock stations, one can’t deny that they had an impact on classic rock through the years. Let’s dive into just three classic rock hits from the 1950s that helped make radio even better.

“Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets from ‘Rock Around The Clock’ (1954)

Some say this tune is the first rock and roll song to become a hit. I’m inclined to agree. “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets was an absolute smash hit back in 1954. It peaked at No. 1 in both the US and UK. Today, just about everyone alive, including those who were far off from being born in the 50s, knows it well.

“Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry (1958)

It was the song that started it all, kicking off an era of rock and roll guitar-shredding icons for the rest of the decade. Considering some of the greatest rock musicians of the 1960s and 1970s credit Chuck Berry with making them want to pick up the axe, I’d say this might just be one of the most important rock and roll songs of all time. It’s inarguably influential, straight from the founding father of rock and roll himself.

“Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry was a smash hit at No. 2 on the Hot R&B Sides chart. It was also a No. 8 hit on the early version of what would become the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley (1956)

Rock and roll was invented by Black musicians. And as a result of the unfortunate times, the genre stalled in terms of mainstream popularity. Elvis Presley popularized rock and roll on a mainstream level, lending his unique flair to the genre and helping it become the next big thing in mainstream music. “Heartbreak Hotel” would become one of the biggest classic rock radio hits of the 1950s. It was also Presley’s first million-copy-selling record. Without it, who knows if Presley would have blown up the way he did?

“Heartbreak Hotel” was a No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Top 100 and US Country and Western charts in 1956.

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