3 Classic Rock Songs from the 1950s that Continue to Blow Our Minds

In the 1950s, rock and roll music was just coming into form. During later decades like the 1960s and 1970s, the genre would turn into a behemoth of culture that would continue on into the next millennium. But in the 1950s, artists were just beginning to turn blues songs, gospel music, and R&B into what we would later know as rock.

Here below, we wanted to explore three songs from the decade that showcase the potential of the sound. Three songs that showcase what rock would become and that also simply just continue to blow our minds with their power and artistry. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs that continue to impress.

[RELATED: 3 Eternal Elvis Presley Classics that Have Stood the Test of Time]

“Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard from Here’s Little Richard (1955)

When a song includes the phrase Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom, you know it’s a classic. And that’s exactly what this song from Little Richard has become since its release in 1955. Little Richard, in fact, is one of the most important figures in rock and roll music. Without him, we might not have the genre as we know it today. His energy, style, flare, and pizzazz are what helped the sound get off the ground and this song is perhaps his best known and most important. On the lively track, Little Richard sings,

I got a gal, named Sue, she knows just what to do
I got a gal, named Sue, she knows just what to do
She rock to the East, she rock to the West
But she’s the gal that I love best

Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie, ooh
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
A wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom

“Yakety Yak” by The Coasters (1958)

Just an earworm of a song, this 1958 standalone single by The Coasters helped usher in rock and roll in the late 1950s and cement it as a significant genre. The group, in fact, released several singles at that time, including “Gee, Golly,” making them one of the biggest names in music. The song itself is about the chores a person has to do in order to have free time and spending money. Buoyed by sticky vocals and a catchy delivery, the group sings,

Take out the papers and the trash
Or you don’t get no spendin’ cash
If you don’t scrub that kitchen floor
You ain’t gonna rock and roll no more
Yakety yak (don’t talk back)

Just finish cleanin’ up your room
Let’s see that dust fly with that broom
Get all that garbage out of sight
Or you don’t go out Friday night
Yakety yak (don’t talk back)

“Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley (1956)

This standalone single from Elvis Presley is about being alone and a breakup. Inspired by a newspaper article about a man who jumped from a window and killed himself, the track was imbued with remorse and sullen feelings. And the composition worked, as the tune hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. On the song, Elvis gives the lyrics so much personality and flavor it’s no wonder many called him The King in his day. On the iconic offering, he sings,

Well, since my baby left me
I found a new place to dwell
Down at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel

Where I’ll be, I’ll be so lonely, baby
I’ll be lonely
I’ll be so lonely, I could die

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