THE MOST POPULAR SONG HITS AND PERFORMERS OF 1954

1.   Sh Boom - The Chords 2. Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight - The Spaniels 3. Oh! My Pa-Pa (O Mein Papa) - Eddie Fisher 4. Mr. Sandman - The Chordettes 5. Hearts Of Stone - The Charms 6. Shake, Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner and His Blue Kings 7. The Things That I Used To Do - Guitar Slim and His Band 8. Secret Love - Doris Day 9. Work With Me Annie - The Midnighters 10. Young At Heart - Frank Sinatra 11. You'll Never Walk Alone - Roy Hamilton 12. Little Things Mean a Lot - Kitty Kallen 13. Honey Love - The Drifters featuring Clyde McPhatter 14. Strangers In Paradise - Tony Bennett 15. This Ole House - Rosemary Clooney 16. Oh What a Dream - Ruth Brown and Her Rhythmakers 17. Wanted - Perry Como 18. Make Love To Me - Jo Stafford 19. Gee - The Crows 20. Three Coins In The Fountain - Four Aces featuring Al Alberts 21. Hey There - Rosemary Clooney 22. Papa Loves Mambo - Perry Como 23. I Need You Now - Eddie Fisher 24. Cross Over The Bridge - Patti Page 25. Annie Had A Baby - The Midnighters 26. Hernado's Hideaway - Archie Bleyer 27. I Get So Lonely (When I Dream About You) - The Four Knights 28. You Upset Me Baby - B.B. King and His Orchestra 29. Hurts Me To My Heart - Faye Adams 30. Changing Partners - Patti Page 31. Mambo Baby - Ruth Brown and Her Rhythmakers 32. The Gang That Sang 'Heart of my Heart' - Four Aces featuring Al Alberts 33. Stranger In Paradise - Four Aces featuring Al Alberts 34. I'll Be True - Faye Adams 35. The Man Upstairs - Kay Starr 36. Cara Mia - David Whitfield with Mantovana 37. The Happy Wanderer - Frank Weir 38. The Little Shoemaker - The Gaylords 39. Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby - The Crew-Cuts 40. Teach Me Tonight - The DeCastro Sisters 41. Changing Partners - Kay Starr 42. Hold My Hand - Don Cornell 43. Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) - Eddie Fisher 44. Skokiaan - Ralph Marterie 45. Joey - Betty Madigan 46. If I Give My Heart To You - Doris Day 47. Answer Me, My Love - Nat King Cole 48. The Happy Wanderer - Frank Weir 49. Cuddle Me - Ronnie Gaylord 50. Isle of Capri - The Gaylords

In the pre-rock and roll era, often called the Pop Standards era, or the 'Great American Songbook', there was an emphasis on the songwriters and the individual songs themselves. For that reason we can't give these songs or even artists a ranking - often the same songs were made hits by multiple people in the same year - Oh, My Papa, for example, was a top 20 hit for 3 artists - Eddie Fisher, Eddie Calvert and Ray Anthony in 1954. We have included Signature Songs - the songs that are probably best known by the indiviual singers, when appropriate. In keeping the Pop Culture Madness standard of highlighting songs and performances that have outlasted others of their era, here are the most known songs of 1954. Spaniels Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight -Signature Song Lead singer James "Pookie" Hudson was also the group leader, and this is probably the longest-lasting Doo-Wop/R&B /Pop crossover hit. A 'white' version by the Maguire Sisters charted higher at the time, but the Spaniels version is still the number one 'goodnight' song of all time. Bill Haley and his Comets Shake Rattle and Roll This is considered the first 'top ten' rock and roll hit, and was released a few months after the moderately successful Rock Around The Clock, which did signifiacntly better when re-released in 1955. Mr Sandman The Chordettes -Signature Song An up-beat, vocally unique song that was a perfect 'getting in the mood' oldies show classic came back huge in 2012's Kia Optima Superbowl commercial, with just a touch of Motley Crew tossed in. The Crew-Cuts Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) -Signature Song Considered by many to be the first 'rock' song, this Canadian Quartet was backed by Dave Carroll's Orchestra. Dave and the boys also occasionally backed Vic Damome and Rusty Draper. Rosemary Clooney Mambo Italiano Although not one of Rosemary's biggest hits, it is her longest lasting. Al Alberts & Four Aces Three Coins In The Fountain Frank Sinatra peaked at number four with 3 Coins, but Al and Company were the only ones to hit the number one spot.The talented boys from Chester (near Philadelphia) PA scored an even bigger hit in 1955 with Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Frank Sinatra Young At Heart -Signature Song (1950s) Frank Sinatra is the only artist who could claim four different 'Signature Songs' - All or Nothing At All (1943), My Way (1969, Theme From New York, New York (1980) and Young At Heart (1954). For those keeping track, 50 Cent still has just one - In Da Club (2003) Elvis Presley That's All Right (Mama) His bigger hits started in in 1956, but the cool kids were down with the King of Rock N Roll in 1954. BTW - it is pronounced "PRESS-lee" NOT "PREZZ-lee" Doris Day Secret Love -Signature SongSecret Love won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and was from the film Calamity Jane. Jane was either a friend or Lover for Wild Bill Hickok in the old west.When Doris went into showbiz, she changed her name from 'Doris Kappelhoff' to 'Doris Day.' Penguins (Will You Be Mine) Earth Angel -Signature SongWritten by the group's own Curtis Williams, it is considered by some to be the first song of the rock and roll era, possibly because it was releases in the last week of December, 1954.Fighting about which song was the first of the rock era aside, we can safely say that they were the first 'one hit wonder' of the rock era. Earth Angel was actually the "B' side of the single 'Hey Señorita.' Eddie Fisher Oh! My Papa -Signature Song This song is either played at weddings, or in a campy, mocking way. Eddie is probably best known today as being the father of actresses Carrie Fisher (with Debbie Reynolds), Joely and and Tricia Leigh Fisher (with Connie Stevens)   More Top Artists and Songs of1954 Al Martino The Story of Tina Ames Brothers The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane Andy Griffith What It Was, Was Football (parts 1 &2) Archie Bleyer Hernado's Hideaway Billy Anthony and Eric Jupp This Ole House Billy Eckstine No One But You Bing Crosby Changing Partners Charms Heart of Stone Connee Boswell If I Give My Heart To You David Whitefield Santo Natale David Whitfield and Mantovani Cara Mia De Castro Sisters Teach Me Tonight Dean Martin Sway Dinah Washington Teach Me Tonight Don Cornell Hold My Hand Eddie Fisher I Need You Now, Oh! My Papa Elvis Presley That's All Right (Mama), Blue Moon of Kentucky, Good Rockin' Tonight Fontane Sisters Hearts of Stone -Signature Song Four Lads Skokiaan Frank Sinatra Three Coins In The Fountain Frank Weir and his Orchestra Happy Wanderer Frankie Laine Granada, My Friend, Someday, Rain Rain Rain Hank Ballard and the Midnighters Work With Me Annie Hilltoppers Till Then Jo Stafford Make Love To Me! Johnnie Ray Such A Night, Hernado's Hideaway Jose Ferrer w Rosemary Clooney Woman (Uh-Huh) Kay Starr If You Really Love Me (Really Love Me) Kitty Kallen Little Things Mean a Lot Lex Baxter and his Orchestra The High and the Mighty Muddy Waters Hoochie Coochie Man -Signature Song Nat 'King' Cole Answer Me My Love, Smile, Hajji Baba, Make Her Mine Patti Page Cross Over The Bridge Peggy Lee Let Me Go Lover Perry Como Wanted, Papa Loves Mambo Ralph Marterie Skokiaan Ray Charles I've Got A Woman Ronnie Hilton I Still Believe Rosemary Clooney This Ole House, Hey There, Mambo Italiano Roy Hamilton You'll Never Walk Alone, Ebb Tide Sammy Davis, Jr Hey There The Chords Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) The Gaylords The Little Shoemaker Tony Bennett There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight Tony Martin Stranger In Paradise Vaughn Monroe They Were Doing the Mambo Victor Young The High and the Mighty