We reach the mid-50s and celebrate it with a list full of hits from 1955 in different languages. Specifically, we’re adding five songs to the list of 150 songs from the 50s mark the end of the first half of the list and the decade.
If you try to count the number of songs, you’ll realize that it doesn’t reach 100 songs, which is a way to add surprises, even though we include the playlist with all the songs of the decade. What’s left to come out, and what will come out? Find out at the end of this article clicking on other list.
In the links below, you can discover which songs of 1955 are part of the list, including greatest hits from all the world such as The Great Pretender, Cocinero, Cocinero, Soy Minero, Te He De Querer Mientras Viva and Les Sabots D’Hélène.
Playlist with music of 1955 and of all the decade
Top songs of 1955 in English
The Platters – The Great Pretender
To talk about The Great Pretender and The Platters is also to talk about the classic sound of the 50s. At least that’s how they sounded before the rise of rock and roll. R&B, and black music in general, brought the best music of the decade, but suddenly white singers saw their calling in rock and took this musical style away from its creators, much like Eminem did later. Wait, are you comparing Elvis to Eminem? Of course not, I’m sure Eminem goes to the bathroom just like anyone else.
Top songs of 1955 in Spanish and French
Antonio Molina – Cocinero, Cocinero
Fifty years ago, it was quite common to see the same artists topping the charts and playing on all the radio music stations, even starring in films where they showcased the best of their collection. This makes sense since back then, music videos as we know them today didn’t exist, and appearing on television was the closest thing to it (if you had the opportunity). This song (and the following one) appear in the movie Esa Voz Es Una Mina. I haven’t seen it, so I can’t comment on the quality of the performances or the movie itself, but I’m sure the vocal performances were better than those of most young actors today.
Antonio Molina – Soy Minero
The great classic by Antonio Molina, especially if you’re a fan of Atlético de Madrid since, or before, the times of Caminero. Alternatively, if you’re a fan of a rival team, you probably know the story that Caminero was rumored to have had an affair with Simeone’s then-wife, who is now the sporting director and coach, respectively.
Aside from this anecdotal way of keeping a classic of Spanish music alive, “Soy Minero” has gone down in history due to its lyrics that unintentionally tackle the labor and life conflict of miners, and their courage in facing the risk of accidents or illnesses that might lead to death. This might be one of the reasons they’re one of the most united groups when it comes to fighting for their rights, even having their own statute separate from the general labor statute.
Carmen Flores – Te He De Querer Mientras Viva
Always living in her sister’s shadow, Carmen Flores had a musical career that included fewer hits in her repertoire compared to her sister. She even had a less publicized family, despite having a son like Quique Sánchez Flores, the former football player turned coach. “Te He De Querer Mientras Viva” is one of her most iconic songs, and it’s worth remembering as one of the best songs of the 50s.
Georges Brassens – Les Sabots D’Hélène
The imitable and repeatable, yet unique nonetheless: Georges Brassens. If you’ve made it to this year reading the previous ones, he won’t be a stranger to you anymore (if he ever was).
He’s one of the reasons why French music is said to be some of the best music ever made in the world during the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, along with American music. They managed to blend Jazz and popular music in a way that sounded as natural as possible (maybe Brazil would match them in the late 60s).
Bonus track:
(Madrid, 1987) Novelist by vocation, SEO specialist by profession. Music lover, cinephile and reading lover, but in “amateur” mode.