Perhaps more than any other decade in history, the 1950s are remembered for being particularly conservative. Parents from the era didn’t want to deal with anything outside of the box. And when it came to music, that was especially true. Here below, we wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that caused quite a stir during the buttoned-up time period. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1950s that parents were actually scared of.
“Tequila” by The Champs from ‘Go, Champs, Go!’ (1958)
Any time you introduce alcohol to young music fans, things can get a little hairy or even worrisome. And you know who knows that? Parents. Of course, rock stars can’t be concerned with that sort of thing. If the track rocks, then their goal is achieved. Case in point: the hit single “Tequila”. In 1958, The Champs released their classic track, and while the tune is largely an instrumental, there is a moment or two when it glorifies the liquor it’s named after. Do parents want their kids running around talking about booze? Likely not.
“Short Shorts” by The Royal Teens (Single, 1958)
Just as parents didn’t want their offspring running around town downing shots of tequila all the time, they also didn’t want their kids sporting short shorts in the 1950s sock hops and school classrooms. As we said, the decade was quite conservative. Today, many of those parents would blush at artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B shaking their stuff. But back then? It was all about longer shorts—not shorter ones. Kids, on the other hand? They wanted to trim the fabric, not extend it. Such is the constant push-and-pull of parenthood.
“Susie Q” by Dale Hawkins (Single, 1957)
Kids rebel. That’s just a fact of life. And often, they use music to achieve that rebellion. In the 1950s, that meant rock and roll. It meant loud guitars and buzzy amplifiers. It meant attitude. And it meant Dale Hawkins. Indeed, his 1957 hit single, “Susie Q”, helped to define the rock sound of the day. It also helped to usher in other artists later on. Hawks was like a gateway drug for the rebellious rock sound. Parents feared him; kids loved him.
Photo by PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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