So many pop songs in 1959 really sounded “of their era,” and the music landscape would change drastically by the time the 1960s rolled around. But some musicians and individual pop songs from 1959 would inspire elements of the 1960s sound that we all know and love. Let’s look at a few tracks that left their mark ahead of the 60s.
“Venus” by Frankie Avalon
Teen idol pop was already a thing in the 1950s, but it would become quite a popular “subgenre” of sorts in the 1960s. Frankie Avalon cornered the market on teen pop sensations in the late 1950s, notably with the song “Venus”. Those smooth, sweet vocals and that polished melody would become the standard for commercial-friendly teen pop music in the 60s.
“Venus” by Frankie Avalon was a No. 1 smash hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for a whopping five weeks.
“Dream Lover” by Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover” is a well-produced and sophisticated pop tune. But it wasn’t inaccessible to the casual pop listener in 1959. This would become a trend of sorts in the 60s, and “sophisti-pop” as a genre wouldn’t really become a thing until the 1980s. Darin was ahead of his time, it seems.
“Dream Lover” by Bobby Darin was a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100 chart. Fun fact: Neil Sedaka actually plays the piano on this track. Just as well, countless musicians in the years since have covered “Dream Lover”. A few big names include Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Glen Shorrock, and Billy Craddock.
“Put Your Head On My Shoulder” by Paul Anka
Paul Anka was the pop guy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” is easily the most memorable of all pop songs released in 1959. It’s a sappy, sentimental pop tune that would inspire more vulnerable songwriting in the 60s, both among pop songwriters and the folk singer-songwriters that would dominate the airwaves.
“Put Your Head On My Shoulder” by Paul Anka was a No. 2 smash hit on the Hot 100. It also did well in the UK and Canada. The song still gets sampled and covered by artists decades later, such as Doja Cat (in “Streets”, 2019) and Good Charlotte (2001).
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