Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Classic Rock Jams From 1959

Back in the late 1950s, many an elder baby boomer got to hear some incredible early classic rock music, particularly in 1959. Once the 1960s rolled around, it was “when everything changed,” as many a baby boomer would say. But things were already starting to change in the late 1950s, as rock and roll was beginning to transition into classic rock and the eventual evolutions of rock that would dominate airwaves for decades. Let’s take a look at just a few noteworthy songs from that year.

“Back In The U.S.A.” by Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry dropped quite a few memorable songs in the 1950s, and this classic is definitely one of them. From that introduction alone, you know you’re in for a treat. Quite a few listeners back in 1959 certainly knew that. “Back In The U.S.A.” by Chuck Berry is one of the rock and roll godfather’s most enduring songs, but it was only a moderate hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 37. The song did, however, make it to No. 16 on the R&B chart.

“Poison Ivy” by The Coasters from ‘The Coasters’ Greatest Hits’

“Poison Ivy” is a fun little rock and roll jam that follows two Top 10 hits by The Coasters. “Poison Ivy”, specifically, made it all the way to No. 7 on the Hot 100 and topped the R&B charts. Many young listeners likely thought this song was about a girl who was a heartbreaker. Listen to the lyrics a little more closely, and it’s clear this song is an almost comedic tune about sexually transmitted diseases. Fun!

“Peggy Sue Got Married” by Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly just had to make it to this list, so I went with the smash hit “Peggy Sue Got Married”. This song was posthumously released after Holly’s tragic passing in a plane crash. Naturally, there’s a bittersweet element there, but the song is still an iconic rock and roll song. In fact, “Peggy Sue Got Married” is also considered one of the first “sequel” songs in rock music, following up Holly’s 1957 hit, “Peggy Sue”.

“A Big Hunk O’ Love” by Elvis Presley 

I couldn’t leave out Buddy Holly, and I likely couldn’t leave out Elvis Presley on our list of baby boomer classic rock jams from 1959. I went with “A Big Hunk O’ Love”, considering how much people adored this rockabilly tune back in the day. “A Big Hunk O’ Love” by Elvis Presley peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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