Monthly Archives: April 2026

Sam Cooke set the pace for the soul singers to follow. His first hit, “You Send Me,” went all the way to number 1 in 1957. Then a deluge of smashes followed like “Only Sixteen,” “Wonderful World,” and “Chain Gang.” … Continue reading →

Not every Surf music record is worth money but many are, especially from the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, the Surfaris, and the Astronauts. One of the lesser-known Surf music albums is “Surfin’ Wild” by Jim Waller and the Deltas. … Continue reading →

Ruth Brown was one of the most popular and successful female Rhythm & Blues performers of the 50’s. Her 11 years of record sales for Atlantic Records made the label known as “The house that Ruth built.” Her first big … Continue reading →

Although Roy Orbison had some minor success with Sun Records it wasn’t until he signed with Monument Records that he gained superstar status. On Monument, the hits came fast like “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” and the monster smash, “Pretty Woman.” … Continue reading →

Sam Phillips, the man who unleashed Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash on an unsuspecting world in the 1950’s, was big into singles but not so much albums. He issued only 8 albums on Sun Records’ sister … Continue reading →

The 4 Seasons with Frankie Valli had some of the biggest hits of the 1960’s beginning with “Sherry.” Other classics followed like “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk like a Man.” The “Sherry” album, released on Vee Jay Records in … Continue reading →

Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley were the only teen idols of the 50’s and 60’s to never appear on “American Bandstand.” Elvis’ manager, Col. Tom Parker, wouldn’t allow it and Ricky didn’t need it as he had all the exposure … Continue reading →

The Remains was never a successful band in the sense that they never had a hit record. But what they did have was a huge following in the Boston area, big enough to be an opening act for the Beatles … Continue reading →

When Marvin Gaye came to Motown he wasn’t interested in the commercial top-40 sound that the label and the country were into. Influenced by Nat King Cole, he wanted his music to sound more adult. A compromise was reached. He … Continue reading →

The Del-Vikings was one of the most successful racially integrated groups in the early history of Rock N Roll. Their first top-10 hit came in 1957 with “Come Go with Me.” That was quickly followed by “Whispering Bells.” Many of … Continue reading →