(Saturday, May 19, 1956) — “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins peaked at #2 on today’s Billboard Most Played in Jukeboxes chart for four weeks. In 2004, this track was ranked No. 95 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
Category Archives: 1950s
‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ opens in New York City 60 years ago this hour (May 16 1956)
Video: 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' trailer
(Wednesday, May 16, 1956, doors opened at 9:30 a.m. EDT) — The Man Who Knew Too Much, a suspense thriller film about international spies who kidnap a doctor’s son when he stumbles on their assassination plot, opened today at Paramount Theatre in New York City.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the film starred James Stewart and Doris Day.
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‘Long Tall Sally’ by Little Richard peaks at #6 in USA 60 years ago today (May 12 1956)
(Saturday, May 12, 1956) — “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard peaked at #6 on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for one week. The song is ranked #55 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
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‘R-O-C-K’ by Bill Haley and His Comets peaks at #16 in USA 60 years ago today (May 12 1956)
(Saturday, May 12, 1956) — “R-O-C-K” by Bill Haley and His Comets peaked at #16 on today’s Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart for one week.
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‘Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)’ by Perry Como peaks at #1 in USA 60 years ago today (May 5 1956)
(Saturday, May 5, 1956) — “Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)” by Perry Como peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart for one week.
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Former U.S. Vice President Alben W. Barkley dies 60 years ago this hour (Apr 30 1956)
Video: 'Vice President Alben W. Barkley's Last Words'
(Monday, April 30, 1956, 5:15 p.m. EST) — Alben W. Barkley, the 35th Vice President of the United States (1949-1953, under President Harry S. Truman), died today of a heart attack today while addressing a student political convention at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He was 78 (click here to watch Barkley’s final speech and the ambulance that took him away for treatment).
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‘Blue Suede Shoes’ by Elvis Presley peaks at #20 in USA 60 years ago today (Apr 28 1956)
(Saturday, April 28, 1956) — “Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley (written and originally recorded by Carl Perkins) peaked at #20 on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for one week.
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‘Godzilla, King of the Monsters!’ premieres in New York 60 years ago today (Apr 26 1956)
Video: 'Godzilla, King of the Monsters!' trailer
(Wednesday, April 26, 1956) — Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, a Japanese-American science fiction kaiju horror film in which nuclear tests awaken a prehistoric monster, premiered today at Loew’s State theater in New York City.
Directed by Terry Morse and Ishiro Honda, the film starred Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata, Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka.
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Elvis Presley debuts in Las Vegas 60 years ago today (Apr 23 1956)
Video: 'Liberace and Elvis at the New Frontier - April 1956'
(Monday, April 23, 1956) — Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut today, opening for comedian Shecky Greene. Presley’s engagement was canceled after a week because of poor ticket sales, and he didn’t return to Vegas for 13 years.
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‘Heartbreak Hotel’ by Elvis Presley peaks at #1 in USA 60 years ago today (Apr 21 1956)
(Saturday, April 21, 1956) — “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presleys peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for eight consecutive weeks (Apr. 21/28, May 5/12/19/26, June 2/9, 1956).
It was Presley’s first of 18 number one hits on the chart (1956-1969).
In 2004, it was ranked #45 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
