Granted, the fifties gave birth to rock 'n roll just as we entered Rogers, but a moment's reflection yields examples of many other kinds of popular music during the years 1956 through 1960. Music of the late Fifties encompassed more than rock.
Previously, I wrote about the brief bloom-and-fade of Calypso, but the dying beats of the Big Band Era also spilled over into our high school years. In 1957 I recall KNEW playing “So Rare,” a new recording by the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. It was in our top ten.. Moreover, Doris Day (Que Sera Sera; Secret Love), Nat King Cole (The Very Thought of You; Just One of Those Things), Frank Sinatra (Come Fly with Me; One for my Baby), Pat Boone (Anastasia; That's How Much I Love You), Dinah Shore (Love and Marriage; Whatever Lola Wants), and Perry Como (Catch a Falling Star; Hot Diggity Dog Diggity) were popular. None was primarily a rock singer.
Again, music in the Fifties included than just rock 'n roll. The following is a list of number one hits for the years 1956-1960. Only 1956 show a rock song – a pair, actually.
1956
Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog (each side of one 45 RPM single)
Elvis Presley
1957
Love Letters in the Sand
Pat Boone
1958
It's All in the Game
Tommy Edwards
1959
Mack the Knife
Bobby Darin
1960
Theme From a Summer Place
Percy Faith Orchestra