5 Rock Songs From 1959 That Sound Even Cooler Today

The dawn of rock 'n' roll during the 1950s had utterly transformed popular music as a whole by the end of 1959. Indeed, many recordings from that year sound as cutting-edge to modern ears as they did on first release, when the record-buying public was still getting accustomed to the raucous new genre of music that these songs exemplify. The final year of the decade saw some R&B influences on rock music, but rock 'n' roll artists were already reaching out for new sounds, fresh arrangements and instrumentation, and unexpected genre blends.

In this article, we've selected five songs from 1959 that continue to pack a punch into the 2020s. Instead of late '50s tracks that you're undoubtedly familiar with, thanks to continued radio play and licensing, we've dug deep to find interesting tracks you may not know, and which deserve greater acclaim. These tracks are characterized by forward-thinking instrumentation, raw energy, or simply irresistible hooks that will get you bopping around the room, whatever your age.

Many classic rock 'n' roll songs from the 1950s can sound a little tame when we listen to them today, decades after hard rock and metal, among others, took the genre in harsher directions. But while artists like Buddy Holly may not get modern listeners' hair to stand on end, vocalist Freddy Cannon's riotous "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" is still a thrilling listen.

Cannon is remembered by rock and 'n' roll fans for his raw, gravelly vocals and the dynamism of his recordings, which over the course of his songs range from bar after bar of stripped-back drums accompanying his vocals to big-band-style brass climaxes. "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" is a track that features all of Cannon's signatures, including woops that seem to pop out of the stereo, making him one of the wilder vocalists of the day.

There is a lot to love about "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans." The song itself has a pop-friendly melody that prefigures the work of the Beach Boys, and its production seems to anticipate the "wall of sound" recording techniques of Phil Spector. But the main draw is Cannon himself, whose vocals are utterly irresistible.

Sandy Nelson was an innovative rock 'n' roll drummer who broke into the big time in 1959 with his instrumental "Teen Beat." The song is ostensibly a 12-bar blues number, typical of the rock genre of the day, featuring no vocals and subtler instrumentation than many other recordings of that year. Instead, the track revolves almost entirely around the Californian's incredible drum performance, which is still outstanding today and must have sounded like nothing else when it was first released.

Nelson had been a session drummer for other artists before embarking on a solo career, an unusual move for a drummer. "Teen Beat" made Nelson the most famous rock drummer of his generation, selling over a million copies. But the truth is that it was his training in jazz that gave him the swing and unpredictability that make the record sound so cool today, and led the way for other drummers to follow in his footsteps, such as The Who's Keith Moon.

Few could believe that a nearly seven-decade-old recording based around the traditional folk song "Red River Valley" could still sound fresh, but "Red River Rock," the signature recording of Toledo, Ohio, rockers Johnny and the Hurricanes, somehow manages it.

The million-selling single features the melody of the traditional song played on the Hammond organ, the use of which was atypical and distinguished "Red River Rock" among other rock 'n' roll songs of the day. But while it is the radio-friendly hook that undoubtedly helped make the tune a hit, it's the other instrumentation, including the wailing sax of bandleader Johnny Paris, that really makes the record pop. Sax isn't typically given center stage in rock 'n' roll, but on "Red River Rock," you can hear its effectiveness as a counterpoint to the organ, which sits somewhere between the rhythm section and lead melody. Featuring some Chuck Berry-esque guitar work from guitarist Dave Yorko, it's a classic deserving of greater acclaim.

"Harlem Nocturne" was first composed as a jazz tune back in 1939, when it quickly became a standard among American jazz bands. However, it was given a fresh airing in 1959 thanks to the recording by New Jersey instrumental rock outfit the Viscounts, which gave the atmospheric track a rock 'n' roll overhaul.

The Viscounts was a quintet that had only been together for a year when it recorded "Harlem Nocturne," but as the record demonstrates, there was incredible chemistry among the group members. The rhythm section is especially notable, with the initial drum pattern and bassline being somewhat foreboding before the track shifts through several different waltz variations. The lead tenor sax part, played on the record by saxophonist Harry Haller, is utterly iconic, and has led to the song being used repeatedly in movies and TV. Play it now, and it still summons up a nocturnal atmosphere, like you're driving around an empty city in the early hours of the morning.

Predating Bob Marley's later backing band of the same name, The Wailers behind the 1959 instrumental "Tall Cool One" emerged from Tacoma, Washington, a year earlier and went on to become one of the most important groups for what would later be termed garage rock. "Tall Cool One" has a modest opening; its 12-bar introduction is spare, seemingly lethargic, and lacks any real hook to pull the listener in. But when the keys arrive just shy of the 30-second mark, everything changes. 

Suddenly, the song gains a new level of dynamism. The power of the drums slowly increases, and soon the brass kicks in, as well as a new drum pattern that surely inspired the early work of Ringo Starr. The track alternates between comparatively calm and explosive passages, and crackles with tension — a remarkable achievement for a song that is barely over two minutes long.