Sam Waldron

Show 60, “Top Hits of 1952,” tracks the most popular recordings of 1952, playing 17 songs, including ballads, an unusual novelty song about Little Bo Peep, and a recording that’s an early precursor of rock-and-roll. Performers include Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Percy Faith, Jo Stafford, Eddie Fisher, and Leroy Anderson. Top Hits 1952 Playlist 1 Cry Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads 2 Wheel of Fortun...

Show 59, “Songs About Body Parts,” uses 19 popular songs to lead a comprehensive tour of the human body. Included are faces, feet, fingernails, hearts, minds, heads, and much more. Performers include Elvis Presley, Evelyn Knight, The Delta Rhythm Boys, Ferlin Husky, Matt Monro, Stan Freberg, and The Platters.   Show 59 Songs about body parts 1 Footsteps Steve Lawrence 2 Knee Deep in the Blues Guy...

Show 58, “Movie Night with Irving Berlin,” plays 16 soundtrack recordings from eight movies for which Irving Berlin wrote the music. Performers include Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, and Irving Berlin himself. Highlights include “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun” sung by Betty Hutton and “Gee I Wish I Was Back in the Army” performed by Rosemary Clooney. Show 58...

Show 57, “Georgia Gibbs Tommy Sands,” focuses on two energetic entertainers from the mid-century. Nine songs by Sands include “Ring My Phone,” “Sing Boy Sing,” “Soda Pop Pop,” “Teenage Crush,” and “Blue Ribbon Baby.” Nine songs by Gibbs include “Seven Lonely Days,” “Kiss of Fire,” “Silent Lips,” Red Hot Mama,” and “Tweedle-De.” Show 57 Georgia Gibbs Tommy Sands Playlist 1 Red Hot Mama 2 Ring My Ph...

Show 56, “Top Hits of 1946,” presents every #1 best-selling song from that year, with performances by Kay Kyser, Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers, The Ink Spots, Perry Como, Betty Hutton, Betty Barclay, and Bing Crosby. The episode also includes a few obscure 1946 news items and two old-time radio commercials. Show 56 Top Hits 1946 Playlist 1 I Can’t Begin to Tell You Bing Crosby and Carmen...

Show 55, “Songs about Beer,” is focused on (you guessed it!) songs about beer. Performers include Hank Thompson, The Dubliners, Marilyn Scott, Guy Lombardo, Kolibris, Richie Valens, Tom T. Hall, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The episode also includes a handful of old radio commercials from beer companies, including Schlitz, Miller, Lowenbrau and Budweiser. Show 55 Songs About Beer Playlist 1 Beer Barrel Po...

Show 54, “George and Ira Gershwin,” features 17 recordings of music written by two brothers who played a huge role in shaping popular music in the 20 th century. Performers include Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, The Walt Disney World Band, Gene Kelly, Tony Bennett, Dinah Shore, and Al Jolson. Show 54 George and Ira Gershwin Playlist 1 Swannee Al Jolson 2 Shall We Dance Fred Astaire...

Show 53, “The Jazz Age,” features a variety of jazz performances, both vocal and instrumental, from the 1930s through the 1950s.  Performers include Anita O’Day, Tex Beneke, The Andrews Sisters, Mildred Bailey, Woody Herman, Louis Armstrong, Betty Ann Blake, Ray Eberle, and Lena Horne. Show 53 The Jazz Age Playlist 1 I’ve Got the World on a String Louis Armstrong 2 You’re My Thrill Len...

Show 52, “1950s Easy Listening,” features 17 very popular recordings from the 1950s that were regarded as “suitable for adults” because they didn’t include rock-and-roll, rhythm-and-blues or doo-wop. Performers include Jane Morgan, Johnny Mathis, Jimmy Dorsey, The Everly Brothers, Pat Boone, Patti Page, Nat King Cole, and Gisele MacKenzie. Show 52 1950s Easy Listening 1 True Love Bing Crosby and G...

Show 51, “Ella Fitzgerald,” features 16 recordings by a towering figure in jazz and popular music. Songs include “I Wish I Were in Love Again,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Manhattan,” “A Tisket, a Tasket,” and “I Want the Waiter with the Water.” The show concludes with a recording made in front of a live audience during which Fitzgerald couldn’t remember the words of her song. She improvised so skillfu...

Show 50, “1940s Heart throbs,” features recordings from a baker’s dozen handsome crooners from the 1940s who had the power to make women swoon. Performers include Kenny Baker, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Leslie “Hutch” Hutchinson, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Tony Martin, and Dick Haymes.     The post Episode 50, “1940s Heart throbs,” appeared first on Sam Waldron .

Episode 49, Christmas in the 1940s, presents a mix of secular and traditional songs that celebrated the holiday season during and right after World War Two. Performers include The Andrews Sisters, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Bing Crosby, The Ames Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Ella Fitzgerald and Guy Lombardo.   45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Show 49 1940s Christmas Playlist 1 He’ll B...

Show 48, “Epilogue to the 1950s,” presents 17 hit songs from 1960, 1961, and 1962 to show how the themes of popular music evolved. Performers include Toni Fisher, Dave Brubeck, Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, Steve Lawrence, The Kingston Trio, Nat King Cole, and Brenda Lee.     Playlist Show 48 Epilogue to the 1950s Playlist 1 The Big Hurt Toni Fisher 2 Where the Boys Are Connie Francis 3 Handyman Jimmy...

Show 47, “Top Hits of 1940,” presents 15 popular songs from the first year of the 1940s, including three that held the #1 Billboard chart position for a total of 33 weeks. Performers include Kay Kyser, Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby, The Ink Spots, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Also included:  Some news items from 1940 that you weren’t taught in school.         Pla...

Show 46, “1950s Slow Dancing” presents 18 songs from the ‘50s just perfect for dancing and romancing with the lights down low. Performers include Elvis Presley, The Platters, Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, The Teddy Bears, Johnny Mathis, Della Reese, Ricky Nelson, and Tony Bennett.         Playlist Show 46 1950s Slow Dancing Playlist 1 Put Your Head on My Shoulder Paul Anka 2 Twilight Time The Platt...

Show 45, “Answer Songs,” pairs nine original songs with “answer songs” that address the original lyrics. Songs include “Mr. Lee,” “God Bless America,” “Chantilly Lace,” and “Get a Job.” Performers include Debbie Dean, Kitty Wells, Perry Como, Carole King, Annette Funicello, The Miracles, and Jayne Mansfield.         Playlist Show 45 Answer songs Playlist 1 Tall Paul Annette Funicello 2 Short Mort...

Show 44, “Top Hits of 1959,” tracks the most popular recordings of the final year of the 1950s, presenting 17 songs in a variety of styles. Performers include Guy Mitchell, Frankie Avalon, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, The Platters, Johnny Horton, and Paul Anka.         Playlist Show 44 Top Hits of 1959                     Playlist     1 The Chipmunk Song David Sevi...

Show 42, “The Best of 45RPM” presents 16 of Sam Waldron’s personal favorite recordings from Episodes 21 through 40, plus two recordings from upcoming shows in the works. Performers include Julie Andrews, Ricky Nelson, The Fleetwoods, The Andrews Sisters, Hank Snow, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, Georgia Gibbs – and more!            Playlist Show 42 The Best of 45 RPM     Playlist     1 Ma H...

Show 43, “Country Music circa 1950,” presents 17 popular country-western recordings from 1948 through 1953. Host Sam Waldron includes some thoughts on how regional hillbilly music evolved into a huge commercial enterprise by the 1960s. Performers include Peggy Lee, Eddie Arnold, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jim Reeves, Red Foley, The Davis Sisters, and Hank Snow.         Playlist Show 43 Country music ci...

Show 41, “The Andrews Sisters,” presents 16 recordings by the most popular female singing group of the mid-20 th century. Included are “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “I’ll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time,” “Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann,” and “Tuxedo Junction.” The show includes recordings of The Andrews Sisters performing with Danny Kaye, The McGuire Sisters, and Bing Crosby. Playlist Show 41 The...

Show 40, “Top Hits of 1955,” tracks all the No. 1 Billboard hits plus a few other interesting songs from this year when rock-and-roll was just peeking over the horizon. Performers include Pat Boone, The Chordettes, Nat King Cole, Bill Haley and His Comets, Frank Sinatra, The Fontaine Sisters, and a German musician who called himself “Crazy Otto.” Playlist Show 40 Top Hits of 1955     Playlist    ...

Show 39, “Prologue to the 1940s,” presents 16 popular songs from 1937, 1938, and 1939 that reveal musical threads and performers that paved the way for the 1940s. Performers include Frank Sinatra, Guy Lombardo, Judy Garland, The Ink Spots, Gene Autry, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bing Crosby. Playlist Show 39 Prologue to the 1940s     Playlist     1 Sweet Leilani Bing Crosby   2 It’s DeLovely Eddy D...

Show 38, “Top Hits of 1944,” tracks every #1 Billboard Magazine best-selling popular record of 1944 – plus four big hits from that year. Performers include Bing Crosby, Helen Forrest, The Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Guy Lombardo, The Mills Brothers, and the Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald. Playlist Show 38 Top Hits of 1944     Playlist     1 Paper Doll The Mills Brothers   2 My Heart Tells Me Gl...

Show 37, “Platters Fleetwoods,” focuses on recordings by The Platters and The Fleetwoods, two influential vocal groups in the 1950s. Songs by The Fleetwoods include “I’m Mr. Blue,” “Come Softly to Me,” “The Great Imposter,” and “Tragedy.” Songs by The Platters include “Only You,” “My Prayer,” “You’ll Never Know,” and “The Magic Touch.” Playlist 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s   Show 37 The Platte...

Show 36, “Top Hits of 1951,” includes every No. 1 Billboard best-selling record from that year plus a bit of interesting information about that year. Performers include Tommy Edwards, The Four Aces, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, and Les Paul and Mary Ford, Patti Page, and Bing and Gary Crosby. Playlist 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Show 36 Top Hits of 1951 Playlist 1 Tennessee Waltz Patti Pag...