What was the last number one of the 1950s?
As we sit on the eve of the 1950s, music lovers everywhere sit in denial about how much music is about to change.
While each decade brings with it developments to the music industry, the ‘60s were the most significant, as bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who ushered in the British invasion. Meanwhile, the sound of folk rock was popularised by The Byrds and Bob Dylan. And finally, at the end of the decade, rock music had been established enough that it was in a position to branch out into all the sub-genres we know and love today.
Not only did the actual sound of music change, but the means by which people marketed and sold it did as well. You could argue that bands like The Beatles weren’t just innovators in music, but in the promotion of it as well, given they wouldn’t have had the meteoric rise they did without the business acumen of someone like Brian Epstein.
Everything changed throughout the ‘60s, but the strides in music that were made would not have occurred were it not for the ‘50s. While it’s not remembered as the most crucial decade in music, it did see sounds like rock ‘n’ roll climb to the top of the charts for the first time. Additionally, thanks to musicians like Elvis Presley, you had the first ever superstars, people who showed just how lucrative the industry could be.
If every action has an equal reaction, the progression of music in the ‘50s directly resulted in how much the art form drastically changed the decade following, and the last number one of the ‘50s was a final goodbye to a decade that might not be the most celebrated in musical history, but that was certainly one of the most crucial, because without these songs, these musicians, and the innovative minds responsible for writing, recording and distributing music, the art form as we know it today might look and sound completely different.
So, with that in mind, what was the final number one that added a full stop to one of the most pivotal sentences in the history of music? What was the song that saw out such a relevant ten years?
What was the last number one of the 1950s?
Given the last number one of the ‘50s saw music lovers stand on the precipice of change, you would think the decade went out with a bang, but that wasn’t the case – instead, it went out with a smooth-sounding and calm song, a steady ballad that reached the top of the charts. Frankie Avalon had his last ever number one, and the last number of the decade, with the track ‘Why’.
In general, 1959 was a pretty good year for Avalon, because in addition to having a number one hit with ‘Why’, he also charted a couple more times and had a number one earlier in the year with ‘Venus’ – his sweet-sounding voice and innate ability to make a song his own took precedent, as people around the world were able to connect with his music on a deep emotional level.
This would be the last time that Avalon would have a number one. As the ‘60s came into force and music began its steady shift into a new age, the chart-topping artist moved away from music and focused mainly on acting. However, despite leaving the sound behind, the mark he left at the end of the ‘50s is something which isn’t quite as easily forgotten.
