Feature Photo: Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 100 songs of 1953 saw another year in which the rock and roll train keeps gaining steam as blues and swing continue to shift gears. Bill Haley broke out with some big hits including his groundbreaking recording “Crazy Man Crazy.” The world would get to know Ray Charles as the massive talent had his first big hit with “Mess Around.” 1953 would become another year in which the old stars and crooners battled the young and upcoming rockers for radio airplay. Singers like Kay Star, Patti Page, and Perry Como all battled the blues swing artists for chart success. Of course, everyone loved Tony Bennett as his song “Rags to Riches “was a monster hit. Of course, there was also the much loved Dean Martin and his sensational single “That’s Amore.”
Our Top 100 Songs Of 1953 were picked based on many factors including sales success, popularity, chart success, and of course, just songs that everyone loved. It’s a combination of many factors that represent the best songs that the year 1953 had to offer across all musical genres. Many of these songs may have been written before 1953, but all songs on this list were recordings made and released in 1953.
# 100 – “Jive at Six” – Ben Webster
# 99 – “Outside of Heaven” – Eddie Fisher
# 98 – “I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know”- The Davis Sisters
# 97 – “Tell Me a Story” – Jimmy Boyd and Frankie Laine
# 96 – “Coop de Graas” – Shorty Rogers
# 95 – “Seven Lonely Days” – Georgia Gibbs
# 94 – “Ricochet” – Teresa Brewer
# 93 – “The Typewriter” – Leroy Anderson & His Orchestra
# 92 – “Wishing Ring” – Joni James
# 91 – “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” – The Four Lads
# 90 – “Soul On Fire” – Lavern Baker
# 89 – “Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo” – Leslie Caron & Mel Ferrer
# 88 – “My Saddest Hour” – Five Keys
# 87 – “Mad Love” – Muddy Waters
# 86 – “Oh! My Pa-Pa” – Eddie Fisher
# 85 – “Answer Me, O Lord” – Frankie Laine
# 84 – “Granada” – Frankie Laine
# 83 – “No Other Love” – Perry Como
# 82 – “Let’s Have A Party” – Amos Milburn
# 81 – “Anywhere I Wander” – Julius La Rosa
# 80 – “Tell Me You’re Mine” – The Gaylords
# 79 – “Please Don’t Leave Me” – Fats Domino
# 78 – “Look At That Girl” – Guy Mitchell
# 77 – “I Believe” – Frankie Laine
# 76 – Hittin’ On Me – Buddy & Ella Johnson
# 75 -“Secret Love” – Doris Day
# 74 -” Baby Doll” – Marvin & Johnny
# 73 – “Pretend” – Nat King Cole
# 72 – “Make Love to Me” – Jo Stafford
# 71 – “Half a Photograph” – Kay Starr
# 70 – “April in Portugal”, -Vic Damone
# 69 – “Hey Joe” – Frankie Laine
# 68 – Wild Wild Young Men – Ruth Brown
# 67 – “Infinity Promenade” – Shorty Rogers
# 66 – “Something’s Wrong” – Fats Domino
# 65 – “Cherry Wine” – Little Esther
# 64 – “Side by Side” – Kay Starr
# 63 – She Felt Too Good – Jimmy McCracklin
# 62 – “The Kid’s Last Fight” – Frankie Laine
# 61 – “Send For Me” – Big Maybelle
# 60 – “Allez-Vous-En” – Kay Starr
# 59 -“Have You Heard?” – Joni James
# 58 – “Say You’re Mine Again” – Perry Como
# 57 – “The Gang That Sang Heart Of My Heart” – The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts
# 56 – “Saving My Love For You” – Johnny Ace
# 55 – “I Love You So” – Crows
# 54 – “Eh Cumpari” – Julius LaRosa
# 53 – “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer” – Amos Milburn
# 52 – “Gee” – Crows
# 51 – “Please Love Me” – B.B. King
# 50 – “Changing Partners” – Patti Page
# 49 – “Bear Cat” – Rufus Thomas
# 48 – “Sunday Kind Of Love” – Harptones
# 47 – “A Thousand Stars” – Rivileers
# 46 – “Sophisticated Lady” – Stan Kenton
# 45 – “My Girl Awaits Me” – Castelles
# 44 – I’ve Been Your Dog (Ever Since I’ve Been Your Man) – The Moonglows
# 43 – “Floatin’ Down To Cotton Town” – Frankie Laine & Jo Stafford
# 42 -Whiskey, Women And Loaded Dice – Sticks McGhee
# 41 – “Is It A Dream” – Vocaleers
# 40 -“Too Close To Heaven” – Professor Alex Bradford
# 39 – “Oh!” – Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra
# 38 – Teardrops On My Pillow – Orioles
# 37 – You’re Mine – Crickets
# 36 – Fractured – Bill Haley
# 35 – Daddy Rollin’ Stone – Otis Blackwell
# 34 -Early In The Morning – Elmore James
# 33 – “If I Can’t Have You” – Flamingos
# 32 – “Three Coins in the Fountain” – Frank Sinatra
# 31 – “Rose Mary” – Fats Domino
# 30 – “Fascinating Rhythm” – Stan Kenton
# 29 – You’re Still My Baby – Chuck Willis
# 28 – Golden Teardrops – Flamingos
# 27 – Help Me Somebody – “5” Royales
# 26 – Feelin’ Good – Little Junior’s Blue Flames
# 25 – “Bye Bye Blues” – Les Paul and Mary Ford
# 24 – “Young at Heart” – Frank Sinatra
# 23 – Shake A Hand – Faye Adams
# 22 – Crying In The Chapel – Orioles
# 21 – I Didn’t Want To Do It – Spiders
# 20 – “Hound Dog” – Big Mama Thornton
# 19 – The Things That I Used To Do – Guitar Slim
# 18 – “The Clock” – Johnny Ace with the Beale Streeters
# 17 – “Dragnet” – Ray Anthony
# 16 – “I’m Walking Behind You” – Eddie Fisher
# 15 – “That’s Amore” – Dean Martin
# 14 – Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean – Ruth Brown
# 13 – “Prelude to a Kiss” – Duke Ellington
# 12 – “Bounce Blues” – Ben Webster
# 11 – “Stranger in Paradise” – Tony Bennett
# 10 – “Money Honey” – The Drifters
# 9 – “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes” – Perry Como
# 8 – “Your Cheatin’ Heart” – Hank Williams
One of the most covered songs in music history.
# 7 – “The Doggie in the Window” – Patti Page
Patti Page had so many hits. This one became a part of pop culture for a long time.
# 6 -“The Song from Moulin Rouge” – Percy Faith
Some may not realize how popular instrumental recordings were in the 1950s. Percy Faith dominated in that category. Such a beautiful piece of music.
# 5 – Mess Around – Ray Charles
Listen to this man play that piano…and then he starts singing and it gets even better. What a legend. His impact in rock and roll is too underrated.
# 4 – Honey Hush – Joe Turner
When I heard Foghat first do this song, I instantly became a fan of Joe Turner.
# 3 – “Vaya con Dios”- Les Paul & Mary Ford
Les Paul & Mary Ford dominated the early 50s with their exciting sound. This was one of their best.
# 2 -“Rags to Riches” – Tony Bennett
Tony was the man right away in the early 1950s, in 2022 he still is the man. What a talent, and what a career.
# 1 – “Crazy, Man Crazy,” – Bill Haley And The Comets
Everyone knows “Rock Around The Clock,” but this is the song that started it all for Bill Haley.
Top 100 Songs Of 1953 article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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