1956: My 100-Plus Favorite Records

Listed alphabetically by title:

THE ABCs OF LOVE – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
AIN’T GOT NO HOME – Clarence “Frogman” Henry
ALL MAMA’S CHILDREN – Carl Perkins
THE ANGELS SANG – The Solitaires
BE-BOP-A-LULA – Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
BLUE DAYS, BLACK NIGHTS – Buddy Holly & The Crickets
BLUE SUEDE SHOES – Carl Perkins
BLUEBERRY HILL – Fats Domino
BOPPIN’ THE BLUES – Carl Perkins
BOPPITY BOP – Wynona Carr
BOTTLE TO THE BABY – Charlie Feathers
BROWN-EYED HANDSOME MAN – Chuck Berry
CHERRY LIPS – The Robins
THE CHICKEN AND THE HAWK – Big Joe Turner
CHURCH BELLS MAY RING – The Willows
THE CLOSER YOU ARE – Earl Lewis & The Channels
COMING HOME – The Nutmegs
DEVIL OR ANGEL – The Clovers
DIDDY WAH DIDDY – Bo Diddley
DIMPLES – John Lee Hooker
DIXIE FRIED – Carl Perkins
DON’T BE CRUEL – Elvis Presley
DON’T KNOCK THE ROCK – Bill Haley & The Comets
DOWN IN MEXICO – The Coasters
DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS – Ray Charles
DRUGSTORE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – Janis Martin
END OF THE ROAD – Jerry Lee Lewis
EVERYBODY’S TRYING TO BE MY BABY – Carl Perkins
FEVER – Little Willie John
GET RHYTHM – Johnny Cash
GIVE ME (A SIMPLE PRAYER) – The Ravens
GONNA BACK UP BABY – Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
GOODNIGHT MY LOVE – Jesse Belvin
HAND CLAPPIN’ – Red Prysock
HEEBY-JEEBIES – Little Richard
HONEY, DON’T! – Carl Perkins
HONEY HUSH – The Johnny Burnette Trio
HONKY TONK (PARTS 1 & 2) – Bill Doggett’s Combo
HOUND DOG – Elvis Presley
I GOTTA GET MYSELF A WOMAN – The Drifters
I KNEW FROM THE START – The Moonglows
I NEED A MAN – Barbara Pittman
I PROMISE TO REMEMBER – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
I PUT A SPELL ON YOU – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
I’LL BE HOME – The Flamingos
I’M A FOOL – The Turks
I’M IN LOVE AGAIN – Fats Domino
I’M TORE UP – Billy Gayles
IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT – The Five Satins
IT’S TOO LATE – Chuck Willis
JAMBALAYA – Little Brenda Lee
JUMPS, GIGGLES & SHOUTS – Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
A KISS FROM YOUR LIPS – The Flamingos
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL – Shirley & Lee
LITTLE DEMON – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
LITTLE GIRL OF MINE – The Cleftones
LONELY AVENUE – Ray Charles
LONESOME TRAIN – The Johnny Burnette Trio
LONG GONE DADDY – Pat Cupp & His Flying Saucers
LONG TALL SALLY – Little Richard
MOMENTS LIKE THIS – The Baltineers
MY BABY LEFT ME – Elvis Presley
MY BLUE HEAVEN – Fats Domino
MY BOY ELVIS – Janis Martin
MY HAPPINESS FOREVER – LaVern Baker
MY LOVE, COME BACK – The Velours
MY PRAYER – The Platters
NATURE’S CREATION – The Valentines
NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD – Little Willie John
NO-GOOD LOVER – Mickey & Sylvia
OH WHAT A NIGHT – The Dells
ON MY WORD OF HONOR – The Platters
ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON – The Harptones
ONE HAND LOOSE – Charlie Feathers
ONE NIGHT – Smiley Lewis
OOBY DOOBY– Roy Orbison & The Teen Kings
OPEN UP THE BACK DOOR – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE – James Brown & The Famous Flames
RACE WITH THE DEVIL – Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
READY TEDDY – Little Richard
RED-HEADED WOMAN – Sonny Burgess
RIP IT UP – Little Richard
R-O-C-K – Bill Haley & The Comets
ROCKHOUSE – Roy Orbison & The Teen Kings
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN – Chuck Berry
SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR – Bill Haley & The Comets
SINCE I MET YOU, BABY – Ivory Joe Hunter
SKINNY JIM – Eddie Cochran
SKULL AND CROSSBONES – Sparkle Moore
SLIPPIN’ AND SLIDIN’ – Little Richard
SMOKESTACK LIGHTNIN’ – Howlin’ Wolf
SWEET LITTLE ANGEL – B.B. King
TEAR IT UP – The Johnny Burnette Trio
THAT’S A PRETTY GOOD LOVE – Big Maybelle
THAT’S THE WAY IT GOES – The Harptones
THAT’S YOUR MISTAKE – Otis Williams & The Charms
THERE IN THE NIGHT – The El Dorados
A THOUSAND MILES AWAY – The Heartbeats
THREE ALLEY CATS – Roy Hall
‘TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY – Wynona Carr
TONGUE-TIED JILL – Charlie Feathers
TOUGH LOVER – Etta James
THE TRAIN KEPT A-ROLLIN’ – The Johnny Burnette Trio
TRAIN OF LOVE – Johnny Cash
TREASURE OF LOVE – Clyde McPhatter
UBANGI STOMP – Warren Smith
UP ON THE MOUNTAIN – The Magnificents
THE VOW – The Flamingos
THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT – The Jaguars
WHEN I’M WITH YOU – The Moonglows
WHO DO YOU LOVE? – Bo Diddley
WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE? – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
WOMAN LOVE – Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
THE WOO-WOO TRAIN – The Valentines
WOULD I BE CRYING? – The Flamingos
YOU CAN’T CATCH ME – Chuck Berry
YOU GAVE ME PEACE OF MIND – The Spaniels
YOU’VE SINNED – The Solitaires
YOUR PROMISE TO BE MINE – The Drifters
YOUR WAY – The Heartbeats

Screamin Jay Hawkins, Howlin Wolf, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Johnny Cash... Giants, all of them.

And if you're familiar with even a handful of the records I listed, you'll understand why!