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3 Songs From 1956 That Still Make Me Smile Today
The article is an opinion piece from American Songwriter in which the writer picks three songs, all released in 1956, that they say still bring them joy today. The pieces frames the 1950s as a decade whose music reliably lifts the mood, and singles out these three tracks as especially enduring examples of early rock and roll.
The selections are "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and first recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1953; "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino, a No. 1 hit written by Larry Stock and Al Lewis; and "Blue Suede Shoes", written and first released by Carl Perkins, who introduced it before Presley's own 1956 version also became a hit. The article notes that although two of the songs are widely associated with Presley, he was not the original artist for either, and it includes opening lyrics from each track.
Explained simply
The 1950s saw rock and roll emerge as a dominant musical force, with artists including Elvis Presley, Fats Domino and Carl Perkins becoming major stars. Their recordings from this era have remained popular and widely recognised for decades.
Three songs from 1956 exemplify this enduring appeal: "Hound Dog", "Blueberry Hill" and "Blue Suede Shoes". Notably, two of them are frequently associated with Elvis Presley despite being originally recorded by other artists – Big Mama Thornton first recorded "Hound Dog" in 1953, and Carl Perkins wrote and originally released "Blue Suede Shoes" before Presley's version became a hit.