Author Archives: tacopepper

         As the journey slowly moves forward to the music closest to my heart, a required stop is 1959’s “Moanin’ In The Moonlight”, by Chicago blues legend Howlin’ Wolf, a contemporary and blues rival of Muddy Waters.  Like many of the other blues singers of this era, these performances shaped the sounds of the BritishContinue reading “Howlin’ Wolf “Moanin’ In The Moonlight” (1959)”

         As we have seen, by 1959, America and the entire world was exploding musically to the sounds of rock and roll music.  Despite this emerging craze, the safer sounds of popular music prevailed at the register.  The #1 selling album of 1959 is the soundtrack to the television show “Peter Gunn”, a private eyeContinue reading “Henry Mancini “The Music from Peter Gunn” (1959)”

         As I have worked on this daily journey, I have occasionally determined through some sort of divine intervention, an absence or gap in my list that mandates an addition and deletion.  As we are rolling through the great rock and roll artists of the 1950s, my list would have been entirely incomplete without theContinue reading “Fats Domino “Fats Domino Swings” (1958)”

         There are so many different musical instruments that create the sounds we love, but for me, there is none more central to my musical world than the guitar, and perhaps more specifically, the electric guitar.  With that as an underlying reality of the music I love, I am grateful for today’s artist, and forContinue reading “Chuck Berry “The Great Twenty-Eight” (1958)”

         With a second look, I was able to find the entire “20 Golden Greats” album by Buddy Holly, which is essentially a greatest hits collection.  After giving it a listen, I felt compelled to come back and re-emphasize how many outstanding songs he was able to produce in a short period of time.  ThisContinue reading “Buddy Holly, Redux… (1958)”

         If there was a Mount Rushmore of Rock and Roll artists of the 1950s, I would probably offer up at least six names of significant stature for discussion.  And after some difficult choices and intriguing debate, when I cut down to the final four, I’m pretty sure Buddy Holly would make the final list. Continue reading “Buddy Holly “20 Golden Greats” (1958)”

         We all have different ways of processing and reacting to emotion.  For some, it is the written word, for some it is visual art, for some it is food or exercise or movies or television or complete silence.  I have always equated music with emotion.  Whether exuberantly happy, explosively angry, or devastatingly sad, IContinue reading “Billie Holiday “Lady In Satin” (1958)”

         Back over to rock and roll, today’s selection is the “The Killer”, Louisiana’s own Jerry Lee Lewis.  While his career certainly has had its share of controversy, he remains an icon of rock and roll, country music and rockabilly.  The album “All Killer and No Filler” is rated as the #325 album on RollingContinue reading “Jerry Lee Lewis “All Killer and No Filler” (1958)”

         As you may recall from my introductory post, I cast many different nets to ensure a diverse selection of music that chronologically reflected the evolution of popular music in the 20th and 21st century.  One of the collections I included was the #1 Billboard album in sales each year in America, beginning in 1956. Continue reading “Original Broadway Cast “My Fair Lady” (1957)”

         There is no mistaking Little Richard.  Whether it be in sound or in sight, he is most certainly one of a kind.  Thirteen days into this journey, I encountered my first real dose of what I would call rock and roll music.  Raw, gritty, loud vocals that were way ahead of their time, explosiveContinue reading “Little Richard “Here’s Little Richard” (1957)”