Looking for the best songs from 1958? Well, there was a lot of good music that year!
From soul and R&B to timeless country hits, 1958 saw some truly memorable songs come over the radio speakers.
You’ll recognize artists like Elvis Presley, James Brown, and Frank Sinatra as we walk through some of the best hits from the year.
“Catch a Falling Star” by Perry Como
Song Year: 1958
If you need something to cheer you up, you need a little Perry Como in your life. “Catch a Falling Star” is a sweet, upbeat tune perfect for any dreary day.
“Catch a Falling Star” encourages the listener to hold on to all the wishes they might get in this life. You don’t want to use them too soon; otherwise, you might miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Return To Me (Ritorna-Me)” by Dean Martin
Song Year: 1958
Dean Martin was famous for his easy-listening, crooning style. He’s been called many things, including the King of Cool. Listening to his Italian crossover songs makes it evident why.
“Return To Me” is sweet enough as it is; a young man pleads for his lover to come back to his arms because he’s so lonely without her. But when Dino starts begging in Italian halfway through the song, the listener can’t help but melt.
Check out these other love songs, guaranteed to make you feel all the feelings.
“Waitin’ In School” by Ricky Nelson
Song Year: 1958
Ricky Nelson went from television star to music sensation. The height of his popularity came in the 1950s with peppy country songs like “Waitin’ In School.”
The character in the song is waiting for a good time. As soon as school dismisses, he’s out the door and looking for his sweetheart. They’re going out on the town, and they’re staying out all night long.
“Secretly” by Jimmie Rogers
Song Year: 1958
What happens if the people in your life don’t approve of the person you love and adore? Are you supposed to stop loving that person? Should you give them up to please others?
In “Secretly,” Jimmie Rogers explains that no one should have that kind of control over someone else’s relationship. Even if the two lovers have to be together in secret, that’s still better than not being together.
“Sail Along, Silv’ry Moon” by Bill Vaughn
Song Year: 1958
The opening saxophone makes this song instantly recognizable. It’s a fantastic two-stepping tune if you’re in a dancing mood.
Following the light of the moon in this song means that two broken-hearted people find each other and finally start to heal.
Past mistakes and heartaches don’t matter so much when you’ve finally found that one special person.
“Rockin’ Robin” by Bobby Day
Song Year: 1958
Is Bobby Day singing about a bunch of birds in a tree? Surely the song has some hidden meaning that makes it more profound than naming random bird breeds.
Whatever the song’s point, it’s the sort of tune that makes you want to fly out of your seat and hit the ground running. It epitomizes rock and roll from the 1950s with an upbeat sound, happy lyrics, and a great driving groove.
Check out these other great rock and roll songs from the 1950s.
“Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” by Elvis Presley
Song Year: 1958
Elvis Presley has been called the King of Rock and Roll. Songs like “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” show why his popularity skyrocketed in the 1950s.
In this song, he begs his lady always to have a keepsake of their love in plain sight. It’s the one thing that will tell everyone that she’s taken and that their love is true.
Even though people think they’re too young to understand love.
“Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis
Song Year: 1958
Jerry Lee Lewis’s signature twangy style mimicked many other country and rock and roll artists from the 1950s. But he wasn’t afraid to bang out a few riffs on the keys while he sang, showing off his musical talent every time he took the stage.
“Great Balls of Fire” is one of his most beloved songs. It’s a classic song about the kind of power that a woman can have over a man in love.
“Splish Splash” by Bobby Darin
Song Year: 1958
The 1950s was a great decade for music. Songs were easy to listen to, fun to dance to, and all about having a good time.
“Splish Splash” reveals a man stepping out of his tub to find a party around him. Everyone’s there, in his house, without his permission.
It’s a wild song, a little ridiculous, but a lot of fun.
“April Love” by Pat Boone
Song Year: 1958
Featured in a movie of the same name, “April Love” was a number-one hit for Pat Boone for at least six weeks. It topped the charts when it was released and made Pat Boone a household name.
The song is about the excitement of young love, despite its fleeting nature. It can change as quickly as the seasons, leaving broken expectations in its wake.
“Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly
Song Year: 1958
“Peggy Sue” is the song that made Buddy Holly famous. It got within the top 10 on the billboard the year it was released and has repeatedly shown up on lists about the most important or best songs.
The song’s subject was a real woman who had just broken up with Buddy Holly’s drummer. Whether inspired by the serenade or not, Peggy Sue and the drummer would eventually get back together and tie the knot.
“Oh Lonesome Me” by Don Gibson
Song Year: 1958
When you’re alone, it’s easy to notice all the happy couples around you who are having the best time. They like to go out, paint the town, and have a few laughs almost every night.
Meanwhile, you’re stuck at home with nothing but your thoughts. Self-pity becomes easy when you realize that the perfect woman left you and that you’ll never find someone as wonderful as she was.
“Don’t Ask Me Why” by Elvis Presley
Song Year: 1958
Elvis had a wide range of talents, making his songs highly relatable. He was a master of upbeat dancing tunes and similarly adept at heartbreaking songs about loneliness.
Anyone could listen to Elvis and get into it.
In “Don’t Ask Me Why,” he tells his woman that he’ll love her no matter what. Even though he knows she’s bad for him and that she might leave him one day, he cannot help but keep loving her.
“Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran
Song Year: 1958
Bad news hits a little differently when you’ve been working hard trying to get ready for a big summer bash or a date with your special lady.
If your boss swoops in and says you have no choice but to work the late shift, what are you supposed to do?
It’s a shame young folks can’t enjoy their summer vacation. Eddie Cochran croons about this tragedy in an upbeat tune later covered by Alan Jackson.
“La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens
Song Year: 1958
Ritchie Valens didn’t write “La Bamba,” but he did make it popular outside of the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Valens took a traditional Mexican folk song and turned it into a popular American rock and roll song.
It hit the top 40 when it got released in 1958 and routinely appears on Rolling Stone’s list of the best songs of all time.
“Lonely Teardrops” by Jackie Wilson
Song Year: 1958
Jackie Wilson and his doo-wop background singers make “Lonely Teardrops” the happiest sad song of all time.
It’s hard to feel down when such an upbeat song is playing in the background.
Wilson’s flawless vocals pair perfectly with complicated harmonies and a driving beat. The listener almost forgets that he’s singing about his loneliness.
“It’s Only Make Believe” by Conway Twitty
Song Year: 1958
Conway Twitty was a star in the country music world, especially among young women who thought he was dreamy.
In this song, Twitty is a man who is hopelessly in love with a woman who doesn’t love him back.
He seems to channel a little bit of Elvis Presley in “It’s Only Make Believe.” But he brings his depth and emotion to the tune.
“What Am I Living For” by Chuck Willis
Song Year: 1958
It’s a painful thing to lose your reason for living. Chuck Willis explains how hard it is to move on when your reason for getting out of bed in the morning has left you.
You can’t find something to replace it; you can’t just get over the heartache. The pain and hurt swallow up your energy and your focus.
How can you go on when the person you lived for doesn’t love you anymore?
“(Night Time Is) The Right Time” by Ray Charles
Song Year: 1958
Ray Charles was a master on the keyboard, and he wrote some of the most well-regarded music of his day. He had a sleek, sexy style that made him easy to listen to and easy to love.
In songs like “(Night Time Is) The Right Time,” he lets all of his personality and spunkiness show. He knows what he wants and is not afraid to go after it.
At the end of a long day, he wants his baby by his side.
“One For My Baby (and One More For the Road)” by Frank Sinatra
Song Year: 1958
Frank Sinatra was bound to appear on this list sooner or later. He dominated the music industry for a long time with hits like “One For My Baby.”
In this particular song, Sinatra appears as a lonely barfly looking to share his burdens with the local bartender. He doesn’t feel so good, and his deep suspicion is that the experienced barman can help him.
“I Wonder Why” by Dion & the Belmonts
Song Year: 1958
Dion & the Belmonts were a pop sensation in the late 50s and 60s. They were one of the top boy bands of their day.
With slick harmonies and boyish charm, they sing about the curiosity of love. It’s impossible to control who you fall in love with, and sometimes it confuses you.
You don’t always know why you love someone; all you know is that you do.
“Ten Commandments of Love” by Moonglows
Song Year: 1958
If you’re looking for a little bit of easy listening, look no further than the Moonglows.
In “Ten Commandments of Love,” the band gives you everything you need to know about being in love with someone.
They tell you what to do, what not to do, how to treat your partner right, and how to keep each other happy.
“It’s So Easy” by Buddy Holly & The Crickets
Song Year: 1958
“It’s So Easy” wasn’t much of a hit when Buddy Holly & The Crickets released it in 1958. People didn’t take to it, despite it being a great rock and roll song.
It wasn’t until Linda Rondstadt recorded her version in the 1970s that it became a chart-topping hit.
“Drip Drop” by Drifters
Song Year: 1958
The Drifters had a timeless crooning sound that made them a popular doo-wop band in the R&B industry.
With songs like “Drip Drop,” they fit right into the music culture milieu of sad songs that are more upbeat than melancholy.
“Over and Over” by Bobby Day
Song Year: 1958
Bobby Day attends a dance alone in “Over and Over.” He’s relieved to find that most people are there alone.
Across the room, he sees the girl of his dreams. He knows that she’s the one for him. He screws up his courage and asks her to dance.
But alas, she’s waiting for her date. She’s a faithful woman who won’t be seen dancing with anyone else.
“The Twist” by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
Song Year: 1958
If you’ve never heard “The Twist,” then your life is missing a critical source of fun times and laughter.
It’s a ridiculous dancing song that was remarkably popular in the 1950s. It led to a new dancing style that took young people by storm.
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters changed the culture when they released “The Twist” in 1958.
“Try Me (I Need You)” by James Brown & the Famous Flames
Song Year: 1958
James Brown led a hard life; sometimes, the consequences were evident in his music. “Try Me (I Need You)” came around when Brown’s career was fading, and his band was walking out on him.
It’s a beautiful song about loneliness and hurting people that we love. It topped the R&B charts when it first appeared in 1958. It became Brown’s first hit in a few years.
“Volare” by Dean Martin
Song Year: 1958
Dean Martin had to make it on the list at least once more. “Volare” is another great song about love and happiness found by a couple strolling through Rome on a beautiful evening.
Dino transitions beautifully into an Italian verse in the middle of the tune, paying tribute to the original Italian ballad on which the song is based.
“Young and Warm and Wonderful” by Tony Bennett
Song Year: 1958
Tony Bennett started performing sometime in the 1930s. He stopped recently, in 2021, with a catalog of music and accolades that could put most modern artists to shame.
“Young and Warm and Wonderful” showcases Bennett’s beautiful voice and soulful style. In this song, he’s thrilled at the arrival of true love. He almost can’t believe that such a glorious thing is finally happening to him.
“All I Do is Dream of You” by Frank Sinatra
Song Year: 1958
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a Sinatra song is supposed to be sweet or heartbreaking. Many in his repertoire seem to be both simultaneously.
“All I Do is Dream of You” is a little vague in that it never reveals to the listener whether or not Sinatra’s love interest is in his life.
He seems perfectly happy as he sings about how she occupies his mind. So even if she’s not in the picture, he might be content with his memories of her.
“Don’t Take Your Guns to Town” by Johnny Cash
Song Year: 1958
With chart-topping hits throughout the majority of his career, Johnny Cash had a way of delivering simple wisdom through folk songs.
“Don’t Take Your Guns to Town” is the wise advice that a mother gives her boy before he goes off on his own. She’s worried that his temper and naivety will get him into trouble.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t heed his mother’s warnings, and tragedy ensues.
Top Songs From 1958, Final Thoughts
1958 was a fantastic year for music. Big names in the industry were putting out fresh hits or re-releasing old ones. People were happy and dancing along to the songs on their radios.
There’s no doubt the best songs from 1958 are still some of the best out there today.
What are your favorite songs from 1958? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.