The charts for the year 1956 were overtaken by Elvis. No question. There were a few others that illuminated the jukebox namely Fats Domino, Webb Pierce, Little Richard, and The Platters. Rock ‘n roll’s impact swept the floor with most burying some fairly incredible performances in it’s wake. Call it an avalanche. Call it a mudslide. Call it what you like. As I began to assemble a show looking at the top of the charts for the year, I found that starting at the bottom and working my way up was a revelation. Whether it was country, rhythm & blues, rock ‘n roll or pop…there were some delicious also-rans that I could not ignore so chose to ignore the Top 30 and focused today’s show on the so-called losers below the waterline of the Top 40. And what a joy it was! We’ll hear from some of them including Big Joe Turner, The Dells, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Carl Smith and Kitty Wells in today’s show. I hope you’ll find some time, morning, noon or night, to listen in.
| No. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artist | Title | Album | Buy |
| 2 | The Ernie Freeman Combo | Jivin' Around, Part 1 | Blowing The Fuse: 1956 |  |
| 3 | Bo Diddley | Pretty Thing | Blowing The Fuse: 1956 | |
| 4 | Chuck Berry | Too Much Monkey Business | Johnny B. Goode-His Complete 50's Chess Recordings | |
| 5 | Big Joe Turner | The Chicken and the Hawk | Big Joe Rocks | |
| 6 | LaVern Baker | I Can't Love You Enough | Rock & Roll | |
| 7 | Clyde McPhatter | Seven Days | Rock & Roll | |
| 8 | Chuck Willis | Juanita | I Remember Chuck Willis / The King Of The Stroll | |
| 9 | Chuck Willis | It's Too Late | Blowing The Fuse: 1956 | |
| 10 | The Clovers | Devil or Angel | Doo Wop Box Disc 2 | |
| 11 | The Dells | Oh What A Nite | The Vee-Jay Story [Disc 1] | |
| 12 | The Moonglows | See Saw | Dancin' And Romancin' In The 50s And 60s [Disc 1] | |
| 13 | Little Willie John | Home At Last | Fever: The Best Of Little Willie John | |
| 14 | Ray Charles | Lonely Avenue | Ray Charles – 93 Essential Tracks | |
| 15 | Otis Williams & His Charms | Ivory Tower | Rhythm & Blues 1952-1959 – Music Sampler, Vol. 2 | |
| 16 | The Five Keys | Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind | Doo Wop Vocal Group Greats | |
| 17 | The G-Clefs | Ka-Ding Dong | Gems from the Columbia Vaults, Pt. 1 | |
| 18 | Clarence "Frogman" Henry | Ain't Got No Home | Chess New Orleans [Disc 2] | |
| 19 | Sil Austin | Slow Walk | Great Instrumental Hits Of The 50s-80s (10 Songs) | |
| 20 | Hugo Winterhalter And His Orchestra With Eddie Heywood | Canadian Sunset | Magic Moments: Best Of 50's Pop (Disc 2) | |
| 21 | June Carter Cash | Juke Box Blues | Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music Disc 1 | |
| 22 | Eddy Arnold | You Don't Know Me | Warped 5543 – Eddy Arnold – 1955 | |
| 23 | Webb Pierce | Teenage Boogie | All Hits! [Disc 2] | |
| 24 | Johnny Horton | 093-Honky Tonk Man | Columbia Records' 125th Anniv. | |
| 25 | The Louvin Brothers | Cash On The Barrelhead | Capitol Country Music Classics | |
| 26 | Kitty Wells | The Lonely Side of Town | The Complete Country Hits | |
| 27 | Sonny James | The Cat Came Back | Singles | |
| 28 | Marty Robbins | I Can't Quit (I've Gone Too Far) | The Essential Marty Robbins: 1951-1982 | |
| 29 | Porter Wagoner | Tryin' to Forget the Blues | The Essential Porter Wagoner | |
| 30 | Tennessee Ernie Ford | That's All | Masters 1949-1976 [Disc 3] | |
| 31 | Hank Thompson | I'm Not Mad, Just Hurt | Most Of All | |
| 32 | Sanford Clark | The Fool | Chills & Fever: The Dot Records Story 1955-1962 | |
| 33 | Choir / Faron Young / Hubert Long | Turn Her Down | The Complete Capitol Hits of Faron Young (1 of 2) | |
| 34 | Carl Smith | Wicked Lies | Kisses Don't Lie | |
| 35 | Wanda Jackson | I Gotta Know | Rockin' With Wanda [US Bonus Tracks] | |
| 36 | Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers/Jimmy Wright | The ABC's of Love | The Doo Wop Box, Vol. 2 Disc 2 | |
| 37 | The Chordettes | Born To Be With You | Four By Four – Girl Groups | |