• American artists including Perry Como, Frankie Laine and Guy Mitchell, dominate the UK charts.
• During the summer of '53, a young Elvis Presley comes to the Memphis Recording Service to make a record for his mother's birthday... with hope of also being discovered.
• Top Selling Single: Frankie Laine - I Believe
1954
• 45rpm singles appear signalling the end of the 78s.
• BBC radio bans Johnnie Ray's 'Such A Night' for suggestiveness.
• Bill Haley and the Comets venture into Rock 'n' Roll and release future worldwide hits 'Shake Rattle and Roll' and 'Rock Around the Clock'.
• Top Selling Single: David Whitfield & Mantovani - Cara
Mia
1955
• Radio's delayed reaction to Rock 'n' Roll gives rise to the Coffee Bar (or Milk bar) culture where British youth hang around to listen to the latest sounds blasting from the jukeboxes.
• American crooners and balladeers continue to dominate 'over here' with Pat Boone, Johnnie Ray, Doris Day and Tony Bennett.
• EMI buy a controlling share in Capitol Records and George Martin takes over as head of EMI's Parlophone label.
• Top Selling Single: Slim Whitman - Rose Marie
1956
• Gene Vincent's 'Be Bop A Lula' at number 1 and Bill Haley's arrival at Southampton are seen by some as the birth of Rock 'n' Roll in the UK.
• With his UK hit single 'Heartbreak Hotel', at number 2, Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars.
• Britain's Tommy Steele hits the charts with 'Rock The Caveman'.
• James Brown releases his first hit 'Please Please, Please'.
• Top Selling Single: Pat Boone - I'll Be Home
1957
• Buddy Holly's (and the Crickets) short-lived career begins when they hit pay-dirt with 'That'll Be the Day' and 'Peggy Sue'.
• The carefully blended harmonies of Don and Phil Everly vow audiences on both sides of the pond.
• Liverpool's Cavern Club opens its doors for the first time.
• Leonard Bernstein completes 'West Side Story'.
• Top Selling Single: Pat Boone - Love Letters In The Sand
1958
• Cliff Richard debuts at number 2 in the UK charts with 'Move It' and rapidly replaces Marty Wilde as Britain's premier Rock 'n' Roll talent bringing 'violent, hip-swinging' and 'crude exhibitionism' to the scene in true Elvis style.
• US music bible Billboard debuts its Hot 100 chart. Ricky Nelson's 'Poor Little Fool' boasts the first No 1 record.
• Frank Sinatra records the first commercially available and successful long playing record.
• Top Selling Single: Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream/Claudette.
• Top Selling Album: South Pacific Soundtrack
1959
• The charts are overpopulated by 'teen idols' (Paul Anka, Bobby Darin, etc...) and Musical Soundtracks like My Fair Lady, South Pacific and Gigi.
• Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens die in an air crash.
• In the US, the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958 sees Frank Sinatra win Best Album for 'Come Dance with Me'.
• Top Selling Single: Cliff Richard - Livin' Doll
• Top Selling Album: South Pacific Soundtrack
• In an effort to introduce rhythm and blues to a broader white audience, which was hesitant to embrace 'black music', disc jockey Alan Freed uses the term Rock 'n' Roll to describe R&B.
• New Musical Express publishes the first UK singles chart on 14 November. The chart is compiled by phoning a selection of record stores. Number One is Al Martino's 'Here In My Heart'.
