Elvis Presley was an indelible part of 50s music and the decade almost couldn't have happened without him. According to his website, Elvis has sold more than 1 billion records worldwide, as of January 2011. Nearly 150 of his songs made the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, including 18 that went to No. 1. His 1956 release, "Hound Dog," was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1988.
When Buddy Holly opened for Elvis Presley at the Lubbock, Texas, Fair Park Coliseum in 1955, he was still determined to be a country artist. Soon after performing in Lubbock, he moved to Nashville. Unable to break into country music, he returned to Texas in 1957, gathered some friends, named them the Crickets, and recorded "That'll Be the Day" in May of that year. It hit number two on the pop charts and paved the way for a string of classic rock memories, including "Oh, Boy!," "Maybe Baby" and "Peggy Sue," which sold 1 million copies. Holly died prematurely in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.
Chuck Berry's idol was Nat King Cole, according to the artist's official website. Berry aspired to blues, like what was being recorded by Muddy Waters at the time. But country music was riding a wave of popularity in 1963, so he decided to try his hand at that, instead. Berry's performances brought together followers of country sounds with his blues fans. Trying to please them all, he came up with "Johnny B. Goode," which his website says "brought together all the elements of Berry's unique musical sound." Johnny B. Goode is said to have been his masterpiece and made him a part of rock and roll history in the 50s. Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
The early work of Bill Haley and the Comets was a mixture of country, Western swing and rhythm and blues. In 1952, the band decided to change its image. The Comets reluctantly turned away from country music and recorded "Rock Around the Clock" at the Pythian Temple Studio in New York on April 12, 1954. It turned out to be a song that History of Rock has called America's introduction to rock 'n' roll.
Jerry Lee Lewis began his career as a gospel singer. After struggling for years with the idea that his rock 'n' roll recordings were going to condemn him and all his fans to hell with their promiscuous lyrics, he recorded "Great Balls of Fire" in 1957. Though some radio stations boycotted the record, it was a smash hit and the biggest of Lewis's career. Rolling Stone Magazine named Lewis as No. 24 of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.