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Popular Music of the USA
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Don Talks About Popular Music in His Life (5 minutes)
Short Introductions
Introduction to Popular Music
Part 1 – The 1920s and 1930s
(4 minutes)
Introduction to Popular Music
Part 2 – The 1940s (5 minutes)
Introduction to Popular Music
Part 3 – The Early 1950s
(7 minutes)
Read About American Popular Music
Musical Kaleidoscope Videos
"Back to the Early 1950s" Series
Welcome to the wonderful, forgotten musical world of the early 1950s, a time when wonderful music graced the airwaves of popular-music radio. The videos in this series present some of the great recordings of this era, before the advent of rock-and-roll music.
Tony Bennett - "Cold, Cold Heart" (1951)
Tony Bennett’s 1951 rendition of “Cold, Cold Heart” was a massive, era-defining crossover hit. Recorded on May 31, 1951, and arranged by Percy Faith, it transformed Hank Williams’ raw country ballad into a smooth pop standard. It spent 27 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at number one.
Mantovani - "Charmaine" (1951)
Mantovani’s 1951 rendition of “Charmaine” is an instrumental ballad that introduced the conductor’s signature “Cascading Strings” effect, arranged by Ronald Binge. It sold over a million copies, became an international standard, and spent 19 weeks on the US charts.
Frank Chacksfield - "Ebb Tide" (1953)
Frank Chacksfield’s 1953 instrumental recording of “Ebb Tide” (composed by Robert Maxwell) became a massive global hit. Featuring the actual sound of surf, the sweeping orchestral arrangement peaked at #2 on the US Billboard chart for four weeks, spent 23 weeks in the Top 30, and became the first British instrumental to hit #1 on some American charts.
Frankie Laine - "I Believe" (1953)
Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” (1953) is one of the most successful songs in chart history, spending an astonishing 18 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl, and Al Stillman, this inspirational track became the best-selling single of 1953 in the UK.
Barclay Allen - "Aviva" (1954)
Jimmy Durante - "Young at Heart" (1954)
While commonly associated with Frank Sinatra’s 1954 hit, Jimmy Durante is famously connected to the song through his own highly praised, spoken-word rendition, which he released later in his career rather than in 1954.
Leroy Holmes - "The High and Mighty" (1954)
“The High and the Mighty” (1954) by LeRoy Holmes and His Orchestra is a million-selling instrumental hit that reached number 9 on the Billboard charts and became one of the most recognizable theme songs of the 1950s.
Leroy Anderson - "Forgotten Dreams" (1954)
Completed on May 28, 1954, “Forgotten Dreams” is a romantic piano miniature by American light-music composer Leroy Anderson. Premiered that June with Anderson himself on piano, the piece was originally conceived as an instructional piano solo before evolving into an acclaimed piano-and-orchestra melody.
David Whitfield - "Cara Mia" (1954)
David Whitfield’s 1954 hit “Cara Mia” is a lush, operatic ballad co-written by the Italian composer Mantovani. It spent ten consecutive weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the first British record to sell over three-and-a-half million copies worldwide. This video by Mary Ellen Bickford Robertson had over 180,000 views on YouTube as of July, 2026.
Nelson Riddle - "Port au Prince" (1956)
Released in 1956, “Port-au-Prince” is an infectious, exotica-tinged instrumental track composed by Bernie Wayne and recorded by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. It served as the immediate follow-up to Riddle’s smash #1 hit “Lisbon Antigua” and peaked at No. 20 on the U.S. pop charts.
The Four Lads - "Moments to Remember" (1955)
Recorded in June 1955, “Moments to Remember” by the Canadian vocal quartet The Four Lads is a nostalgic pop ballad that sold over 4 million copies. Originally turned down by Perry Como, it became the group’s signature song and first gold record, peaking at number two on the Billboard charts. This video by Mary Ellen Bickford Robertson had over 400,000 views on YouTube as of July, 2026.
Doris Day - "Que Sera, Sera" (1956)
Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. It won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Original Song and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. It became Day’s signature tune and served as her television theme song from 1968 to 1973.
Two Don Robertson Videos
Below are two popular-music videos featuring the music of Don Robertson. Both of these unique videos were created by Don Robertson’s wife, Mary Ellen Bickford Robertson.
Don Robertson "Misty Morning Melody"
Mary Ellen Bickford Robertson has created a video for husband Don Robertson’s instrumental tune “Misty Morning Melody” from his album “Resurrection”. The imagery in the video includes photos of their friends and family taken at the time the song was first recorded.
Don Robertson - "Take My Hand"
This is Mary Ellen Bickford Robertson’s amazing video of the song “Take My Hand” from the album of the same name.