What happened to Leo?

Man, what a harsh weekend!

I live in the Seattle area and if you've been watching the news, you may have heard about what happened here last Thursday night. We had a windstorm and it was a hell of a storm.

It was the most intense windstorm the region had seen in a long time. Nearly two million people, myself included, lost power. 12 people have died so far, many from carbon monoxide poisoning related to folks trying to warm up with the power out on freezing nights. Thank goodness I have a fireplace.

Anyway, my power went off at 9:30 pm on Thursday night and came back on at about 2:00 pm today, Tuesday. We had no power for five nights and it has been really cold.

Things are much better now. So, I'm going back to my regular posting schedule.

The Best Songs of 1957 - Nos. 5 to 1

5. Keep A Knockin’ – Little Richard



This one has some of the best sax work of any of Little Richard’s songs. With an insistent beat, Richard sings about, well, rejection, I guess. This one only made it to number 21 on the pop charts, but was a number two hit on the R&B charts.

4. Walkin’ After Midnight – Patsy Cline



This was Patsy’s first hit. It made it to number 12 on the pop charts and number 3 on the country charts. It was the introduction to Patsy’s smooth and soulful vocal style for most of America. It was almost four years before she scored a follow-up hit, but this first one is still a popular and often covered song all these years later.

3. Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley



This is a great party song, even if it is a jailhouse party. It was the lead song of one of Elvis’s most popular movies. It spent seven weeks at number one on the pop charts. Scotty Moore’s guitar work, as always, was fantastic and Elvis sang the hell out of this number.

2. Mystery Train – Elvis Presley



This fantastic rockabilly number is one of Elvis’s greatest songs. It has an air of mystery about it that gives it the feel of a classic blues tune. Scotty Moore’s rolling guitar work perfectly complements Elvis soulful vocals. I just plain love this song.

1. Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly



Jerry Allison’s paradiddles on the drums kick off this classic love song. Buddy’s originality shined in this arrangement. His guitar work, in particular, was truly outstanding. I have no problem declaring this to be the best song of 1957.

The Best Songs of 1957 - Nos. 10 to 6

10. Bye Bye Love – The Everly Brothers



Another song about a guy whose girl is leaving him behind, but with those Everly harmonies, the saddest story can sound amazingly sweet. This one was a number two hit on the pop charts and made it to number one on both the country and the R&B charts.

9. Maybe – The Chantels



The Chantels were among the first of the girl groups that were so dominant in the early sixties. This beautiful song made it to number 15 on the pop charts and number two on the R&B charts. Arlene Smith was an amazing singer and this song is one of the finest examples of both the doo-wop and girl group genres.

8. Little Darlin’ – The Diamonds



This is among the most fun of doo-wop songs. The Canadian quartet, the Diamonds, really tore into this song, playing on all the various doo-wop clichés. The song made it to number two on both the pop and R&B charts. It was originally recorded by the Gladiolas, but this is a rare case of the white group’s remake outshining the original.

7. You Send Me – Sam Cooke



This gorgeous love song has become a standard of the soul genre. It was the first pop hit for the incomparable Sam Cooke and what a hit it was. It spent six weeks at number one on the R&B charts and three weeks at number one on the pop charts.

6. Great Balls Of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis



This is the ultimate Jerry Lee Lewis song. Jerry Lee’s piano work on this track is absolutely legendary. This ode to pure, unadulterated lust is one of the great sex songs in rock history.