Episode 49, Christmas in the 1940s, presents a mix of secular and traditional songs that celebrated the holiday season during and right after World War Two. Performers include The Andrews Sisters, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Bing Crosby, The Ames Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Ella Fitzgerald and Guy Lombardo.  

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Show 48, “Epilogue to the 1950s,” presents 17 hit songs from 1960, 1961, and 1962 to show how the themes of popular music evolved. Performers include Toni Fisher, Dave Brubeck, Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, Steve Lawrence, The Kingston Trio, Nat King Cole, and Brenda Lee.

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Show 47, “Top Hits of 1940,” presents 15 popular songs from the first year of the 1940s, including three that held the #1 Billboard chart position for a total of 33 weeks. Performers include Kay Kyser, Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby, The Ink Spots, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Also included:  Some news items from 1940 that you weren’t taught in school.       

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Show 46, “1950s Slow Dancing” presents 18 songs from the ‘50s just perfect for dancing and romancing with the lights down low. Performers include Elvis Presley, The Platters, Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, The Teddy Bears, Johnny Mathis, Della Reese, Ricky Nelson, and Tony Bennett.

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Show 45, “Answer Songs,” pairs nine original songs with “answer songs” that address the original lyrics. Songs include “Mr. Lee,” “God Bless America,” “Chantilly Lace,” and “Get a Job.” Performers include Debbie Dean, Kitty Wells, Perry Como, Carole King, Annette Funicello, The Miracles, and Jayne Mansfield.

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Show 44, “Top Hits of 1959,” tracks the most popular recordings of the final year of the 1950s, presenting 17 songs in a variety of styles. Performers include Guy Mitchell, Frankie Avalon, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, The Platters, Johnny Horton, and Paul Anka.

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Show 42, “The Best of 45RPM” presents 16 of Sam Waldron’s personal favorite recordings from Episodes 21 through 40, plus two recordings from upcoming shows in the works. Performers include Julie Andrews, Ricky Nelson, The Fleetwoods, The Andrews Sisters, Hank Snow, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, Georgia Gibbs – and more!           

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Show 43, “Country Music circa 1950,” presents 17 popular country-western recordings from 1948 through 1953. Host Sam Waldron includes some thoughts on how regional hillbilly music evolved into a huge commercial enterprise by the 1960s. Performers include Peggy Lee, Eddie Arnold, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jim Reeves, Red Foley, The Davis Sisters, and Hank Snow.

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Show 41, “The Andrews Sisters,” presents 16 recordings by the most popular female singing group of the mid-20th century. Included are “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “I’ll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time,” “Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann,” and “Tuxedo Junction.” The show includes recordings of The Andrews Sisters performing with Danny Kaye, The McGuire Sisters, and Bing Crosby.

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Show 40, “Top Hits of 1955,” tracks all the No. 1 Billboard hits plus a few other interesting songs from this year when rock-and-roll was just peeking over the horizon. Performers include Pat Boone, The Chordettes, Nat King Cole, Bill Haley and His Comets, Frank Sinatra, The Fontaine Sisters, and a German musician who called himself “Crazy Otto.”

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