50s Top 100 Instrumentals

The decade of the 1950s had many great hits. Most of us remember Elvis, The Big Bopper, Pat Boone and others. However, during this decade there have been Pop Punk Rap a number of instrumental hits that charted generating lasting impressions on us while we were growing up. The list below contains the top 100 instrumentals from 1950 through 1959. Review this list for your leisure.

Please note that Guy Lambardo and Anton Karas tied for your number one position with similar record title, 'The Third Man Theme'. Both versions were number 1 for eleven weeks inside same year. The most difficult version to locate is the hit from Guy Lambardo. Most CDs only carry Anton Karas's version nevertheless, you can find Lambardo's version.

The list below shows the ranking, title, artist, peak position () as well as the year the record hit it's peak position.


The Third Man Theme - Guy Lambardo/Anton Karas (1) 1950

Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado (1) 1955

The Poor People of Paris - Les Baxter (1) 1956

Tequila - Champs (1) 1958

Blue Tango - Leroy Anderson (1) 1951

Autum Leaves - Roger Williams (1) 1955

Lisbon Antigua - Nelson Riddle (1) 1956

Moonglow & Theme from Picnic - Morris Stoloff (1) 1956

Unchained Melody - Les Baxter (1) 1955

Sleep Walk - Santo & Jlohnny (1) 1959

Patricia - Perez Prado (1) 1958

The Happy Organ - Dave "Baby" Cortez (1) 1959

Delicado - Percy Faith (1) 1952

The Crazy Otto - Johnny Maddox (2) 1955

So Rare - Jimmy Dorsey (2) 1957

Ebb Tide- Frank Chacksfield (2) 1953

Honky Tonk - Bill Doggett (2) 1956

Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter (2) 1956

April In Portugal - Les Baxter (2) 1953

Melody of Love - Billy Vaughn (2) 1955

Raunchy - Bill Justis (2) 1957

Dragnet - Ray Anthonty (2) 1953

Topsey II - Cozy Cole (3) 1958

Oh! - Pee Wee Hunt (3) 1953

Skokiaan - Ralph Materie (3) 1954

Bewitched - Bill Snyder (3) 1950

Teen Beat - Sandy Nelson (4) 1959

Moonglow & Theme from Picnic - George Cates (4) 1956

Raunchy - Ernie Freeman (4) 1957)

In The Mood - Ernie Fields (4) 1959

The High & The Mighty - Les Baxter (4) 1954

Down Younder - Del Wood (4) 1951

Sail Along Silvery Moon - Billy Vaughn (5) 1958

Guitar Boogie Shuffle - Virtues (5) 1959

Red River Rock - Johnnay & The Hurricanes (5) 1959

Petite Fleur - Chris Barber Jazz Band (5) 1959

Limelight - Frank Chacksfield (5) 1953

Harbor Lights - Ralph Flanagan (5) 1950

Meet Mister Callaghan - Les Paul (5) 1952

The Happy Whistler - Don Robertson (6) 1956

Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy (6) 1958

Pretend - Ralph Materie (6) 1953

Caravan - Ralph Materie (6) 1953

Blue Tango - Hugo Winterhalter (6) 1952

Tea For Two Cha Cha - Tommy Dorsey (7) 1958

Ruby - Les Baxter (7) 1953

Hot Toddy - Ralph Flanagan (7) 1953

Whispering - Les Paul (7) 1951

Moritat - Dick Hyman Trio (8) 1956

Song For A Summer Night - Mitch Miller (8) 1956

Melody of Love - David Caroll (8) 1955

Peter Gunn - Ray Anthonty (8) 1959

Lady of Spain - Les Paul (8) 1952

The Velvet Glove - Hugo Winterhalter (8) 1953

Only You - Frank Pourcel (9) 1959

Forty Miles of Bad Road - Duane Eddy (9) 1959

Blue Tango - Guy Lambardo (9) 1952

Nola - Les Paul (9) 1950

Vanessa - Hugo Winterhalter (9) 1952

Near You - Roger Williams (10) 1958

Manhattan Spiritual - Reg Owen (1)0 1959

Raunchy - Billy Vaughn (10) 1957

Shish Kebab - Ralph Materie (10) 1957

Charmaine - Mantovani (10) 1951

Blue Tango - Les Baxter (10) 1952

Jingle Bells - Les Paul (10) 1951

The Three Penny Opera - Richard Hayman (11) 1956

Soft Summer Breeze - Eddie Heywood (11) 1956

Harbor Lights - Ken Griffin (11) 1950

Around The World - Mantovani (12) 1957

When the White Lilacs Bloom Again - Helmut Zacharias (12) 1956

The Syncopated Clock - Leroy Anderson (12) 1951

Josephine - Les Paul (12) 1951

Doodletown Fifers - Sauter Finegan (12) 1952

La Vie En rose - Paul Weston (12) 1950

Around The World - Victor Young (13) 1957

Johnson Rag - Jimmy Dorsey (13) 1950

The Hot Canary - Florian Zabach (13) 1951

Bongo Rock - Preston Epps (14) 1959

Man With the Golden Arm - Richard Maltby (14) 1956

Alambama Jubilee - Ferko String Band (14) 1955

Carioca - Les Paul (14) 1952

Mood Indigo - Norman Petty Trio (14) 1954

Almost Paradise - Roger Williams (15) 1957

Cannonball - Duane Eddy (15) 1958

The Enchanted Sea - Islanders (15) 1959

Blues - Ralph Flanagan (15) 1951

Dipsy Doodle - Johnny Maddox (15) 1953

Mexican Hat Rock - Applejacks (16) 1958

Rumble - Link Wray (16) 1958

Woo Hoo - Rock-A-Teens (16) 1959

In The Mood - Johnny Maddox (16) 1953

Poor Boy - Royaltones (17) 1958

Slow Walk - Sil Austin (17) 1956

The Poor People of Paris - Lawrence Welk (17) 1956

Moritat - Lawrence Welk (17) 1956

Joshua - Ralph Flanagan (17) 1950

Charmaine - Billy May (17) 1952

When the White Lilacs Bloom Again - Billy Vaughn (18) 1956

The Bandit - Eddie Barclay (18) 1955


Some of these songs you almost certainly do not remember. Hopefully this listing has had back some good memories. I hope you enjoyed reading this review in the 1950s top players instrumentals by taking memory lane.

Happy listening!