Sam Phillips started the Sun Record Company in 1952 and put out music that mixed hillbilly and country with rhythm and blues sounds. Elvis started at Sun, as did Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

The group was formed in 1957 and rode the folk music trend to huge success, starting with their 1958 hit "Tom Dooley." Like much popular music of the '50s, the sound of the Kingston Trio was mellow and "safe," a contrast with the edgy music of many Black musicians and white rockers like Elvis.

Darin's music gives a good feel for the range of music that was popular in the '50s. Darin came on the scene in 1958 with "Splish Splash," an upbeat rock and roll song. Though he became a teen idol, Darin also recorded ballads like "Dream Lover," and the complicated show tune, "Mack the Knife."

This compilation gives a good overview of what rock was like in the '50s, ranging from Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" to "Be-Bop-a-Lula," a hit for Gene Vincent in 1956.

Monk was one of the greatest innovators in jazz, both as a player and composer. He was at his peak in the '50s and this was his first album to include his own compositions. Angular, dissonant, hypnotic, swinging, and eerie, Monk's music was anything but bland.