TOP 100 TEEN IDOL HITS
OF THE '50S AND '60S
- Venus - Frankie Avalon - 1959
- I'm Sorry - Brenda Lee - 1960
- To Sir With Love - Lulu - 1967
- Lonely Boy - Paul Anka - 1959
- Diana - Paul Anka - 1957
- Take Good Care of My Baby - Bobby Vee - 1961
- Fingertips - Part 2 - Little Stevie Wonder - 1963
- I Will Follow Him - Little Peggy March - 1963
- Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson - 1958
- Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares - 1962
- It's My Party - Lesley Gore - 1963
- Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini -
Brian Hyland - 1960 - The Loco-Motion - Little Eva - 1962
- Donna - Ritchie Valens - 1959
- I Want to Be Wanted - Brenda Lee - 1960
- Put Your Head on My Shoulder - Paul Anka - 1959
- Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp - 1962
- Stood Up - Ricky Nelson - 1958
- Teen-Age Crush - Tommy Sands - 1957
- My Heart is an Open Book - Carl Dobkins, Jr. - 1959
- Sweet Nothin's - Brenda Lee - 1960
- Who's Sorry Now - Connie Francis - 1958
- Those Were the Days - Mary Hopkin - 1968
- You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore - 1964
- Wild One - Bobby Rydell - 1960
- A Teenager's Romance - Ricky Nelson - 1957
- Puppy Love - Paul Anka - 1960
- For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder - 1968
- Pink Shoe Laces - Dodie Stevens - 1959
- Be-Bop Baby - Ricky Nelson - 1957
- I Was Made to Love Her - Stevie Wonder - 1967
- I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) - Barbara George - 1962
- Run to Him - Bobby Vee - 1961
- Bobby's Girl - Marcie Blane - 1962
- Ivory Tower - Cathy Carr - 1956
- My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small - 1964
- All Alone Am I - Brenda Lee - 1962
- Just a Dream - Jimmy Clanton - 1958
- Sealed With a Kiss - Brian Hyland - 1962
- The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Bobby Vee - 1963
- I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott - 1961
- Fool #1 - Brenda Lee - 1961
- Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Stevie Wonder - 1966
- A Rose and a Baby Ruth - George Hamilton IV - 1956
- Tiger - Fabian - 1959
- Volare - Bobby Rydell - 1960
- I'm Walking - Ricky Nelson - 1957
- Tragedy - Thomas Wayne - 1959
- Devil or Angel - Bobby Vee - 1960
- Let's Dance - Chris Montez - 1962
- My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder - 1969
- Susie Darlin' - Robin Luke - 1958
- Break it to Me Gently - Brenda Lee - 1962
- A Million to One - Jimmy Charles - 1960
- She's a Fool - Lesley Gore - 1963
- We Got Love - Bobby Rydell - 1959
- It's Time to Cry - Paul Anka - 1959
- Yes, I'm Ready - Barbara Mason - 1965
- Dum Dum - Brenda Lee - 1961
- You Don't Know What You've Got Until You Lose It -
Ral Donner - 1961 - Believe What You Say - Ricky Nelson - 1958
- My Dad - Paul Petersen - 1963
- Never Be Anyone Else But You - Ricky Nelson - 1959
- Ride! - Dee Dee Sharp - 1962
- Lonesome Town - Ricky Nelson - 1958
- You Are My Destiny - Paul Anka - 1958
- Swingin' School - Bobby Rydell - 1960
- Judy's Turn to Cry - Lesley Gore - 1963
- The One Who Really Loves You - Mary Wells - 1962
- That's All You Gotta Do - Brenda Lee - 1960
- Rubber Ball - Bobby Vee - 1961
- Baby Sittin' Boogie - Buzz Clifford - 1961
- Dede Dinah - Frankie Avalon - 1958
- Tall Paul - Annette - 1959
- Summertime Blues - Eddie Cochran - 1958
- Losing You - Brenda Lee - 1963
- Navy Blue - Diane Renay - 1964
- You Can Depend on Me - Brenda Lee - 1961
- Start Movin' (In My Direction) - Sal Mineo - 1959
- Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder - 1958
- 98.6 - Keith - 1967
- Two Lovers - Mary Wells - 1963
- Let's Get Together - Hayley Mills - 1961
- Everybody Loves Me But You - Brenda Lee - 1962
- Cindy's Birthday - Johnny Crawford - 1962
- My Home Town - Paul Anka - 1960
- Hound Dog Man - Fabian - 1959
- Don't Bet Money Honey - Linda Scott - 1961
- Bobby Sox to Stockings - Frankie Avalon - 1959
- I Got a Feeling - Ricky Nelson - 1958
- Emotions - Brenda Lee - 1961
- Don't Just Stand There - Patty Duke - 1965
- It's Late - Ricky Nelson - 1959
- Turn Me Loose - Fabian - 1959
- Ginger Bread - Frankie Avalon - 1958
- Just a Little Too Much - Ricky Nelson - 1959
- Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes) - Carla Thomas - 1961
- Kissin' Time - Bobby Rydell - 1959
- You Beat Me to the Punch - Mary Wells - 1962
- Pineapple Princess - Annette - 1960
This is a teenage-only list, comprising songs by solo vocalists no younger than age 13; any hit song an artist had after his or her 20th birthday is not included. Songs by artists who are primarily solo but sometimes have a backing group listed on record labels (example: Annette's group The Afterbeats) are included. Rankings are based on the popularity of each song during the period of 1950 through 1969. Cathy Carr is the earliest representative of the teen idol craze, while a few who preceded her (example: Elvis Presley) were at least 20 at the time of their first hit and thus have no titles listed.
Brenda Lee tops all artists with 12 songs on the list, followed by Ricky Nelson with eleven. Paul Anka (the only artist to have two songs in the top ten) is next with seven, while Stevie Wonder has six (including one as Little Stevie Wonder). Bobby Vee and Bobby Rydell have five apiece, Frankie Avalon and Lesley Gore each have four and Fabian and Mary Wells each have three. Teen idols peaked between 1958 and 1962; 72 hits from that period are on the list. 1959 was the hottest year for teens with 19 songs. There are 14 from 1962 and 13 from each of three years (1958, 1960 and 1961). Male singers (59 songs by 24 different artists) outnumber female singers (41 songs by 22 different artists).