Obscure American Artists 1956-1963 (discogs) CB Looking Ahead & MV Hit Records 1959-1963

The turn of the 1950s and 1960s was a breaking point in the history of pop music, golden age of rockabilly, teen pop and doo wop. In 1959, Billboard BU has been launched and extended the number of chart entries, Cash Box, Music Vendor and Regional Charts (Gavin, Breakout, Territorial) added many other entries. Nevertheless, many “good” Artists from American music scene didn’t enter any chart and they are worth to be saved from obscurity. Discographies of Artists that recorded between 1956 (beginning of RnR) and 1963 (year preceding British Invasion) one/few singles*, create Parts divided into five categories

·         Rock(abilly) and C&W
·         Instrumental
·        Black Doo-Wop
·        Teen Sound (see below)
·        Popcorn (see below)

and denoted as Xnn:  X=,R,Q,V,T,P. For many Artists, categorization is fuzzy!!!
* If discography spans beyond this period, then selected earlier/later recordings can be taken into account as suplement

Popcorn category has been extracted. This style, established in Belgium in the 1970s,  includes a wide variety of American obscure Blues, Soul and Trad. Pop recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Singles of obscure Artists are hard to find, not available on Internet Marketplace. Please help me to reduce this number.

 Missing updated 30.03.2025

also see the below Teen Collectors Record Guide

Sound quality is essential = digital rips only*

Having a pleasure in listening obscure records in good sound quality is more important than collecting poor rips. Sound quality of majority of YouTube rips also many tracks from CD compilations is very poor and such copies are disregarded. Making a good rip is very simple, modern (produced in the XXI century) turntable and Audacity (freeware) is all that you need. I have prepared  Vinyl-to-PC (Tutorial) - please follow the guidelines.

* every single track is professionally remastered - see Project Description

Each discography has been carefully researched, booklets with biographies are attached. Primary references: Discogs, 45cat and

http://rcs-discography.com (Rockin’ Country Style)
http://doo-wop.blogg.org
http://rocky-52.net

https://www.rocknroll-schallplatten-forum.de

Teen Collectors Record Guide 

(A-J, link to complete book below)

This Guide lists singles from Kreiter’s collection and can’t be considered as  a database of Teen Sound discographies, rather as a comprehensive list of Teen Sound Artists. 

Numerous errors have been rectified, omissions added (denoted by K’).

Kreiter's Preface: 

"Before 1956 the Teen Sound and even Rock and  Roll were practically non-existent. Shortly after the British Invasion, in 1964 the Teen Sound was gone.”

Therefore, recordings made after 1963 are taken into account only exceptionally. Other exclusions:

1. Non-American Artists (UK, Canada, Australia, etc.)

2. Popular Artists who entered chart(s) and/or recorded many singles.

The few Artists, who recorded many singles, are included - only recordings made for label(s) listed in Kreiter.

 3. Rare Artists not confirmed on Discogs/45cat and/or records with release year not confirmed

4. Budget labels

 5. Generally, Artists classified to teen pop, rock, girl groups and white doo-wop are included.

The line between these genres and other genres (country, soul, blues, trad. pop) is fuzzy.

Some artist, who evidently belong to these other genres, are included - genre in Remarks

KREITER – Excel

You can download this sheet and mark your personal collection. 

track-list

S01  S02

T01  T02  T03  T04  T05  T06  T07  T08  T09  T10  T11  T12  T13  T14  T15  T16  T17  T18  T19  T20  T21

T22  T23  T24  T25  T26  T27  T28  T29  T30  T31  T32  T33  T34  T35  T36

P01  P02  P03  P04  P05  P06  P07  P08  P09  P10  P11  P12

R01  R02  R03  R04  R05  R06  R07  R08  R09  R10  R11  R12  R13  R14  R15  R16  R17  R18  R19  R20

R21  R22  R23  R24  R25  R26  R27  R28  R29  R30  R31  R32  R33  R34  R35  R36  R37  R38  R39  R40

Q01  Q02  Q03  Q04  Q05  Q06  Q07  Q08  Q09  Q10  Q11  Q12  Q13  Q14  Q15  Q16  Q17  Q18  Q19

Q20  Q21  Q22  Q23  Q24  Q25  Q26  Q27  Q28  Q29  Q30  Q31  Q32  Q33  Q34  Q35  Q36  Q37  Q38

Q39  Q40  Q41  Q42  Q43  Q44  Q45  Q46  Q47  Q48  Q49  Q50  Q51  Q52  Q53  Q54  Q55  Q56  Q57

Q58  Q59  Q60  Q61  Q62  Q63  Q64  Q65  Q66  Q67  Q68  Q69  Q70  Q71

V01

Access to passes only for collectors who actively participate in the project. 

Please read carefuly the below Project Description

Obscure American Artists project has been launched to create a library of music recorded by forgotten artists, from 1956 to 1963. To

save obscure artists 1956-63 from oblivion,

in another words. Their recordings are available only on original 45’s. This project is profit free project, created by passionate collectors of old music who decided to contribute their collections. I’m the main contributor, list of 45’s in my collection below,

My collection of 45's updated 10.07.25 (new additions at the bottom)

I would like to thank all contributors of rips from original 45’s: Frank, Roy, Darrell, Gyro, Russ and many others sharing rips with John, who shares next with me. There is also a group of contributors who do not have their own collection of 45’s and shared individual tracks found on the Internet. I would like to say thank you for help so far, but please only rips from original 45’s in the future. Occasionally, very good YouTube copies are used, each is professionally remastered. Overall, big thank you to all YouTubers who post good rips of rare 45's 1956-1963, from own collection.

If you want to share music downloaded in this project, then same copyrights as copyrights to legally issued CDs with rare music older than 60 years*, can be applied:

1.            the sound recording copyright (ripping and remastering technique)

2.            research on artist discographies and acquisition of original material

3.            thematic concept, booklet with artist bios.

* Jasmine, Acrobat, Proper and many other labels

It means, that you can listen, you may not sale or share publicly on the Internet, without authorization.

Previously posted files (detailed track-lists) can be found below this post Observations after five years

CASH BOX LOOKING AHEAD 1959-1963

non-Billboard (all charts); non-Breakout Hits; non- Music Vendor; non-Gavin Report
no re-entries and re-issues, single edits only
392 singles ≈ ¼ of all singles that entered Looking Ahead 1959-1963.

As & Bs - no missing tracks!

NL01  NL02  NL03  NL04  NL05  NL06  NL07  

NL08  NL09  NL10  NL11  NL12  NL13  NL14

NL15  NL16  NL17  NL18  NL19  NL20  NL21

NL22  NL23  NL24  NL25  NL26

Track-list LA

Looking Ahead chart started on October 3, 1959 (with 20 positions) and grew up to 50 positions by April 29, 1961.

MV HIT RECORDS 101-150 1959-1963

non-Billboard (all charts); non-Breakout Hits; non-Gavin Report, non-CB (incl. LA)*

≈ 750 45's (SP or EP) ≈ 70% of all 45's that entered MV 100+ 1959-1963, In majority, from the original 45's (from my record collection). Mono single edits only. 

One 45 (Dennis Day) missing (denoted on the sheet)

Every track is professionally remastered and tagged (see Project Description}. Data are collected from original charts, as printed in Music Vendor = numerous omissions and errors present in Whitburn’s book are rectified.

Links to H01-H50 below.

 

Non-Bill... Hit Records

* On February 23, 1959, Music Vendor magazine introduced “Beat Of The Week - Heading For The Top 100” chart (5-35 entries). This was 15 weeks prior to Billboard introducing its “Bubbling Under” chart. In September of 1962, Music Vendor’s "Heading  For The Top 100" chart grew to 50 positions and changed its name to “Looking Up”. In April of 1964**, Music Vendor became Record World and this chart was retitled “Singles Coming Up”.

H01  H02  H03  H04  H05  H06  H07  H08  H09  H10  H11  H12  H13  H14  H15  H16  H17  H18  H19  H20

H21  H22  H23  H24  H25  H26  H27  H28  H29  H30  H31  H32  H33  H34  H35  H36  H37  H38  H39  H40

H41  H42  H43  H44  H45  H46  H47  H48  H49  H50  H51  H52  H53  H54  H55

** The last issue of Music Vendor was released on the 11^th of April 1964. Track-list for 15 weeks of 1964 below, links to corresponding files (H51-H55) above (no missing tracks).

Non Bill… Hit Records 64

Tracks US Charts 59-63

you can download and sort by charts (column F): Bill, Bill R&B (B), Bill Country (C), Gavin (NG), Breakout Hits (NB), Music Vendor (NV) and Cash Box (N and NL)

Links to already posted non-Billboard Cash Box, Music Vendor, Gavin Report can be found in
non-Bill CB, MV & GR

Links to Territorial and Breakout Hits can be found in

T & BH