WRFG’s Route 66 celebrates a time when blues, jazz, and R&B were on the same
page and, often, in the same song. Our primary focus is on the music of the
Jump Blues Era of the 1940s which blended into the early Rock & Roll & R&B Era
of the 1950s, and follow on how those styles and artists have evolved over
the years. We also bring you jazz from the era along with the occasional page
from the Great American Songbook.
Listen to Route 66 Sunday from 7:00 to 9:00 A.M. Eastern (U.S.) on
Atlanta’s WRFG 89.3FM. Your independent community radio station is
streaming worldwide over our free mobile app and WRFG.ORG.
Become a WRFG Route 66 Supporter
Follow us on Facebook @ WRFG Route 66 Jumps
Subscribe to our weekly podcast @ MixCloud.Com
Our podcast is not the same as our live show.
You’ll find the one for this week at the bottom of this post.
This week, we count down the Top 10 R&B songs in the U.S. for the first week
of October 1950, then listen to songs that were local or regional hits that week
that didn’t make the national chart. Pay special attention to New Orleans,
where only two national hits were in their Top 10. Besides being fun musically,
this is an example of how different the music scenes were across the country
before music radio took over and blended everything together.
WRFG ROUTE 66 PLAYLIST FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2025
Song
Artist
Original Album or Label & Date
After Hours Bobby Smith & His Orchestra Apollo Records 1950
COUNTDOWN OF NATIONAL R&B TOP TEN
FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 7, 1950
10-(TIE) Deceiving Blues
Blues Little Esther & Mel Walker w/ the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Savoy Records 1950
10-(TIE) Cupid’s Boogie
Little Esther & Mel Walker w/ The Johnny Otis Orchestra
Savoy Records 1950
9-Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere
Joe Morris & His Orchestra w/ Laurie Tate
Atlantic Records 1950
8-Hard Luck Blues
Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men
DeLuxe Records 1950
7-I’ll Never Be Free
Annie Laurie & Paul Gayten & His Orchestra
Regal Records 1950
6-Every Day I Have the Blues
Lowell Fulson
Swingtime Records 1950
5-Pink Champagne
Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers
Specialty Records 1950
4-Love Don’t Love Nobody
Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men
DeLuxe Records 1950
3-Mona Lisa
Nat King Cole
Capitol Records 1950
2-Blue Shadows
Lowell Fulson
Swingtime Records 1949
1-Blue Light Boogie (Parts 1 & 2)
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Decca Records 1950
(HARLEM) Bald Head Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) Mercury Records 1950
(HARLEM) Teardrops from My Eyes Ruth Brown Atlantic Records 1950
(HARLEM) I Need You So Ivory Joe Hunter Atlantic Records 1950
(SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO) My Foolish Heart Gene Ammons Chess Records 1950
(KANSAS CITY) Queen Bee Blues Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson King Records 1950
(KANSAS CITY) Well Oh Well Tiny Bradshaw King Records 1950
COUNTDOWN: TOP 10 R&B SONGS IN NEW ORLEANS
FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 7, 1950
10-Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool
Lionel Hampton w/ Little Jimmy Scott
Decca Records 1950
9-La Vie En Rose
Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Decca Records 1950
8-Sad Feeling
Roy Milton & His Solid Senders
Specialty Records 1950
(Love Don’t Love Nobody – Roy Brown – #7 on national R&B chart)
6-Goodnight Irene
Paul Gayten
Regal Records 1950
5-Story To Tell
Big Joe Turner
Imperial Records 1950
4-Sometime
The Ink Spots
Decca Records 1950
(Blue Shadows – Lowell Fulson – #3 on national R&B chart)
2-I’m Yours To Keep
Herb Fisher & His Trio
Modern Records 1950
1-Boogie Rambler
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Peacock Records 1950
(HOUSTON) Failing By Degrees Jimmy Witherspoon Modern Records 1950
(HOUSTON) Oo Wee Baby Peppermint Harris Sittin’ In With Records 1950
(HOUSTON) My Temper Is Risin’ Roy Hawkins Modern Records 1950
(LOS ANGELES) Stack-A-Lee Archibald Imperial Records 1950
(LOS ANGELES) Besame Mucho The Ray-O-Vacs Decca Records 1950
(LOS ANGELES) Please Send Me Someone To Love
Percy Mayfield
Specialty Records 1950
(sign off)
Tag (You’re It) Little Charlie & The Nightcats Nine Lives 2025
PLAYLIST FOR THIS WEEK’S PODCAST
My Foolish Heart – Gene Ammons
Deceiving Blues – Little Esther & Mel Walker w/ the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Cupid’s Boogie – Little Esther & Mel Walker w/ The Johnny Otis Orchestra
Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere – Joe Morris & His Orchestra w/ Laurie Tate
Hard Luck Blues – Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men
I’ll Never Be Free – Annie Laurie & Paul Gayten & His Orchestra
Every Day I Have the Blues – Lowell Fulson
Pink Champagne – Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers
Love Don’t Love Nobody – Roy Brown
Mona Lisa – Nat King Cole
Blue Shadows – Lowell Fulson
Blue Light Boogie (Parts 1 & 2) – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five w/ Bill Doggett
Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool – Lionel Hampton w/ Little Jimmy Scott
La Vie En Rose – Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Sad Feeling – Roy Milton & His Solid Senders
Goodnight Irene – Paul Gayten
Story To Tell – Big Joe Turner
Sometime – The Ink Spots
I’m Yours To Keep – Herb Fisher & His Trio
Boogie Rambler – Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Tag (You’re It) – Little Charlie & The Nightcats
WRFG Route 66 