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 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.
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Subscribe to our weekly podcast @ MixCloud.Com
You’ll find the one for this week at the bottom of this post.
For our first show of 2026, we countdown the top R&B songs in
Los Angeles for this week in 1951.
WRFG ROUTE 66 PLAYLIST FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026
Song
Artist
Original Album or Label & Date
Red Boy At The Mardi Gras Todd Rhodes Sensation Records 1949
COUNTDOWN: TOP 10 R&B SONGS ON CENTRAL AVENUE, LOS ANGELES
JANUARY 1951
Cash Box Magazine
10-The Sun Went Down
T-Bone Walker
Imperial Records 1950
9-Rockin’ Blues
Mel Walker w/ The Johnny Otis Orchestra
Savoy Records 1951
8-Back Breaking Blues
Big Joe Turner
Aladdin Records 1950
7-Old Time Shuffle Blues
Lloyd Glenn w/ The Fulson Unit (Lowell Fulson)
Swing Time Records 1950
6-Telephone Blues
Floyd Dixon & Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers w/ Oscar Moore
Aladdin Records 1950
5-Every Night About This Time
Fats Domino
Imperial Records 1950
4-Please Send Me Someone To Love
Percy Mayfield
Specialty Records 1950
3-Bad, Bad Whiskey
Amos Milburn & His Aladdin Chickenshackers
Aladdin Records 1950
2-Teardrops from My Eyes
Ruth Brown
Atlantic Records 1950
1-Once There Lived A Fool
Jimmy Grissom
Recorded in Hollywood Records 1951
Every Breath You Take Deborah Silver & Count Basie Orchestra Basie Rocks 2025
Birth of the Blues Ray Charles w/ Count Basie Genius + Soul = Jazz 1961
That Lucky Old Sun Louis Armstrong Decca Records 1949
Those Things Money Can’t Buy The King Cole Trio Capitol Records 1947
I Don’t Want Your Money Honey Frantic Fay Thomas Exclusive Records 194
She Winked Her Eye Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown Peacock Records 1951
Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens Lamont Cranston Band (self-titled) 1976
Hastings Street Bounce Paul Williams Sextette Savoy Records 1947
Boogie’s The Thing Roomful Of Blues Steppin’ Out 2025
Riding High Roy Brown De Luxe Records 1949
TV Is The Thing This Year Dianne Reeves Good Night & Good Luck 2005
Blind Love B.B. King R.P.M. Records 1953
Take The “A” Train Ella Fitzgerald …Sings The Duke Ellington Songbook 195
Queen Bee Blues Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson King Records 1950
Time Out For Tears Dinah Washington Mercury Records 1950
Happy Blues Lynwood Slim & Junior Watson Back to Back 2010
It’s Nothing Charles Brown Aladdin Records 1949
Caldonia Boogie Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five Decca Records 1945
Marijuana Julia Lee & Her Boy Friends Premier Records 1945
You’ve Got What It Takes Ledisi w/Gregory Porter For Dinah 2025
(sign off)
Tag (You’re It) Little Charlie & The Nightcats Nine Lives 2005
WRFG Route 66 