10 Bizarre Songs Which Prove That The 1950s Were Crazier Than You Think

You could be forgiven for believing that far-out, experimental and just plain crazy music birthed in the '60s, fuelled by mind-expanding drugs, the merging of Western and far-Eastern cultures and the boundary-pushing adventures of bands such as The Beach Boys and The Beatles. In reality, you might be surprised to learn, the history of unusual audio goes way, way back.

In the 1950s, independent record labels sprang up and closed down almost overnight. Adventurous new recording ‘producers’ (the term had hardly existed before in any meaningful way) and maverick enthusiasts were desperate to get in on the act. This fertile ground, together with the rise of the 45 RPM single format and advances in recording technology, created perfect conditions for musical experimentation.

Look beyond the dreamboats and petticoats and a treasure trove of truly surprising and bizarre songs awaits. Give these ten tracks a listen and the '50s may never seem quite the same again.

This is a dark tale of unknown terror. After finding a nameless ‘thing’ on a beach, the narrator "wanders round for many years, a victim of my fate”, unable to divest himself of the ‘thing’ (represented in the song by two thuds of the bass drum). The music is jolly and upbeat, which only adds to the sinister overtones. Your writer won’t spoil the ending - suffice to say that there’s a moral lesson in here somewhere, even if we’re not sure what it is.

Wonga Philip Harris (yes, that was his christened name) was a big star in radio comedy, recording with Jack Benny, among others, and starring in his own series. You might recognize his voice as that of Baloo the Bear in the classic 1967 Disney version of The Jungle Book.

Records that tell a story, of course, compel us to listen right through to the end, much like a good book, if only to find out the pay-off. This one stands up to repeat listening thanks to its peculiar theme, musical inventiveness and of course, Phil's velvety vocals.