Y
1959
1959 in British Music
The day the music died: Buddy Holly's passing casts a shadow as the 50s close.
Key Events
- •Buddy Holly dies in plane crash — a generation mourns
- •Cliff Richard and The Shadows define the clean-cut British rock image
- •The first woman to produce a UK #1 herself: Alma Cogan
Dominant Genres
Rock & RollPopJazzInstrumental
Notable Trends
- →Instrumental guitar groups rise in popularity
- →The Shadow's clean guitar sound sets a template
- →American teen idols (Fabian, Bobby Rydell) find UK audiences