December 1, 1992, Life published a special issue to celebrate 40 years of Rock & Roll. They decided that rock was born at the Moondog Coronation Ball in Cleveland on March 21, 1952. They picked 5 songs for each year since then, and added one album from 1955 and onwards.
Thanks to Anders Edlund for supplying this list.
1952
• Have mercy, baby Dominoes
• Lawdy Miss Clawdy Lloyd Price
• My song Johnny Ace
• One mint Julep Clovers
• Night train Jimmy Forrest
1953
• Hound dog Willie Mae Thornton
• Money honey Clovers
• Crying in the chapel Orioles
• Mama, he treats your daughter mean Ruth Brown
• Crazy man crazy Bill Haley and his Comets
1954
• Sh-boom Chords
• Pledging my love Johnny Ace
• Work with me Annie Hank Ballard and The Midnighters
• Honey love Drifters & Clyde McPhatter
• Shake, rattle and roll Joe Turner
1955
• Maybellene Chuck Berry
• Only you Platters
• Earth angel Penguins
• Tweedlee dee LaVern Baker
• Speedoo Cadillacs
• Album - Rock around the clock Bill Haley and His Comets
1956
• Why do fools fall in love Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
• In the still of the night Five Satins
• Tutti frutti Little Richard
• Blueberry hill Fats Domino
• Don’t be cruel/Hound dog Elvis Presley
• Album - Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley
1957
• That’ll be the day Buddy Holly & the Crickets
• You Send Me Sam Cooke
• Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on Jerry Lee Lewis
• Searchin’ Coasters
• Bye bye love Everly Brothers
• Album - Loving you - Elvis Presley
1958
• I wonder why Dion & The Belmonts
• Tears on my pillow Little Anthony & The Imperials
• Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry
• Lonely teardrops Jackie Wilson
• Summertime blues Eddie Cochran
• Album - Ricky - Ricky Nelson
1959
• A teenager in love Dion & The Belmonts
• Kansas city Wilbert Harrison
• There goes my baby Drifters
• Donna/La bamba Ritchie Valens
• Sixteen candles Crests
• Album - Kingston Trio At Large - The Kingston Trio
1960
• I’m sorry Brenda Lee
• Teen angel Mark Dinning
• Theme from "A summer place" Percy Faith
• Only the lonely Roy Orbison
• Stay Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
• Album - G.I. blues - Elvis Presley
1961
• Hit the road jack Ray Charles
• Bristol stomp Dovells
• Please Mr. Postman Marvelettes
• Blue moon Marcels
• Runaway Del Shannon
• Album - Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley
1962
• Big girls don’t cry Four Seasons
• He’s a rebel Crystals
• You've really got a hold on me Smokey Robinson & Miracles
• Duke of Earl Gene Chandler
• Twist and shout Isley Brothers
• Album - Doin' the Twist (Recorded live at the Peppermint Lounge) Joey Dee and His Starliters
1963
• Fingertips (part 2) Little Stevie Wonder
• Be my baby Ronettes
• Surf city Jan & Dean
• He's so fine Chiffons
• Louie louie Kingsmen
• Album - Live at the Apollo, volume 2 - James Brown
1964
• My guy Mary Wells
• I get around Beach Boys
• The house of the rising sun Animals
• You really got me Kinks
• Baby love Supremes
• Album - Meet the Beatles! - Beatles
1965
• Yesterday Beatles
• Turn! Turn! Turn! Byrds
• My girl Temptations
• My generation Who
• Like a rolling stone Bob Dylan
• Album - Out of our heads - Rolling Stones
1966
• The sounds of silence Simon & Garfunkel
• Last train to Clarksville Monkees
• Good vibrations Beach Boys
• When a man loves a woman Percy Sledge
• Reach out, I’ll be there Four Tops
• Album - Blonde on blonde - Bob Dylan
1967
• The letter Box Tops
• Light my fire Doors
• Dance to the music Sly & Family Stone
• Respect Aretha Franklin
• White rabbit Jefferson Airplane
• Album - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles
1968
• (Sittin’ on) The dock of the bay Otis Redding
• Sunshine of your love Cream
• Born to be wild Steppenwolf
• I heard it through the grapewine Marvin Gaye
• Hey Jude Beatles
• Album - Axis: bold as love & Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix
1969
• Aquarius / Let the sunshine in Fifth Dimension
• Up on Cripple creek Band
• Honky tonk women Rolling Stones
• Bad moon rising Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Evil ways Santana
• Album - Abbey road - Beatles
1970
• Lola Kinks
• Tears of a clown Smokey Robinson & Miracles
• Fire and rain James Taylor
• Woodstock Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• Moondance Van Morrison
• Album - Bridge over troubled water - Simon & Garfunkel
1971
• Maggie May Rod Stewart
• Layla Derek and the Dominos
• Me & Bobby McGee Janis Joplin
• Stairway To Heaven Led Zeppelin
• What’s going on? Marvin Gaye
• Album - Tapestry - Carole King
1972
• American pie Don McLean
• Heart Of Gold Neil Young
• Superstition Stevie Wonder
• Doctor my eyes Jackson Browne
• Sail away Randy Newman
• Album - Exile on main street - Rolling Stones
1973
• Frankenstein Edgar Winter Group
• Walk on the wild side Lou Reed
• Midnight train to Georgia Gladys Knight & the Pips
• Angie Rolling Stones
• Love train O'Jays
• Album - Dark side of the moon - Pink Floyd
1974
• Sweet home Alabama Lynard Skynard
• Takin’ care of business Bachman Turner Overdrive
• Rikki don't lose that number Steely Dan
• Best of my love Eagles
• Help me Joni Mitchell
• Album - Greatest hits - Elton John
1975
• One of these nights Eagles
• You're no good Linda Ronstadt
• Bohemian rhapsody Queen
• Fame David Bowie
• No Woman, No Cry Bob Marley & Wailers
• Album - Born to run - Bruce Springsteen
1976
• Show me the way Peter Frampton
• 50 ways to leave your lover Paul Simon
• Crazy on you Heart
• She’s gone Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Lowdown Boz Scaggs
• Album - Songs in the key of life - Stevie Wonder
1977
• Hotel California Eagles
• Night Moves Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band
• Walk this way Aerosmith
• Fly like an eagle Steve Miller
• More than a feeling Boston
• Album - Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
1978
• Psycho Killer Talking Heads
• Breakdown Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• Just the way you are Billy Joel
• Watching The Detectives Elvis Costello
• Paradise by the dashboard light Meat Loaf
• Album - Saturday night fever - Original Movie Soundtrack
1979
• Roxanne Police
• Sultans of swing Dire Straits
• Bad girls Donna Summer
• What a fool believes Doobie Brothers
• Is she really going out with him? Joe Jackson
• Album - The long run - Eagles
1980
• Call me Blondie
• Brass in pocket Pretenders
• Another brick in the wall (part 2) Pink Floyd
• Hungry Heart Bruce Springsteen
• Against the wind Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
• Album - Zenyatta Mondatta - Police
1981
• Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes
• Shake it up Cars
• Our lips are sealed Go-Go’s
• Slow hand Pointer Sisters
• Keep On Loving You REO Speedwagon
• Album - Double fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
1982
• I love rock’n’roll Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
• Up where we belong Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
• Rock the Casbah Clash
• Don’t you want me Human League
• Who can it be now? Men at Work
• Album - American fool - John Cougar
1983
• Sweet dreams (Are made of this) Eurythmics
• Every breath you take Police
• Little red Corvette Prince
• White wedding Billy Idol
• Let’s dance David Bowie
• Album - Thriller - Michael Jackson
1984
• What’s love got to do with it? Tina Turner
• Girls just want to have fun Cyndi Lauper
• Like a virgin Madonna
• Jump! Van Halen
• Missing you John Waite
• Album - Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
1985
• The power of love Huey Lewis & the News
• We are the world USA for Africa
• Money for nothing Dire Straits
• I want to know what love is Foreigner
• Say you, say me Lionel Richie
• Album - No jacket required - Phil Collins
1986
• The way it is Bruce Hornsby & the Range
• Addicted to love Robert Palmer
• Kiss Prince & the Revolution
• How will I know Whitney Houston
• Higher love Steve Winwood
• Album - Graceland - Paul Simon
1987
• (I’ve had ) The time of my life Jennifer Warnes & Bill Medley
• Bad Michael Jackson
• Livin' On A Prayer Bon Jovi
• Luka Suzanne Vega
• La Bamba Los Lobos
• Album - The Joshua tree - U2
1988
• Fast car Tracy Chapman
• New sensation INXS
• Wishing well Terence Trent D’Arby
• Sweet child o’ mine Guns n’ Roses
• Love bites Def Leppard
• Album - Faith - George Michael
1989
• Straight up Paula Abdul
• Fight the power Public Enemy
• Thing called love Bonnie Raitt
• She drives me crazy Fine Young Cannibals
• Wild thing Tone-Lôc
• Album - Like a prayer - Madonna
1990
• Nothing compares 2 u Sinead O’Connor
• Epic Faith No More
• Vision of love Mariah Carey
• Wicked game Chris Isaak
• Pump up the jam Technotronic feat. Felly
• Album - Please Hammer d'ont hurt 'em - M.C. Hammer
1991
• Enter sandman Metallica
• Smells like teen spirit Nirvana
• Unbelievable EMF
• Gonna make you sweat C & C Music Factory
• Losing My Religion R.E.M.
• Album - Use your illusion 1 & 2 - Guns N' Roses
