Jerry Leiber (1933-2011)

In lieu of a full-fledged appreciation of Jerry Leiber, the lyricist half of Leiber & Stoller, the songwriting team whose incredible string of hit songs from the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s virtually defined the sound of the era, I feel what would be more appropriate is to list a great many of their songs and mention some of the artists who recorded them (There were so many who covered the songs, that would take forever). Leiber, who was 78, is the man pictured at the back in the photo above. The man at the piano is his songwriting partner Mike Stoller. Also, it's worth noting that the team's work inspired one of the more successful "jukebox" musicals on Broadway, Smokey Joe's Cafe. RIP Mr. Leiber.

"Alligator Wine" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 1958)

"Along Came Jones" (The Coasters, 1959)

"Charlie Brown" (The Coasters, 1959)

"Hound Dog" (Elvis Presley, 1956)

"Is That All There Is?" (Leslie Uggams, 1968)

"Jailhouse Rock" (Elvis Presley, 1957)

"Kansas City" (Wilbert Harrison, 1959)

"King Creole" (Elvis Presley, 1958)

"Love Potion No. 9" (The Clovers, 1959)

"Loving You" (Elvis Presley, 1957)

"On Broadway" (The Drifters, 1963)

"Poison Ivy" (The Coasters, 1959)

"Riot in Cell Block #9" (The Robins, 1954)

"Spanish Harlem" (Ben E. King, 1960)

"Stand By Me" (Ben E. King, 1961)

"There Goes My Baby" (The Drifters, 1959)

"Treat Me Nice" (Elvis Presley, 1957)

"Yakety Yak" (The Coasters, 1958)

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