Elvis on Ed Sullivan

We can't leave television of the 50's without noting one of the great events of the decade: Elvis appears on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956:

American Bandstand

There were a lot of variety shows and several talent shows on television during the decade, but there was nothing quite like American Bandstand.

The show hit the national tv scene in 1957. It had originated in Philadelphia in 1950 with a different format and a different host, but by 1956 Dick Clark had taken over as host and the format had come to feature teens dancing to top 40 rock 'n roll. 

The show lost audience to MTV in the 80s and eventually moved to first-run syndication, then to cable. The final show aired on April 8, 1989. The show had a very long run and made Dick Clark a very wealthy man. 

Here's "Let's Go to the Hop" in 1957: