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Fifties

Turkish pop music began in the late 1950s with Turkish cover versions of a wide range of imported popular styles, including rock and roll, tango, and jazz. This wide collection of songs were labelled as "Hafif-batı" (light western) music and included a wide range of artists, such as Frank Sinatra to Doris Day, Nat King Cole to the Everly Brothers, from Elvis Presley to Paul Anka.

The first original Turkish song of this type is credited to Erol Büyükburç in 1958 for his song "Little Lucy" which was released as a 10-inch single known as a taş plak
Turkish society began to undergo significant cultural changes, for example the growth of multi-party democracy in the region. These simultaneous developments aided the growth, development, and increasing popularity of a musical style that was attached to modernity. With the emergence of 7-inch (45 rpm) single records in Turkey soon after, listening and distribution of this type of media was easier and thus the sound became more popular.

Footnote: Dilmener, Naim (2006). Bak Bir Varmış Bir Yokmuş: Hafif Türk Pop Tarihi (Look Once Upon A Time: History of Light Turkish Pop Music). İletişim Yayınevi. ISBN 975-05-0149-7.