This is rather lengthy but I don't think it is 'out of hand.' If you want to see my ‘of of hand’ list, go to a previous answer of mine at:
https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20080124103316AAjYEAv&show=7#profile-info-G8a4J1yCaa
I mostly like the oldies from the birth of R&R in the mid ‘50s to 1970+-
I love the Platters who, in my opinion, was the greatest ballad group ever.
The Platters - Only You (And You Alone)
The Platters - My Prayer
The Platters - (You've Got) The Magic Touch
The Platters - Enchanted
The Platters - Harbor Lights
The Platters - If I Didn't Care
The Platters - I'm Sorry
The Platters – The Great Pretender
The Platters - On My Word Of Honor
The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
The Platters - Twilight Time
The Platters - You'll Never, Never Know
I also like ‘uptempo’ ballads. In this genre’ I like the Drifters:
The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk
The Drifters - Up On The Roof
The Drifters - There Goes My Baby
The Drifters - This Magic Moment
The Drifters - (If You Cry) True Love, True Love
The Drifters - Dance With Me
The Drifters - Fools Fall In Love
The Drifters - I Count The Tears
The Drifters - Move Across The River
The Drifters - On Broadway
The Drifters - Save The Last Dance For Me
The Drifters - Some Kind Of Wonderful
The Drifters - When My Little Girl Is Smiling
Some other of my personal favorite oldies:
Ben E. King - Stand By Me
Bobby Vee – Sharing You
Bobby 'The Polish Prince' Vinton - Please Love Me Forever
Chad & Jeremy - A Summer Song
Dean Martin – I’ll be Seeing You
Dean Martin – In the Misty Moonlight
Dion - Donna The Prima Donna
Dion - Runaround Sue
Dion & The Belmonts - Where Or When
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Big Girls Don't Cry
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Big Man In Town
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Dawn (Go Away)
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Rag Doll
Freddie ‘Boom Boom’ Cannon – Palisades Park
Gene Pitney - Half Heaven Half Heartache
Gene Pitney - It Hurts To Be In Love
Gene Pitney - Only Love Can Break A Heart
Gene Pitney - If I Didn’t Have a Dime
Gene Pitney – Every Breath I Take
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me by Now
Harpers Bizarre - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers - Last Kiss
Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher
Jay & The Americans - Cara Mia
Jimmy Jones - Good Timin'
Jimmy Jones - Handy Man
Jimmy Soul - If You Wanna Be Happy (for the Rest of Your Life, Never Make a Pretty Woman Your Wife)
Johnny Burnette – Dreamin’
Ketty Lester - Love Letters
Lee Andrews & The Hearts - Long Lonely Nights
Lee Andrews & The Hearts - Teardrops
Left Banke - Walk Away Renee
Lenny Welch - Ebb Tide
Lesley Gore - It's My Party
Lesley Gore - Judy's Turn To Cry
Little Peggy March - Hello Heartache, Goodbye Love
Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him
Lloyd Price - Personality
Lou Christie - Lightning Strikes
Lou Christie - Rhapsody In The Rain
Lou Christie - The Gypsy Cried
Lou Christie - Two Faces Have I
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Mary Wells - My Guy
Mason Williams - Classical Gas (instrumental)
Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs - Stay
Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights - Village Of Love
Neil Diamond - Solitary Man
Neil Sedaka - Next Door To An Angel
Neil Sedaka - Oh! Carol
Neil Sedaka - Stairway To Heaven
Nino Tempo & April Stevens - Deep Purple
Paul Revere & The Raiders - Kicks
Percy Faith - Theme From A Summer Place
Peter & Gordon - I Go To Pieces
Peter & Gordon - World Without Love
Phil Phillips & The Twilights - Sea Of Love (the original version)
Question Mark & The Mysterians - 96 Tears
Ral Donner - She's Everything (I Wanted You To Be)
Randy & The Rainbows - Denise
Ricky Nelson - Poor Little Fool
Ron Holden - Love You So
Ron Holden - My Babe
Roy Head & The Traits - Treat Her Right
Roy Orbison - Crying
Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman
Ruby & The Romantics - Our Day Will Come
Sam Cooke - Chain Gang
Sam Cooke - Cupid
Sam The Sham & The Pharohs - Wooly Bully
Santo & Johnny - Sleepwalk
Seals and Crofts - Summer Breeze
Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
Skeeter Davis - The End Of The World
Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense and Peppermints
THEM – Gloria (covered by the Shadows of Knight but this is the original version)
The Angels - My Boyfriend's Back
The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun
The Association - Cherish
The Beach Boys - 409
The Beach Boys - Fun, Fun, Fun
The Beach Boys - You're So Good to Me
The Beau Brummels - Just a Little
The Cadillacs - Speedo
The Capris - There's A Moon Out Tonight
The Cascades - Rhythm of the Rain
The Chantels - Maybe
The Charts - Deserie
The Chiffons - A Love So Fine
The Chiffons - He's So Fine
The Chiffons - One Fine Day
The Chimes - Once in a While
The Cleftones - Heart and Soul
The Clovers - Love Potion No.9
The Contours - Do You Love Me
The Crests - The Angels Listened In
The Crests - Trouble In Paradise
The Critters - Mr. Dieingly Sad
The Critters - Younger Girl
The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron
The Dell-Vikings - Whispering Bells
The Diamonds - Little Darlin'
The Duprees - You Belong To Me
The Earls - Remember Then
The Earls - Never
The Edsels - Rama Lama Ding Dong
The Elegants - Little Star
The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You
The Essex - Easier Said Than Done
The Everly Brothers - Bird Dog
The Exciters - Tell Him
The Five Satins - (I Remember) In the Still of the Night
The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You
The Flamingos - Nobody Loves Me Like You Do
The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
The Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Loving
The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
The Grass Roots - Live For Today
The Heartbeats - A Thousand Miles Away
The Hollies - Look Through Any Window
The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
The Jarmels - A Little Bit of Soap
The Kalin Twins - When
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night
The Kinks-- You Really Got Me
The Lovin' Spoonful - Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind
The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City
The Lovin' Spoonful - What A Day For A Daydream
The Lovin' Spoonful - You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
The Mama's & The Papa's - California Dreamin'
The Mama's & The Papa's - Monday Monday
The Marcels - Blue Moon
The Marcels - Heartaches
The Marvelettes - Beechwood 4-5789
The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman
The Mello-Kings - Tonite, Tonite
The Monotones – Who Wrote the Book of Love
The Murmaids - Popsicles & Icicles
The Mystics - Hushabye
The O'Jays - Love Train
The Outsiders - Time Won't Let Me
The Paradons - Diamonds And Pearls
The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me
The Penguins - Earth Angel
The Rays - Silhouettes
The Regents - Barbara Ann (the original)
The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
The Rivieras - California Sun
The Rocky Fellers - Killer Joe
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
The Royal Teens - Believe Me
The Royal Teens - Short Shorts (written by Bob Gaudio at the age of 15, he later went on to join the Four Seasons and wrote most of the songs for Franki Valli’s unique voice.)
The Safaris - Image of a Girl
The Sandpipers - Come Saturday Morning
The Sandpipers - Guantanamera
The School Boys - Please Say You Want Me
The Searchers - Needles And Pins
The Searchers - Someday We're Gonna Love Again
The Seekers - I'll Never Find Another You
The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack
The Shields - You Cheated
The Shirelles - (You Say...)Tonight's The Night
The Shirelles - I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)
The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow
The Silhouettes - Get A Job
The Sir Douglas Quintet - She's About a Mover
The Skyliners - Since I Don't Have You
The Skyliners - This I Swear
The Spaniels - Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite
The Springfields - Silver Threads and Golden Needles
The Stone Poneys - Different Drum
The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
The Surfaris - Wipeout (instrumental)
The Temptations - My Girl
The Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again
The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
And you can’t forget Patti Page who was the best selling female recording artist in the 1950s:
'The Singin' Rage' Patti Page - Tennessee Waltz
'The Singin' Rage' Patti Page - Old Cape Cod
Also check out the source link for your favorite oldies by year (and lyrics for many) from 1930 to 1999 and how they fared on the Billboard Charts.