Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets 1954

Bill Haley and His Comets 1954 release of “Rock Around the Clock“ reached #1 in 1956. It is widely considered to be the song that, more than any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture around the world, and established itself as an anthem for the rebellious 1950’s youth. The original recording of the song occurred in 1953 by Sonny Dae and His Knights. The melody of the song bears a strong resemblance to a Hank Williams 1947 song “Move It On Over“. Haley’s version had already sold millions of records by the time he appeared on American Bandstand in 1960. It was also the first rock & roll song to appear in a movie - Blackboard Jungle (1955). “Rock Around The Clock“ is widely considered the top traditional rock & roll song of the 20th Century and is ranked #159 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Haley is in the R&R Hall of Fame, and the song is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.