“Rock Around the Clock” Debuts – Dale’s Daily Data

He made his first record ‘Candy Kisses’ when he was 18.  He spent four years on the road with a series of country bands.  He worked as a disc jockey under the name ‘The Ramblin’ Yodeler’ and had a regular stint on the radio with his band the Four Aces of Western Swing, but the band’s songs never hit it big.  In the early 50’s, he changed direction and began playing a new upbeat sound that came to be known as rock and roll. 

He recorded a song called “Rock the Joint” that sold 75-thousand copies.   He then did “Crazy Man, Crazy” that became the first rock and roll song to make the Billboard Top 10.  But it was a song he did in 1954 that had the biggest impact on the music industry.  It didn’t do very well when it was first released, barely making the pop charts – spending only one week at number 23.  But one year later it became a monster hit when it was sent to dozens of movie producers with the suggestion they use it in a movie.

And one producer took them up on the offer when he used it as the opening music in the “Blackboard Jungle” – a controversial film about juvenile delinquency. Within days of the movie’s opening sales of the song skyrocketed, selling six-million copies by the end of 1955.

The song climbed to the top of the Billboard charts, becoming the first rock and roll song to reach number one.  It was also featured on the TV show “American Bandstand”.

The artist’s name – Bill Haley.

The song – “Rock Around the Clock”.

It was released on this date, May 10^th in 1954.