The infectious thumping rhythm, that unique upright bass thud, the exhilarating guitar solos that cut through it all … rockabilly is quite simply, the greatest music in the world. Well… let’s rock with the Vintage Rock Top 101 Rockabilly Tracks!
Start searching for the crème de la crème of rockabilly tracks from the 50s and early 60s and the further down you dig the harder it gets. Such was the intense difficulty of the task that the Vintage Rock team set themselves with this definitive list of 101 rockabilly classics, that on a different day this list could have looked very different indeed. There are just so many exemplary examples of the rockabilly sound – from chart-topping mainstays to deeply-buried treasures, emanating from right across the length and breadth of the United States during that period – and a fair few good ’uns from the UK.
For starters, in this list you will find a plenitude of recordings to have come out of Sam Phillips’ celebrated Sun Records studio in Memphis, from the well-known Sun standards made by artists like Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Billy Riley and Elvis through to lesserknown morsels from those that sunk below the radar such as Ray Smith, Jimmy Wages and Dick Penner, much of it unissued at the time and brought to fruition by the revival of the late 70s and 80s – but all of it priceless listening for the devout rockabilly fan. Of course, there’s plenty from the wider realm beyond Sun too, including pioneers such as Sid King, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly, plus the ultimate purveyors of raw primal greaser rock: Johnny Burnette and the Rock’n’Roll Trio.
Rockin’ Treasures
On top of that we’ve tried to shine a light on some of the lesser-known artists that missed the boat for some reason or other, but could easily have been giants of the scene. Add the oft-overlooked cast of exceptionally talented female rockers, from the luckier ones – namely Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin – that got some attention, and on to those that were either denied the further exposure they clearly deserved, or worse, ignored altogether. Whether it’s Sparkle Moore’s playful sounds or Barbara Pittman’s booming rock, we give them their rightful plaudits here.
One thing that has arisen from this project: if any fan of rockabilly has a little spare time on their hands to conduct a similar list, we heartily recommend the endeavour. There’s a vast array of incredible music out there, and beyond the pillars of the scene there’s a litany of genius: works that reflect the rebellious, raucous cultural shift of the time. We guarantee you’ll find gems you haven’t heard before. Take the trip and you won’t regret it – and be sure to send us your personal rundowns!
In the meantime, get online or plug in your turntable, turn up your stereo and work your way through this playlist of rockabilly classics from the golden era. Enjoy!
Words Rik Flynn
Top 101 Rockabilly Tracks
101 STUTTERIN’ PAPA – BUCK GRIFFIN
Utilising a speech disorder as a hook was fine for the times, but Buck Griffin’s rocking mainstay did little to trouble the charts on release. He tried his luck on Lin with Let’s Elope Baby, before signing with MGM and cutting this gem.
100 MISS PEARL – JIMMY WAGES
This unissued Sun cut made by Tennessean Jimmy Wages in 1957 harbours some wonderfully coarse vocals (albeit with troubling lyrics), augmented by various sessioneers providing the unique urgency heard in much of Sun’s early output.
99 MOVE BABY MOVE – DICK PENNER
Dick Penner and Wade Moore met at North Texas State University, and when fellow student Roy Orbison found success with their track Ooby Dooby, they too signed with Sun. Penner’s solo recording of Move Baby Move was unearthed in 2005.
98 WELCOME TO THE CLUB – JEAN CHAPEL
Jean Chapel’s sole release on Sun was this jazz-flecked slice of sunny rockabilly. A sea change for Jean, who initially sung hillbilly alongside her sisters, this cover of Mae Boren Axton’s song announced her updated persona. 1957’s Oo-Ba La Baby is another great example.
97 LOVE MY BABY – HAYDEN THOMPSON
Thrifty guitar work underpins this effortless re-run of Junior Parker’s 1953 Sun side. Thompson was another Sun alumnus and this top drawer example of primal rockabilly features members of Billy Riley’s Little Green Men as well as the piano strokes of Jerry Lee Lewis.
96 SCHOOL OF ROCK’N’ROLL – GENE SUMMERS AND HIS REBELS
Rattling, raucous charm from obscure Dallas rocker Gene Summers, whose recordings grew in stature with the rockabilly revival of the early 70s. This tasty morsel was written by band-member James McClung and was issued by Jan Records on 1 February 1958.
95 LONG BLOND HAIR, RED ROSE LIPS – JOHNNY POWERS
This 1957 single is one of two released by East Detroit hotshot Johnny Powers on Fox, a teenage rocker given his nickname from a PowerHouse candy bar he was seen eating in the studio. The track was recorded with lead guitarist Stan Getz and the Tom Cats in support.
94 WAKE ME UP – NORMAN WITCHER
At the obscurer end of things, Norman Witcher released this top-class double-decker in 1958, his sole release through Indiana independent Poor Boy. A-side Somebody’s Been Rockin My Boat is another catalogue highlight making this 45 well worth adding to your playlists.
93 GO CAT GO – BILL FLAGG
The first track recorded by Flagg at his debut session is considered to be one of the first pioneering rockabilly records with its hillbilly stylings cross-fertilising seamlessly with rock’n’roll. Although Flagg later signed a contract with MGM, he chose to retire into family life and left the world wondering what if?
92 HENRIETTA – JIMMY DEE AND THE OFFBEATS
Jimmy Dee’s Henrietta is one of the wilder waxings in this listing.with its growling guitar motif ably supported by the rawest of rhythms, booming sax, and Dee’s pleading vocal. Dot bought the original TNT recording and took this to No.47 in 1958.
91 LITTLE BLONDE GIRL – DON FRENCH
Don French recorded just two records for George Goldner’s Lancer label in 1959, this slinky rocker being the pick of the four sides. French was unable to continue the success of his minor debut hit Lonely Saturday Night and this record disappeared without a trace.
90 COME ON LITTLE MAMA – RAY HARRIS
Ray Harris formed a group with friend Wayne Powers and together they auditioned this track for Fernwood and Meteor, before their final audition at Sun, for whom they cut the song on June 1956. Described by Billboard as ‘extreme’, the record was a strong local seller.
89 GONNA ROCK MY BABY TONIGHT – LAURA LEE PERKINS
Rockabilly Hall Of Famer Laura Lee Perkins had but one solitary recording session in February 1958, producing a track that bristled with promise. Boosting her gigantic personality in that session were Ricky Nelson’s band.
88 SKULL & CROSS BONES – SPARKLE MOORE
Signed to Fraternity Records, Sparkle Moore had a vivacious musical style reflected in her coordinately loud dress sense. Her liberally hiccupping vocal style is on display on both sides of this rocking debut 45. A-side Rock-A-Bop is a top tune, but we’ve plumped for the flip.
87 ROCK BOPPIN’ BABY – EDWIN BRUCE
This heavily echoed side came from singer and actor Edwin Bruce, who was just 17 when he tried his luck at Sun with a demo. Sam Phillips and engineer Jack Clement liked the cut of his jib and soon Bruce was back at the studio where he laid down this, his debut Sun single.
86 RUBY PEARL – JACKIE LEE COCHRAN
After serving in the Air Force, Jackie Cochran bagged a spot on Big “D” Jamboree, morphed into “Jack The Cat” and moved from Sims to Decca. Cochran’s first and only o. ering for the label was this 1956 single backed by Mama Don’t You Think I Know.
85 SLOW DOWN – JACK EARLS
Slow Down was Jack Earls’ only single on Sun. Jack wrote all four of the songs recorded at the 1955 Sun session, but his single suffered, competing with the likes of Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Thankfully, the revival ensured this eventually gained the attention it deserved.
84 YAH! I’M MOVIN’ – JIMMY PATTON
From rodeo rider to muso, Jimmy Patton recorded some hillbilly sides and was another to tread the boards on Big “D” Jamboree, before moving on to rockabilly. Note the irresistible marriage of guitar ace Roy Lanham and Freddie Haynes’ deft touch on the ivories.
83 THREE ALLEY CATS – ROY HALL
Hall began his career backing up original Opry legend “The Dixie Dewdrop” Uncle Dave Mason on piano. This solid rocker came out of several Nashville sessions for Decca, cut with the help of elite musicians including ever-present guitarists Hank Garland and Grady Martin.
82 I GOT THE BUG – KENNY OWEN
This lesser-spun wonder is so obscure its recording remains a mystery. What we do know is that Owens was another to hail from Arkansas and that this wellregarded item was released in 1958 on Poplar, the New York label set up by The Clovers’ manager Lou Krefitz.
81 HOT ROCK – JOHNNY CARROLL
Carroll could hardly contain himself in this yelping side recorded at Owen Bradley’s Nashville studio. Johnny went from fronting The Texas Moonlighters to a contract with Decca that gave him access to some of Nashville’s finest sessionmen.
80 TEN CATS DOWN – THE MILLER SISTERS
The Miller Sisters first cut the country swinger Someday You Will Pay in 1955, followed by the fiddle-happy There’s No Right Way To Do Me Wrong. But it was this next offering that struck a chord, Ten Cats Down highlighting the sisters’ signature dual harmonies.
79 LOVE CHARMS – RAY STANLEY
Featuring Eddie Cochran moonlighting on the electric guitar, this hypnotic waxing released on Zephyr in 1957 came from songwriter Ray Stanley. He eventually moved into the business side of things with Sherman Publishing and Liberty Records offshoot, Freedom.
78 ALL THE TIME – SLEEPY LABEEF
Standing at 6’ 7”, Sleepy is a giant in more ways than one. He was a big fan of gospel and cut his debut side for Starday in 1957, followed by this highly-respected offering. Sleepy has been recording ever since and still continues to wow audiences to this day.
77 CAT TALK – LEW WILLIAMS
Lew Williams is another largely lost to the ether had a few rockabilly fan circles not kept his flame alive, and this is a prime cut from his eight recordings made for Imperial in the 50s. Another to cut his teeth in country, Williams slipped into rockabilly and it proved a perfect fit.
76 BOP-A-LENA – RONNIE SELF
By all accounts, Self was the archetypal youth rebel, often getting himself in trouble with music as a much needed outlet. This track stalled at No.63, perhaps understandable considering its inescapable rawness – it was Self’s only chart placing.
75 SLIP, SLIP, SLIPPIN’ IN – EDDIE BOND AND THE STOMPERS
Despite never having a hit, original Memphis rocker Eddie Bond was a great performer in his own right. This masterclass in rockabilly guitar secured touring slots with Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Other worthy Bond cuts include his cover of Rockin’ Daddy and Flip Flop Mama.
74 HONEY BUN – LARRY DONN
Attracted by the red hot rockin’ sounds of Sonny Burgess and Elvis, Larry Donn earned entrance into the hallowed walls of Sun studio while still in his teens. He cut this stomper for Vaden in March 1959 at KLCD Radio in Arkansas. Fellow rocker Teddy Redell sat in on piano.
73 LINDA LU – RAY SHARPE
Look to the origins of rockabilly and you’ll find a wave of black R&B artists, but Ray Sharpe stands as an anomaly as a “black rockabilly”. Linda Lu was the flip on his first single but DJs soon drew attention away from the cornier Red Sails In The Sunset, helping this to No.46 in the pop charts.
72 I GOT A ROCKET IN MY POCKET – JIMMY LLOYD
Jimmy Lloyd seamlessly straddled both the hillbilly/honky tonk and rockabilly arenas and this rocker, issued by Roulette in 1958 under a pseudonym put in place to hide his identity from country audiences, illustrates his aptitude for the latter.
71 HOP, SKIP AND JUMP – THE COLLINS KIDS
Whistle Bait, Hoy Hoy, Just Because and Mercy are all hard to fault, but our pick from the talented brother-sister duo is this fiery rocker, penned by the siblings. The marriage of the pair’s vocal harmonies and Larry’s prodigious guitar is impossible to dislike.
70 BANG BANG – JANIS AND HER BOYFRIENDS
One of the few female rockers of the 50s to properly surface, Janis Martin cut several vital rockabilly sides in her short tenure behind the mic. By 11, Martin was on the radio and sharing stages with country stars. A love of R&B led to rockabilly and this seismic offering on RCA.
69 JITTERBOP BABY – HAL HARRIS
This infectious oak-toned rocker from Alabama rockabilly Hal Harris was made all the better by his exceptional abilities with a six-string. This track remained in the vaults until the late 70s when Ace finally unearthed it and gave it the full treatment.
68 HOT DOG! THAT MADE HIM MAD – WANDA JACKSON
For her first attempt at rock, I Gotta Know, Wanda dispensed with all things country and set out her stall as a powerhouse of attitude. Her second 45 for Capitol hit rockabilly gold and gave women a mighty voice in the genre.
67 TONGUE-TIED JILL – CHARLIE FEATHERS
Sam Phillips wouldn’t release this track, worried about the repercussions of a song about a girl with a speech impediment, but Meteor had no such concerns. Tongue-Tied Jill quickly became the label’s best-seller and gave Feathers a leg up the ladder.
66 UBANGI STOMP – WARREN SMITH
Smith’s second Sun single detailing a jam session in the Congo has since become a classic in spite of its stew of racist stereotypes in the lyrics. Despite his clear suitability to the rockabilly sound, nothing really stuck for Warren and he eventually found success in the country field.
65 BLUE JEANS AND A BOYS’ SHIRT – GLEN GLENN
Glenn Glen had a unique vocal styling and character, a rock coloratura that shifted from a smooth tenor to Presley-esque classic rockabilly. He knocked it all on the head far too early, but this breezy song made a mark in the 70s.
64 HE WILL COME BACK TO ME – ALIS LESLEY
Chicago-born greaser Alis Lesley found her feet on Phoenix radio and soon reached national acclaim with this excellent Era waxing. Both sides are great but we’re leaning towards the slinky, doo-wop-augmented A that featured some fine frettery from Roy Buchanan.
63 SAG, DRAG AND FALL – SID KING & THE FIVE STRINGS
High school boys Sid King and his band blended hillbilly swing and boppin’ R&B to mould a roots rockabilly sound that quickly found them signed to Columbia. Cut in 1955, Sag, Drag And Fall humorously traced Big Joe Turner’s Flip, Flop And Fly to pioneering effect.
62 I’M READY – HANK MIZELL
This driving rockabilly capriccio had a nice western edge, lifted by guitarist James Bobo’s taut backing harmonies. Casual fans may know Hank Mizell for the shuffling Jungle Rock that failed despite two releases at the time, but was reborn when Charly took it to UK No.3 in 1976.
61 STUTTERIN’ CINDY – CHARLIE FEATHERS
Issued through Sam Phillips’ brother Tom Philwood’s label, this was cut in 1968 at Select-O-Hit Studios in Memphis. Feather’s infectious rhythmic hiccups trace an unusual guitar riff throughout and Marcus Van Story’s slap bass is utterly phenomenal.
60 RIGHT BEHIND YOU BABY – RAY SMITH
Ray Smith was “the most intense person” Sam Phillips ever recorded. For Carl Perkins he was “a man who had as much to do with the foundation of rockabilly music as anybody”. Of his five Sun sessions, this 45 was the only one to find release.
59 ALL MAMA’S CHILDREN – CARL PERKINS
So good we named our magazine’s front section after it. Carl wrote this raw missive himself and cut it with brothers Jay and Clayton in March 1956. It arrived on the flipside to Boppin’ The Blues. This failed to ignite the charts but has since become a classic.
58 ROCKIN’ AND A ROLLIN’ – SONNY FISHER
Recorded in Houston in summer 1955 with Joey Long offering his six-string expertise and some pumping bass from an unknown, this carefree Starday 45 remained unsung in its time but is another now included as a solid staple in the canon.
57 BLACK SLACKS – JOE BENNETT AND THE SPARKLETONES
Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones were a bit of an anomaly. All middle-class, church-going teens, they were spotted at a talent contest. This hit the Billboard Top 20, leading to a spot on Ed Sullivan’s TV show.
56 WILL YOU, WILLYUM – JANIS MARTIN
Virginia-born Janis Martin first performed this on the state’s country broadcast, Old Dominion Barn Dance. Barely into her teens, Martin inked a deal with RCA, was dubbed the “Female Elvis”, and cut this deliciously brisk rocker in the label’s Nashville studios.
55 DRAGGIN – CURTIS GORDON
Early on in his career, in 1953, Gordon waxed rockabilly prototype Rompin’ And Stompin’. This flighty ode to burning rubber was issued via Mercury in 1956. The excellent Mobile, Alabama was also cut during this Music City studio session.
54 OOBY DOOBY – ROY ORBISON
Roy’s early days in the rockabilly mould didn’t last long, but when his school band became The Teen Kings this demo soon went out on Jel-Wel, before being re-cut at Sun’s Memphis studio. Some neat guitar soloing here, also from Roy himself.
53 GET RHYTHM – JOHNNY CASH & THE TENNESSEE TWO
Originally recorded in 1956 and released as the B-side to I Walk The Line, Get Rhythm focuses on the plight of a shoeshine boy who he encourages to get rhythm to overcome his mundane occupation… fine career advice coming from The Man In Black, with his catalogue of songs about guns and shooting people.
52 ROCK’N’ROLL RUBY – WARREN SMITH
Smith cut his teeth in Memphis with the Snearly Ranch Boys, which is where Sam Phillips and Johnny Cash first saw him perform. Quickly signed up to Sun, it was with debut single Rock’n’Roll Ruby – a song given to him by Cash – that Smith found local success in 1956.
51 OH! SUZIE-Q – DALE HAWKINS
This classic from 1957 made Hawkins one of the first white artists to be released by Chess/Checker Records and perhaps has more in common with the swamp-blues tradition of the South than rockabilly per se, but we’re putting it in anyway ‘cause we love it.
50 RED BLUE JEANS AND A PONYTAIL – GENE VINCENT
There’s nothing like listening to Gene howling while Clipp Gallup tears it up on the guitar. This session resulted in the complete transformation of Nashville hit songwriter Jack Rhodes’ tune, into electrified rock. Oooo-eeee!
49 BAREFOOT BABY – JANIS MARTIN
Not the strongest lyrics in the rockabilly canon, but this smooth o. ering from Virginia’s queen bee, recorded at RCA’s Manhattan studio and produced by RCA mainman Steve Sholes, is ambrosial stuff, in part thanks to some sublime piano-tinkling from Shorty Long.
48 THE WAY I WALK – JACK SCOTT WITH THE CHANTONES
Scott wrote his own from the get-go and when ABC cottoned on they released his demo of Baby She’s Gone in 1957. The equally riotous Two-Timin’ Woman followed but sales slumped. It wasn’t until Scott’s self-proclamation of cool on Carlton in 1959 that he made the Top 40.
47 ROCKIN’ DADDY – SONNY FISHER
Known as “The Wildman from Texas”, Sonny Fisher cut this for Starday in January 1955 at Gold Star Studios abetted by the talents of guitarist Joey Long. Memphisian rockabilly Eddie Bond would later record a decent version aided by another ace guitarist, Reggie Young.
46 HONEY HUSH – JOHNNY BURNETTE AND THE ROCK’N’ROLL TRIO
Big Joe Turner’s blues behemoth has been given the rock’n’roll treatment by many, but the Trio take it somewhere else entirely. Its misogynistic subject matter is unforgivable, but there’s no denying its status as a rockbilly classic.
45 BOTTLE TO THE BABY – CHARLIE FEATHERS
Feathers learnt to play from hypno-bluesman Junior Kimborough and forged a primal sound out of a palette of hillbilly and country blues. He found more success with Tongue Tied Jill on Meteor, before a tenure at King that brought about this celebrated side.
44 FLYING SAUCER ROCK’N’ROLL – BILLY LEE RILEY AND HIS LITTLE GREEN MEN
Multi-instrumentalist Billy Lee should have been massive, but in the shadow of golden boy Jerry Lee Lewis – who played piano here – it was always going to be a tough ride. This is anthemic rockabilly at its finest.
43 DRINKIN’ WINE, SPO-DEE- O-DEE – JOHNNY BURNETTE AND THE ROCK’N’ROLL TRIO
Many have taken on Sticks McGhee’s blues co-write since Harlem’s 1947 version, but none come close to this savage interpretation. The original is now considered an important precursor to rock’n’roll.
42 ROCKIN’ BONES – RONNIE DAWSON
Ronnie Dawson hit the ground running when he first appeared with his band on Dallas’ Big “D” Jamboree and debut single Action Packed followed soon after. His second single, with slinky guitar refrain framing that addictive boyish tenor, is “The Blond Bomber” in full effect.
41 I NEED A MAN – BARBARA PITTMAN
It took Barbara Pittman several attempts to get though the door, but having sung with Memphis mainstays the Snearly Ranch Boys, she finally cut a record at 706 Union Avenue. Backed by the Ranch Boys themselves, Pittman’s first single was this rocker released in 1956.
40 SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK – DWIGHT PULLEN
Dwight Pullen made plenty of famous friends while a booking agent in Alaska. He made musical waves of his own serving up country on Delta, before turning to rockier climes on Carlton and James Noble’s ode to the unnecessary wearing of shades after sundown.
39 MIDNIGHT SHIFT – BUDDY HOLLY
One of the purest rockabilly tracks cut by Buddy, Midnight Shift came out of his Nashville sessions with Owen Bradley. This tale of a working girl arrived in demo form, as Sonny Curtis described: “just some good ol’ boy with his guitar”, but was soon transformed.
38 WE WANNA BOOGIE – SONNY BURGESS
Jubilant rhythms from the Arkansas Sun signing, We Wanna Boogie is augmented by the excellent Pacers: Jack Nance’s wicked trumpet accompaniment, the tasteful piano-work from Kern Kennedy, and Joe Lewis’ wild guitar are a joy to behold.
37 LOVE ME – THE PHANTOM
Jerry Lott – aka The Phantom – was a masked rockabilly from Alabama. This dastardy screamfest released by Dot was brought to life at Gulf Coast studios in his hometown of Mobile in 1958 and delivered the kind of pure unfettered energy rarely captured onto the grooves of a record.
36 IF I HAD ME A WOMAN – MAC CURTIS
The simple innocent request for a girlfriend set to rock, Mac Curtis’ 1956 side was one of seven cut for King. Curtis appeared on Big “D” Jamboree before scoring a spot on Alan Freed’s prestigious Christmas Shower Of Stars and recording this debut single.
35 TURN MY BACK ON YOU – BILLY FURY
The classiest rockabilly that the UK ever produced, Billy Fury was at the head of the infamous Larry Parnes stable, the manager that renamed all of his stars with suitably rock’n’roll monikers. This selfpenned classic is a highlight of 1960’s The Sound Of Fury LP.
34 SIXTEEN CHICKS – JOE CLAY
Starting his musical career on the radio in New Orleans, Clay soon signed to RCA/Vik. He cut a one-two punch of killer covers, Rudy Grayzell’s Duck Tail and this upbeat reimagining of Link Davis’ rather more sanitised original. Sadly, Clay failed to make his mark.
33 MATCHBOX – CARL PERKINS
Armed with a few lyrics from an old blues track o. ered him by his father, Perkins laid this down at the end of 1956 with Jerry Lee on boogie-woogie piano. When Elvis and Johnny Cash joined Carl and Jerry Lee at the session, the Million Dollar Quartet was born.
32 BLACK CADILLAC – JOYCE GREEN
Complete unknown Joyce Green waxed this, her sole 45, in 1959. She wrote it at just 19 with her sister Doris. It arrived on Vaden in spring that year with brother Philip’s ballad Tomorrow on the flip and although it was aired on tour with Carl Perkins it failed to bite.
31 DON’T BE CRUEL – ELVIS PRESLEY
Presley’s third RCA single was written by one of the era’s finest songsmiths, Otis Blackwell, and recorded in RCA’s New York studio. Elvis added percussion by slapping the back of his acoustic, while The Jordanaires and pianist Shorty Long added the acoutrements.
30 ROCK AROUND WITH OLLIE VEE – BUDDY HOLLY
Penned by Buddy’s trusted guitarist Sonny Fisher, this came out of Holly’s Nashville sessions with the final Decca version cut in November 1956. The Crickets were absent, and instead a fuller production came from top Nashville A-teamers.
29 BLUEJEAN BOP – GENE VINCENT
Be-Bop-A-Lula had successfully set out Gene’s stall and the debut album that followed was stacked with yet more rockabilly gold, including this, the title track. Guitarist extraordinaire Cliff Gallup was on fire for the session but would up sticks soon after.
28 PUT YOUR CAT CLOTHES ON – CARL PERKINS
This perfectly formed two-and-ahalf minute outburst didn’t reach the ears of the public until 20 years after it was laid down. Carl tried it several times: at two sessions in March 1956 and then again with a full band in January 1957. Lucky for us it was finally released in the 70s.
27 DUCK TAIL – JOE CLAY
One of only two revered offerings from Joe Clay, his cover of this musical appreciation of the pompadour has stood the test of time, outpacing Rudy Grayzell’s original. The session featured the studio’s quick-fingered guitarist Hal Harris who ups the ante nicely.
26 HARD HEADED WOMAN – WANDA JACKSON
Wanda Jackson’s gutsy revamp of Hard Headed Woman trumps even Elvis’ King Creole version. Blasting it out on Town Hall Party in 1958, Wanda flipped the lyrics on their head: “a hard headed woman is a thorn in the side of a man, you betcha!” she smirks.
25 SUMMERTIME BLUES – EDDIE COCHRAN
One of the most ubiquitous waxings of the genre and Eddie Cochran’s most famous, Summertime Blues was written with manager Jerry Capehart and taped in October 1958. Slightly sped up, it was issued on Liberty and made No.8.
24 OH, BOY! – THE CRICKETS
Authored by Holly’s friend Sonny West while Buddy was tracking in Clovis, Oh, Boy! was finally committed to tape in July 1957. Backing vocals were overdubbed by The Picks, and soon The Crickets had a US Top 10 and a slot on The Ed Sullivan Show.
23 GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT – ELVIS PRESLEY
Written as a jump blues in 1947 by Roy Brown, this soon-to-be rockabilly linchpin originally found popularity when Wynonie Harris took it to the top of the R&B listings in 1949. Cut at Sun in September 1954, the track was chosen as Elvis’ second Sun single.
22 MAMA DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW – JACKIE LEE COCHRAN
Cliffie Stone’s upfront contrabass, Jimmy Pruitt’s pulsing piano and Merle Travis’ jaw-dropping lead joined together in perfect rockin’ union at Decca’s Hollywood studio for this masterful pure rockabilly anthem.
21 HEARTBREAK HOTEL – ELVIS PRESLEY
Stemming from a newspaper article about a suicide note containing the line “I walk a lonely street”, Mae Axton and Tommy Duden’s creation became Elvis’ debut major label single and his first US No.1. Just turned 21, the King cut this in Nashville with the Blue Moon Boys.
20 TEAR IT UP – THE JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO
The Rock’n’Roll Trio’s spring 1956 session at Decca’s Pythian Temple studio bore ripe fruit including Midnight Train, the yearning tale of the murder of a sheri. , and this debut Coral single, a straight up rockin’ standard punctuated by Paul Burlison’s timeless guitar hook.
19 TWENTY FLIGHT ROCK – EDDIE COCHRAN
Famously the audition song that got Paul McCartney into John Lennon’s band, Twenty Flight Rock was co-written with Ned Capehart and recorded in LA in July 1956 with Cochran’s manager and co-writer Jerry Capehart bashing out a beat on a soup carton.
18 ALL SHOOK UP – ELVIS PRESLEY
Another firecracker from Otis Blackwell, All Shook Up was released almost simultaneously by complete unknown David Hill, but Elvis’ version, made in Hollywood in January 1957, eclipsed Hill’s and became Presley’s ninth consecutive gold record.
17 RACE WITH THE DEVIL – GENE VINCENT
Cut at the same sessions that produced Be-Bop-A-Lula, this resided at the foot of the 100 for mere days, but today demands equal praise. Nashville’s best were lined up, but Cliff Gallup soon silenced everyone to bring this tale of draggin’ with the hoofed one to life.
16 CAST IRON ARM – PEANUTS WILSON
Issued through Brunswick in 1957, Peanuts Wilson’s warning of fisticuffs bristles with irreverence atop a flashing single-string guitar hook. An original member of Roy Orbison’s Teen Kings, Wilson and his guitar skills appear on Roy’s classic Ooby Dooby.
15 ONE HAND LOOSE – CHARLIE FEATHERS
Newly contracted to King, Feathers delivered this hiccupping stroke of genius in his inaugural session for the label. Charlie’s colleagues were in fine fettle too, with some solid bottom end from Jody Chastain and flighty fretting from lead guitarist Jerry Huffman.
14 BABY LET’S PLAY HOUSE – ELVIS PRESLEY
Elvis’ single number four was summoned up on Union Avenue in February 1955. No drums here, instead Elvis and crew toughened up Arthur Gunter’s laid back Excello original utilising Bill Black’s taut, characterful upright line. This was definitive rockabilly.
13 C’MON EVERYBODY – EDDIE COCHRAN
Recorded during a three-hour Hollywood session in October 1958, C’Mon Everybody started life as Let’s Get Together before the lyrical change that stuck. It couldn’t mimic the success of Summertime Blues when it only just crept into the US Top 40. It fared better over here.
12 RED HOT – BILLY LEE RILEY
Originally a bluesy R&B a. air sung by Billy “The Kid” Emerson, this embodies the rocker bravado like no other and yet somehow Riley never made the big time. This third 45 could well have been his meal ticket, had it not dropped at the same time as Great Balls Of Fire.
11 DO ME NO WRONG – PAT CUPP AND THE FLYING SAUCERS
Pat Cupp learnt the trade as part of his family band who had their own Arkansas radio show, before playing the Hayride and signing to Modern for whom he waxed this solid rocker. His catalogue may have been small, but contained some of the most essential records of the genre.
10 HOUND DOG – ELVIS PRESLEY
Lieber and Stoller’s classic tune was in good hands when Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys commandeered it as their own having heard Freddie Bell And The Bellboys sing it in Las Vegas while on duty from their residence at the New Frontier Hotel. First, they rocked The Milton Berle Show, then they recorded it. Needless to say, it went straight to the top.
9 ROCK BILLY BOOGIE – JOHNNY BURNETTE AND THE ROCK’N’ROLL TRIO
In July 1956, The Rock’n’Roll Trio commenced a now legendary four-day Nashville session that spurned the fierce brand of rockabilly that has brought them adoration from all quarters ever since, namely feral reworkings of Lonesome Train, Honey Hush, The Train Kept-A Rollin’, Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee and this seismic rocker.
8 SOMETHIN’ ELSE – EDDIE COCHRAN
Penned by Eddie’s girlfriend Sharon Sheeley and his elder brother Bob, this rockin’ mainstay tells the tale of a boy finally winning the affections of his dream girl with the help of his newly acquired ‘forty-one Ford’. Eddie played both guitar and bass, while New Orleans sticksman Earl Palmer provided the rhythm at Hollywood’s Gold Star Studios in summer 1959.
7 BE-BOP-A-LULA – GENE VINCENT
Gene may have shattered his left leg in a motorcycle accident, but it didn’t stop him becoming Capitol’s main challenger to Elvis’ throne with this sneaking piece of slap-back-heavy rocking. Released in summer 1956, this made the Top 10 in the States having been favoured by DJs as plattermate to Woman Love. A classic across all genres.
6 FUJIYAMA MAMA – WANDA JACKSON
When Wanda took Elvis’ advice and turned heel on country music to try her hand at the newfangled rockabilly sound, it was a catalytic moment. With her signature wildcat growl and flamboyant show dresses, the burgeoning Big Beat scene was a snug fit for Wanda. Originally cut by fellow Capitol artist Annisteen Allen in 1954, this hiccuping missive shot Wanda into the rockin’ canon with the help of some elite sessionmen including Bakersfield pioneer Buck Owens and eventual Wrecking Crew ace Billy Strange on guitar. No chart action for the Oklahoma girl in her home country, but she soared to the top of the pecking order in Japan, despite the seemingly insensitive references to Hiroshima and Nagasaki – plus, most importantly, she led the way for women in rock.
5 THAT’LL BE THE DAY – THE CRICKETS
First recorded for Decca in Nashville in 1956, Buddy’s omnipresent smash hit That’ll Be The Day originally emerged as an idea from a John Wayne line in The Searchers movie. It took Buddy and his comrades two tries to find the magic, and when the band decamped to Norman Petty’s infamous Clovis studio several months after that Nashville session, they (sensibly) dropped the key a little to suit Buddy’s voice, and added some rich backing vocals. The resulting single rocketed to the summit of the US chart in 1957. One of the finest, best-loved tracks of the era, period.
4 BLUE SUEDE SHOES – CARL PERKINS
Carl Perkins cut this standard of the genre at Sun studios with brothers Jay (rhythm guitar) and Clayton (bass), and Sun drummer WS “Fluke” Holland in December 1955. Apparently, Carl himself never actually owned a pair of blue suede shoes, but instead got the idea from label-mate Johnny Cash who told him the story of an old army pal who had once used the phrase. Tragedy struck when Perkins’ car crashed on the way to perform the track on The Perry Como Show, an accident that left Carl and brother Jay seriously injured – and ultimately stunted his career.
3 THAT’S ALL RIGHT – ELVIS PRESLEY
This was the track that really gave rockabilly its momentum, essentially firing up the whole movement. Scotty and Bill assembled for Elvis’ inaugural session in July 1954 at the Sun studio but nothing was working until, out of the blue, Elvis and band began fooling around. “Elvis just started singing this song, jumping around and acting the fool,” said Scotty. “Bill picked up his bass, and he started acting the fool too, and I started playing with them.” The trio’s vibeful reworking of Arthur Crudup’s 1946 Mississippi blues would become Elvis’ initial transmission, stirring up a musical – and cultural – revolution.
2 THE TRAIN KEPT A-ROLLIN’ – THE JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO
One of the rawest, most primitive records in the classic rockabilly canon, the Trio’s 1956 reboot is barely recognisable from Tiny Bradshaw’s bouncing 1951 jump blues original. Together with his bassist brother Dorsey and their friend and guitarist Paul Burlison, Johnny Burnette made the trek to New York City, found repeated success on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour, and had soon signed on the dotted line with Coral. In Nashville they reshaped this tune into a propellant rockabilly rouser with the deep-seated spirit of rebellion flaming at its heart. Yes, it missed the charts, but it’s up there with the most savage platters around.
1 MYSTERY TRAIN – ELVIS PRESLEY
Brought to life in 1953 when Memphis bluesman Little Junior Parker recorded his groovesome swaying original for Sun (as Little Junior’s Blue Flames), replete with Raymond Hill’s train horn-mimicking sax, Mystery Train was commandeered by Elvis, Scotty and Bill, whose reconfigured version married country/hillbillly and rock to miraculous effect. In the absence of drums, Scotty and Bill are in outstanding form, effortlessly providing the locomotive rhythm at the core of the song, while Elvis’ vocal rides the rhythm caked in Sam Phillips’ famed slap-back vocal echo. Even though it ended up on the flipside to I Forgot To Remember To Forget – for us – it’s the rockabilly standard by which all others are judged.
Read More: When rockabilly shook the world
