About The Song
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” is a song written in 1954 by Jesse Stone (usually credited as “Charles Calhoun“, his songwriting name) and first recorded that year by Big Joe Turner, whose version ranked No. 127 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The early days of rock and roll brought many iconic hits, such as the track you are hearing, ‘Shake, Rattle, and Roll’ by Bill Haley and His Comets. After its release in August 1954, Haley’s recording skyrocketed to the top of the charts, reaching #7 on the Billboard pop chart, and spending twenty seven weeks in the Top 40.
Around this decade, it was common for white artists to cover songs recorded by black artists, such as what Haley did with Turner. Covers normally drew more success than the original, which, from a racial standpoint, could be viewed negatively. In this case, Haley’s version helped popularize Turner’s and draw more attention to his name.