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1958:
Buddy Holly
"it was a Buddy Holly kind of influence. For one reason: we knew three chords, A D and E, and all his stuff was in A D and E, so no wonder we were influenced..."
-- Paul McCartney
In 1955 Buddy Holly changed his musical direction from country bluegrass to the new sound of rock and roll when he attended an Elvis Presley concert in Lubbock, Texas. He soon had a recording contract with Decca records. But Decca wanted to make him into a country artist and after a few failed sessions, Holly returned to Lubbock. He then formed a new band called The Crickets and they went to Clovis, New Mexico for a recording session with Norman Petty. Buddy Holly & the Crickets developed a very full sound for such a small group and Holly’s playful lyrics and “hiccup” vocals made for unique rockabilly recordings. The result was “That’ll Be the Day” which was ultimately picked up by the Brunswick label and became a #1 hit in 1957. At the same time, Coral Records, a subsidiary of Brunswick signed Holly to a solo contract. In late 1957 and early 1958, “Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly and “Oh Boy” by The Crickets were competing for air play. The band did a tour in England and influenced two young song writers, John Lennon and Paul McCartny. By the end of 1958, Holly, who moved to New York to do his recording, had split with The Crickets who opted to stay in Texas. After spending some time in the recording studio, in early 1959, Holly again went on tour with a new backup band that was mistakenly promoted as The Crickets. After a performance in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 2nd, Holly boarded a small plane with fellow performers J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens to fly to Fargo, North Dakota. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all on board. Buddy Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
title week debuted highest ranking weeks on chart
That'll Be the Day 8/19/1957 1 16
Peggy Sue 11/11/1957 3 16
Everyday 11/11/1957    
Oh, Boy! 12/2/1957 10 13
Not Fade Away 12/2/1957    
Maybe Baby 3/10/1958 17 8
Rave On 6/9/1958 37 2
It Doesn't Matter Anymore 3/9/1959 13 9