The Very First Rock Song You Remember Hearing That Changed Your World...

wileypickett · Jan 27, 2021

The Tornados, "Telstar," 1962. I was nine when it came out. Still my favorite instrumental of all time.

BTW, I collect cover versions of the song. The fact that it was number 1 on charts all over the world means there are a LOT of covers! I have more than 400.

Westerly Wood · Jan 27, 2021

wileypickett said:
The Tornados, "Telstar," 1962. I was nine when it came out. Still my favorite instrumental of all time.

BTW, I collect cover versions of the song. The fact that it was number 1 on charts all over the world means there are a LOT of covers! I have more than 400.

i do not recognize the name so gonna Youtube it now. I bet I have heard it...

nope, first time ever hearing this song.
wow, #1 in UK and US???

did it inspire surf instrumentals? 1962

wileypickett · Jan 27, 2021

I bet you have too!

Brucebubs · Jan 27, 2021

Funny, it wasn't a single song for me. It was a whole album. Sgt Peppers by the Beatles. All the lyrics on the back cover.Time stood still.I know there were songs before that but they suddenly became meaningless ... with the exception of 'Good Vibrations' masterpiece by the Beach Boys.

Stuball48 · Jan 27, 2021

"Blueberry Hill" Fats Domino

gjmalcyon · Jan 27, 2021

Grew up outside of Sacramento, and fell in love with the Beach Boys. Watched Hullabaloo and Shindig every chance I got. The Beach Boys played the Sacramento Civic Center in '65 and I was devastated that my mean old parents wouldn't let me go. I mean, I was a big, old third-grader and I could handle myself, right?

The consolation prize was a copy of The Beach Boys Today! which I still have, although it is kind of rough to listen to these days. I wore that album out.

walrus · Jan 27, 2021

I have memories of being very young - literally maybe 5 or 6 - and my mother playing Harry Belafonte records and Peter, Paul, and Mary records. "500 Miles" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" still ring in my head and make me think of her.

But around 12 or so at a friends house we listened to Magical Mystery Tour, and he told me about the "Paul is Dead" stuff, etc. Remember that was an album with the big foldout color book inside from the movie. Penny Lane, I am the Walrus, etc. I was stunned. I sat there and devoured the booklet while listening to it. I had no idea such a thing was possible. Been a Beatles freak ever since. And that turned me on to top 40 radio, other bands, etc. There was clearly a world of music out there that I was unaware of.

walrus

wileypickett · Jan 27, 2021

Westerly Wood said:
i do not recognize the name so gonna Youtube it now. I bet I have heard it...

nope, first time ever hearing this song.
wow, #1 in UK and US???

did it inspire surf instrumentals? 1962

A LOT of surf instrumentals -- the Ventures covered it at the time and made it part of their sets for five decades. And virtually every instro / suf band since has covered it, right up to last year.

But not just surf bands. I have reggae versions, easy listening, Dixieland jazz, roller rink organ, pop, electronica, disco, Hawaiian, rockabilly, punk, new wave, country, a cappella group, and more -- from dozens and dozens of countries. In a number of countries, people wrote lyrics to the melody and pop singers from everywhere tried their hand at a follow up vocal hit version. (None suceeded.)

It was the first song to hit #1 on the charts in both the UK and U.S.. predating the Beatles.

dreadnut · Jan 27, 2021

Actually, my first memory of a song on the radio was "Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio, so I must have been four years old, it was on the radio in 1958.

Rebosbro · Jan 27, 2021

1974, I was 11. My first album was BTO Not Fragile. Dropped the needle(remember those?) on side one.
Not Fragile
Rock is my Life
Roll on Down the Highway......
Just not a bad song on the disc

I just swallowed the hook line and sinker.
47 years later and I still dime the volume
Paul

Rebosbro · Jan 27, 2021

GAD said:
Boston was one if the first LPs I got in my Columbia house 12 Records for a Penny deal!

The only others I recall was Foreigner Double Vision.

Edit: and Led Zep 4.

To this day Boston remains one of my all time favorites.

My first concert was Hagar opening for Boston. Very contrasting styles, but one hell of a show
Paul

gibsonjunkie · Jan 27, 2021

For What it's Worth! Still my favorite song.

richardp69 · Jan 27, 2021

Can't remember to be truthful. I guess I was as hazy back then as I am now.

I do remember that when I heard "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks I decided I was going to learn to play guitar not only because I loved that song and wanted to be like them but also because even back then it seemed like a good way to meet lotsa girls. Devious early in life and still so today I guess.

Coop47 · Jan 27, 2021

Not really a rock song, but I remember being captivated by "Midnight Train to Georgia" when I was 5 or so. The story, the vocals, the passion, the groove, even how the different instruments came in at different times. I still love that record - it has everything.

GAD · Jan 27, 2021

dreadnut said:
Actually, my first memory of a song on the radio was "Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio, so I must have been four years old, it was on the radio in 1958.

The CEO of the company I used to work at was friends with one of the Kingston Trio and they used to play at company parties in the mid '80s.

matsickma · Jan 27, 2021

Well if I exclude the Beatles on Ed Sullivan the song that grabbed me was the Stones "Satisfaction"! I was heading out to play a Little League game wearing my scratchy baggy wool uniform on a hot late spring evening when it came on the radio. The fuzz box intro and cool lyrics.

Not many songs have had that kind of effect on me. Hendrix "Purple Haze" and the album. Beatles "White Album", ELP ending moog rif on Lucky Man along with hearing Tarkus the first time and EVH playing songs from their first album.

Those were monumental music events. Hearing the YES Fragile Album is another event.

Westerly Wood · Jan 27, 2021

wileypickett said:
A LOT of surf instrumentals -- the Ventures covered it at the time and made it part of their sets for five decades. And virtually every instro / suf band since has covered it, right up to last year.

But not just surf bands. I have reggae versions, easy listening, Dixieland jazz, roller rink organ, pop, electronica, disco, Hawaiian, rockabilly, punk, new wave, country, a cappella group, and more -- from dozens and dozens of countries. In a number of countries, people wrote lyrics to the melody and pop singers from everywhere tried their hand at a follow up vocal hit version. (None suceeded.)

It was the first song to hit #1 on the charts in both the UK and U.S.. predating the Beatles.

this is just very interesting to me. I listened to it and know I have never heard the song before. It sounds as if it was kind of thrown together without purpose at first. Like maybe they would use it as a warmup to practice. And then one day eventually had it put together so well, they decided to record it. And I bet they were totally perplexed at first by the reaction to the song.

quite amazing that you have studied it so. I am fascinated by that as well. Will listen to it again.

fronobulax · Jan 27, 2021

walrus said:
I have memories of being very young - literally maybe 5 or 6

My earliest music memories are classical. I went to symphony concerts at 4 or so. I would sit in the audience with a book until the concert started. My dad played French horn and a lot of folks on the stage were adults I knew.

This becomes of interest because a couple years later the school psychologist was doing what I hope was a routine evaluation. He asked me a question and my answer concerned him enough that my my mother was called in. The psych told my mother the question was "Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?" and my answer was "Tchaikovsky". My mother said "So? You were expecting Prokofiev?" The psych realized the error in his assumptions and had no more questions or concerns.

hearth_man · Jan 27, 2021

Not that I'm this old or a in any way a big Elvis fan but... Jailhouse Rock blew me away when I first heard it. I would say I'm a 70's rock guy at the end of the day though.

5thumbs · Jan 27, 2021

There were a bunch, but the one that comes to mind at the moment is Del Shannon - Runaway.

The Very First Rock Song You Remember Hearing That Changed Your World...

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