Bill Haley - Very Best of Bill Haley

The man who brought rock'n'roll to the world

People will forever argue about when rock'n'roll really began and of course there is no clear answer to that question. What is not in dispute is that Bill Haley and the Comets had the first major international hit with a rock'n'roll record - the simple but immortal Rock around the clock. It wasn't actually his first big hit but its success in 1955 is generally regarded as officially marking the start of the rock'n'roll era.

Bill Haley's roots were in country music and he began his career as a country singer - however, he experimented in various ways, taking ideas from R+B music to make his music a little different. By the time he secured a recording contract, his style had evolved into what we now know as rock'n'roll. Bill was hugely popular for a brief period in 1955 and 1956, but as Elvis took over as the leading star of rock'n'roll, record buyers quickly lost interest in Bill's music.

Rock around the clock was the first record that Bill recorded but made little impact when first released. The follow-up, Shake rattle and roll, did much better (a top five UK hit in 1954). Subsequently, Rock around the clock was featured in the soundtrack of Blackboard jungle and was re-issued, this time becoming a number one hit in Britain and America. Bill had further international hits with Rock-a-beating boogie, See you later alligator, The saints rock'n'roll, Rocking through the rye, Rip it up and Don't knock the rock, though these records were generally more popular in Britain (where there was no obvious competitor) than in America (where there were plenty of other rock'n'roll acts emerging).

This compilation includes all of Bill's classic hits and the best of his other recordings. July 30, 2005

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