"Rock Around the Clock" - Bill Haley & His Comets

"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar blues rock and roll song written in 1952 by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter under the pen name "Jimmy De Knight"). Bill Haley & His Comets recorded the best-known and most successful version for American Decca in 1954. It was a number one single for two months and performed well in the UK charts; the recording also re-entered the UK Singles Chart in the 1960s and 1970s.

It was the first rock and roll record to top the charts in the United States. Despite this, Haley's recording became an anthem for rebellious 1950s youth, especially after it was featured in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle. It topped the pop charts for two months and peaked at number three on the R&B chart. The recording is widely regarded as the song that, more than any other, propelled rock and roll into the mainstream of global culture. The song is ranked 159th on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Sales: 25 million copies