Buddy Holly & The Crickets light the fuse of rock ’n’ roll in Britain

22 December 1957

On this day in history, The Crickets released the single “Oh, Boy!”, backed with “Not Fade Away,” in the UK a record that would go on to become their third UK Top 10 hit and help cement Buddy Holly and his band as one of the most influential forces in early rock ’n’ roll.

“Oh, Boy!” was a burst of youthful energy: fast, joyful and driven by Holly’s distinctive hiccupping vocal and jangling guitar. Although the song had originally been recorded by Sonny West in the late 1950s, his version failed to find commercial success. It was The Crickets’ electrifying interpretation produced by the legendary Norman Petty  that transformed the song into a hit, perfectly capturing the optimism and urgency of the new rock ’n’ roll sound sweeping across the Atlantic.

Yet it was the B-side, “Not Fade Away,” that would leave an even deeper and more enduring legacy. Built around a Bo Diddley–style rhythm, the track stood out from the moment the needle hit the vinyl. Unlike many rock songs of the era, the beat was primal and hypnotic, rooted in African and rhythm-and-blues traditions. Buddy Holly’s handclaps and vocal phrasing gave it a raw edge that future generations of musicians would seize upon.

That influence became crystal clear in 1964, when a young London band called The Rolling Stones recorded their own version of “Not Fade Away.” Stripping the song back and leaning hard into the Bo Diddley beat, the Stones turned it into a major UK hit. Significantly, it was chosen as the A-side of the band’s first US single, marking the moment the British Invasion began to return American rock ’n’ roll back across the Atlantic in a louder, grittier form.

From The Crickets’ UK chart success in 1957 to The Rolling Stones’ breakthrough seven years later, this single forms a vital link in rock history. “Oh, Boy!” captured the thrill of first-wave rock ’n’ roll, while “Not Fade Away” lived up to its title – its rhythm, spirit and influence echoing through decades of British and American music that followed.

The story of The Crickets in Britain doesn’t end with the charts. On 2 March 1958, Buddy Holly and The Crickets took to the stage at the London Palladium, one of the most iconic venues in the country. Appearing there was a huge milestone for any artist, and their performance marked a defining moment in rock ’n’ roll’s acceptance into the British mainstream. For many young fans in the audience, it was a life-changing experience proof that this new American sound was here to stay.

If you’d like to step into that moment in music history, come and join me on my Rock ’n’ Roll Tour of London. Together we’ll visit the London Palladium, retracing the footsteps of Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and explore the places where American rock ’n’ roll collided with British youth culture and sparked a musical revolution. It’s not just a walking tour it’s a journey through the songs, stories and venues that shaped the sound of modern music. 🎸

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