ON THIS DAY IN 1958, ELVIS PRESLEY’S SONG JAILHOUSE ROCK BECAME THE FIRST SINGLE TO ENTER THE U.K POP CHARTS AT NUMBER ONE

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the song was released on a 45 rpm single in 1957. The track featured real characters such as The Purple Gang, a Chicago mob and Shifty Henry, who was not actually a criminal but rather a well-known LA musician. “Sad Sack” was a nickname coined in WW2 for a loser and later became the name of a successful comic strip and book.

The track became a US number one hit for seven weeks in late 1957 before debuting in the UK charts at number one in 1958, an unprecedented feat. The song has become a classic in the rock and roll genre, covered by bands like Queen, The Beatles, Motley Crue as well as being featured in films like Casper (1995) and The Blues Brothers (1980) as well as Elvis’ own film of the same title.

As well as the covers and performances, Jailhouse Rock has also earned multiple accolades such as reaching number 67 in Rolling Stones list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.