9. Buddy Holly and the Crickets
Buddy Holly and his band, the Crickets, were one of the first to establish the classic rock and roll lineup of guitar, bass, and drums. In their earliest years, they considered for a time calling themselves the Beetles, before settling on another insect. In 1957 Holly had his first major hit, That’ll Be the Day, followed later in the year with Peggy Sue. Late that year their first album, The “Chirping” Crickets, was released in the United States. It was released in the UK in early 1958, where it rose to number 5 on the British album chart. Both the sound of the record and how it was generated were studied closely by aspiring British musicians.
The classic lineup, which at the time was two guitars, bass (though an upright bass), and drums, was one aspect which made listeners take notice, especially when the Crickets toured in England in 1958. Layered vocals were another. Holly’s short career and life ended in a plane crash in February, 1959, but his influence in spreading American rock and roll music was still felt sixty years later. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, and other early British rock and roll bands all covered his music in their acts and recordings, and one of the earliest hits for London’s Rolling Stones was a cover version of his song, Not Fade Away.