Ready Teddy

Buddy Holly recorded it in 1957, but the song was already a roar before that: written by John Marascalco and Robert Blackwell, it was first heard in May 1956 at the J&M studios in New Orleans, with Little Richard at the piano and a band featuring blaring saxophones, a powerful bass, and drums pounding out a heartbeat-like rhythm. Later that year, in June, it was released as a single on the Specialty Records label, and though it was pure rock and roll, something in its energy made it stick: on September 9, 1956, Elvis Presley performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show in front of 60 million viewers, a record audience that catapulted it to another level.

It wasn’t just another song; it was a shout that echoed across radios, movies, and concerts until Adriano Celentano brought it to Italy in 1960 for the soundtrack of La Dolce Vita.