The music industry spends millions trying to chart trends, isolate demographics and generally predict the necessary ingredients for a No. 1 single. But every now and then a song comes along that makes it all the way to the top end of the charts by sheer fluke.

6 Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

Contrary to popular belief, 1954's Rock Around the Clock was not the first rock 'n' roll song to be recorded. In fact, it wasn't even Bill Haley's first rock 'n' roll record.

Rock Around the Clock (RATC), however, was the first-ever rock song to hit No. 1 on the pop charts, thus transforming rock from a mere novelty act to a dominant force of popular music and the No. 1 cause of boob autographs in Western culture.



Not always a good thing.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

And it almost never happened. In fact, if it hadn't been for the musical taste of a single teenage boy, the song that made rock cool might have disappeared into obscurity, opening the door for popular music evolution to travel down a completely different path.



On second thought, we may be willing to risk it. Fire up the time machine.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

When Haley recorded RATC, his producer insisted on slapping the song on the B side of the record. For anyone who doesn't know, the B side of a single was traditionally reserved for experimental songs, halfhearted instrumentals and that song the drummer wrote about his ex-girlfriend. In other words, it was filler.