“Rumble” #16 6/30/1958

From June 1958, perhaps the only instrumental banned for promoting gangs, implied just from the title. Link Wray was full-blooded Native American and got started in the Washington area. His de facto manager was Milt Grant, DC’s local version of Dick Clark. Wray came up with the riff during a gig in Fredericksburg, VA. Label owner Archie Bleyer almost passed on the song until his stepdaughter said she loved it. Labelmate Phil Everly suggested the title because it sounded like an audio street fight. The distortion Link pioneered influenced a whole generation of rockers from Pete Townshend to Jimmy Page to a thousand garage bands. A rock and roll guitar classic.