The 60th Anniversary of "That'll Be the Day" by The Crickets

It was 60 years ago today that the Brunswick label released the very first single by The Crickets, "That'll Be the Day". Not only was the single significant as The Crickets' first single, but it was also significant as Buddy Holly's first major hit. "That'll Be the Day" hit no. 1 on the Billboard singles chart and no. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. It would also reach no. 1 on the British singles chart.

The origins of the song "That'll Be the Day" can be traced back to the movie The Searchers (1956), in which John Wayne's character Ethan Edwards uses the line. The song was written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison, The Crickets' drummer. Here it must be kept in mind that "That'll Be the Day" was not the first single released by Buddy Holly. In 1956 Buddy Holly had two singles released on the Decca label: "Love Me" and "Modern Day Don Juan". Unfortunately, neither of these singles charted. The fact that Buddy Holly was still signed to Decca was the reason Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Joe B. Mauldin recorded as The Crickets. Buddy Holly had actually recorded a version of "That'll Be the Day' at Decca in 1956, but Decca did not initially release it due to the poor performance of his previous singles. After "That'll Be the Day" became a hit, Decca would release the original version of the song in September 1957.

Regardless, "That'll Be the Day" would give Buddy Holly and The Crickets' their first success. The Crickets would prove to be very influential, providing the blueprint for many classic rock bands to come (guitarists, a bassist,and a drummer). Buddy Holly himself would also prove extremely influential. He would see even more success in the United Kingdom than he would in the United States, and would prove to be an influence on such British bands as The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Hollies. In having an impact on many of the British bands, it was his music that essentially led to the creation of the rock subgenre known as "power pop". That having been said, such diverse rock music subgenres as heavy metal and punk have felt the impact of Buddy Holly.

Without further ado, here is "That'll be the Day" by The Crickets.