The Beatles – Twist & Shout

What more can you say about a song that is 40 years old and is as popular as ever.  “Twist & Shout” was a song first recorded by The Top Notes in 1961, then charted in America by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Isley Brothers in 1962, peaking at #17.  It wasn’t until 1964 when a hot young British band invaded America did the song become a smash hit.  The Best New Artist of 1964, The Beatles left an indelible mark in Rock & Roll history with “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, “Hey Jude”, and the most recorded song of all-time “Yesterday”.  All told, The Beatles finished their chart run with 20 #1 singles, a figure yet to be matched, and even more impressive considering  that they did all that from 1964-70.  They released “Twist & Shout” in 1964, and it spent 4 weeks at the #2 position according to Billboard.  In total, The Beatles released an astounding 30 Top 100 singles in 1964, a number not even “The King of Rock & Roll” (Elvis) came anywhere near surpassing.  The sign of a great record is one that you can play many years later and still sounds great.  In recent years, the song has taken on 2 other lives.  “Twist & Shout” was re-popularized through the movies “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” starring Matthew Broderick, and “Back To School” starring Rodney Dangerfield.  Simply put, “Twist & Shout is a classic song, and one of the most definitive party/wedding songs of all-time.