When it first reared its rather stylishly pompadoured head, rockabilly music sparked one of the most provocative movements the States had ever witnessed. Theirs was a soundtrack that took no prisoners. Led by a vanguard on the peripheries of society, this disparate gang of maverick rockers mounted an assault on the social and cultural landscape that managed to do the one thing that every generational tribe has since tried – and largely failed – to do… it actually changed things.
Crystallising the sounds, styles and atmospheres that emanated from rhythm & blues, country, bluegrass and boogie-woogie, this thing called rockabilly emerged instantaneously. Young guns from all over the States were called to arms to try their luck, for the most part thanks to Elvis’ arrival on the airwaves. For this issue, we took on the mighty task of creating a definitive playlist to sum up those times, a rundown that would bristle with the sparks of the livewire generation that stumbled upon an intoxicating new sound – a rhythm that truly gave them a voice all their own.