First song in history to go top 5 in the pop, country & western and R&B charts at the same time. 

“Blue Suede Shoes” is a seminal rock and roll song written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. The song is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues, country, and pop music of the time.

The inspiration for “Blue Suede Shoes” has been attributed to two different sources. In one account, Johnny Cash suggested the idea to Perkins, recalling a black airman named C.V. White who referred to his military regulation airmen’s shoes as “blue suede shoes” and insisted that no one step on or scuff them. Cash suggested that Perkins write a song about the shoes, but Perkins initially dismissed the idea, saying, “I don’t know anything about shoes. How can I write a song about shoes?”

In another version, Perkins was performing at a dance on December 4, 1955, when he noticed a couple dancing near the stage. Between songs, he heard the boy scold his partner, “Uh-uh, don’t step on my suedes!” Looking down, Perkins saw that the boy was wearing blue suede shoes, one of which had a scuff mark. Amused by the boy’s concern for his shoes over his date, Perkins began working on a song about the incident that night.

Perkins decided to use a nursery rhyme for the basis of the song, settling on “One for the Money.” Working with his Les Paul guitar, he started with an A chord and improvised some lyrics: “Well, it’s one for the money… Two for the show… Three to get ready… Now go, man, go!” Satisfied, he scribbled the song onto some scrap paper, spelling the title as “Blue Swade” in his haste.

On December 19, 1955, Perkins recorded “Blue Suede Shoes” at Sun Records. Sun’s producer, Sam Phillips, convinced Perkins to change the lyric from “go, boy, go” in the first take of the song to “go, cat, go” in the second, which became the release version.

Released in early 1956 as Sun 234, “Blue Suede Shoes” quickly gained popularity. In Cleveland, Ohio, disc jockey Bill Randle played the song often on his nightly show, leading to Phillips shipping an additional 25,000 copies to Cleveland. In Memphis and Jackson, where Perkins lived, the song’s B-side, “Honey Don’t,” was initially more popular on the radio but was eventually overtaken by “Blue Suede Shoes.” On February 11, “Blue Suede Shoes” was the number two single on Memphis charts; by the following week, it was number one, a position it held for the next three months.

Elvis Presley recorded “Blue Suede Shoes” in 1956, and it appears as the opening track of his eponymous debut album, “Elvis Presley.” Presley performed his version of the song three different times on national television.

Despite the competition from Presley’s version, Perkins’ original recording remained popular. However, on March 22, 1956, while en route to New York City for a television appearance, Perkins and his band were involved in a serious automobile accident, which resulted in multiple injuries and the death of his brother Jay. This tragedy halted Perkins’ career momentum, and he was unable to capitalize on the success of “Blue Suede Shoes.”

Over the years, “Blue Suede Shoes” has been covered by numerous artists, including Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, among many others. The song’s influence on rock and roll is undeniable, and it remains a testament to Carl Perkins’ talent and the early days of the genre.