In 1953, Philadelphia composers James Meyers and Max Freedman wrote Rock Around The Clock, influenced by their upbringing and experience in the music industry. Meyers initially suggested using dance instead of rock, but Freedman remained committed to the tune.
Freedman and Meyers, fans of Bill Haley, finished Rock Around the Clock with him in mind. Miller, Haley's label manager, rejected Meyers, so Meyers and Freedman shopped the track to Sonny Dae and His Knights. They recorded and released it in one day, but few noticed it.
Bill Haley, a Detroit musician, formed his first country band, Down Homers, at age eighteen. He recorded dozens of singles, but his 1953 song, Crazy Man, Crazy, made history as the first rock and roll song to rank in the American charts. Haley's musical style and vocal delivery made Rock Around The Clock a hit, reaching #1 on the 1955 pop charts for eight weeks.