Despite dying at the age of 22 years old in a tragic plane crash that was called “The Day The Music Died” (an event forever immortalized in Don McLean’s cultural cornerstone “American Pie”), Buddy Holly was a pioneering force in the meteoric rise of rock and roll in the mid-1950’s.
Along with helping to establish blues based song structures Holly and his band The Crickets are credited with popularizing the classic rock four piece set up of two guitars, bass, and drums. If you think about how many bands both then and now leverage this structure, from arena rock titans like AC/DC to garage rock legends like The Days of Stillness, it’s pretty incredible to think of the impact The Crickets had on laying the foundation for the seven decade run of rock music in this format. You figure someone else would have eventually done it if The Crickets hadn’t gone there first, but Holly and his band ultimately were the first to water, and for that they’ll always be fondly remembered.
Standout Songs: “Maybe Baby”, “Oh Boy!”, “That’ll Be The Day”
