Good Rocking Tonight

For the television show, see Good Rockin' Tonite.
"Good Rocking Tonight"
Single by Roy Brown
B-side"Lolly Pop Mama"
Released1947
RecordedJune 1947
StudioJ&M (New Orleans, Louisiana)[1]
Genre
LabelDe Luxe
Songwriter(s)Roy Brown

"Good Rocking Tonight" is a jump blues song originally released in 1947 by its writer, Roy Brown[2] and was covered by many recording artists (sometimes as Good Rockin' Tonight). The song includes the memorable refrain, "Well I heard the news, there's good rocking tonight!" The song anticipated elements of rock and roll music.[3]

Some reviewers state that Brown's version, or Wynonie Harris' (depending on the source),[4] is one of the contenders for the title of "first rock'n'roll record".[5] The label of the 45 RPM record by Brown included the words "Rocking blues".[6] In 2022, Brown's recording was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the 'Classics of Blues Recording – Singles' category.[7]

  1. ^ King, Roger; Schumacher, Craig (March 2004). "Cosimo Matassa: Little Richard, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair". Tape Op. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Tosches, Nick (1996). Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. Boston, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. p. 51. ISBN 9780786750986.
  3. ^ "Morgan Wright's HoyHoy.com: The Dawn of Rock 'n Roll". Hoyhoy.com. May 2, 1954. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  4. ^ "5 Candidates for the First Rock 'n' Roll Song". Mentalfloss.com. March 23, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "The first rock'n'roll record is released". The Guardian. June 12, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2020. the first rock record. In fact, that title is hotly disputed, with contenders including Sister Rosetta Tharpe's Strange Things Happening Every Day (1944) and
  6. ^ "1st Recording of: Good Rockin' Tonight - Roy Brown (1947)". Youtube. July 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "Blues Hall of Fame – About/Inductions". Blues.org. Retrieved March 20, 2022.