B ill ▁H ale y ▁had ▁American ▁chart ▁success ▁with ▁" C ra zy ▁Man , ▁Cra zy " ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁" Sh ake , ▁R attle ▁and ▁Roll " ▁s ung ▁by ▁Big ▁Joe ▁Turner ▁reached ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁R & B ▁chart ). ▁H ale y ' s ▁recording ▁never theless ▁became ▁an ▁anth em ▁for ▁reb elli ous ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁youth ▁and ▁is ▁widely ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁song ▁that , ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁other , ▁brought ▁rock ▁and ▁roll ▁into ▁main stream ▁culture ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁song ▁is ▁ranked ▁No . ▁ 1 5 8 ▁on ▁the ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁magazine ' s ▁list ▁of ▁The ▁ 5 0 0 ▁Great est ▁Songs ▁of ▁All ▁Time . ▁ ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁by ▁Italian - American ▁band ▁Son ny ▁D ae ▁and ▁His ▁Kn ights ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁My ers ▁claimed ▁the ▁song ▁had ▁been ▁written ▁specifically ▁for ▁H ale y ▁but , ▁for ▁various ▁reasons , ▁H ale y ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁record ▁it ▁himself ▁until ▁April ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁full ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁" We ' re ▁G onna ▁Rock ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁C lock ▁Ton ight ! ". ▁This ▁was ▁later ▁short ened ▁to ▁"( We ' re ▁G onna )