THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

484-Lonnie Donegan-Rock Island Line.

1955-Number 8 single.

Best Bit-At 2.30. This is one of the most important songs in the development of Pop Music, as it influenced many of the next generations top musicians.

The genre of ‘Skiffle’ is Folk music, with influences of Jazz, and Blues, that developed in the early part of the 20th Century in America. Artists who performed Skiffle would use homemade, or improvised instruments such as the ‘washboard,’ ‘musical saw,’ and ‘comb and paper kazoos,’ by the 1940’s the term ‘Skiffle’ had disappeared from American music.

‘Skiffle’ was all but forgotten, until it’s revival in the mid 1950’s in the UK, by it’s main proponent Lonnie Donegan (1931-2002.) British teenagers saw that it was possible to form bands, and make music with a very low cost budget. Among those who were influenced was future ‘Beatle’ John Lennon, who formed the Skiffle group, the ‘Quarrymen’ in 1956. The English singer/songwriter Billy Bragg has compared the development of Skiffle in Britain in the 1950’s to ‘Punk Rock’ in the 1970’s, noting that Skiffle was a revolt by young people against the culture of their parents, and allowed them to create their own style of music without expensive equipment, or great musical virtuosity.

‘Rock Island Line’ is an American Folk song that was written in 1929 by Clarence Wilson, who was a member of the ‘Rock Island Colored Booster Quartet,’ a singing group which was made up of employees of the ‘Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad.’ The original lyrics bare little resemblance to later versions, including Donegan’s cover, as artists would develop the song in their own way over the years.Lonnie Donegan (see also best songs 136) was born Anthony James Donegan on April 29th, 1931, in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland, he died on November 3rd, 2002 at the age of 71, after a heart attack, he had suffered with heart complications since 1976. Donegan got to know about the ‘Rock Island Line’ song after hearing it performed on record by the Blues performer ‘Lead Belly’ (1888-1949.) The song would go on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide, giving Donegan the first of his 29 UK top 40 singles between 1955-1962. Donegan is recognised as the most successful, and influential recording artists before the Beatles.

‘Well if you want to ride, you gotta ride it like you find it.Get your ticket at the station of the Rock Island Line. Well I maybe right, or I maybe wrong, you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.’