THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

973-Danny & the Juniors-Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay.

1958-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.56. They must have been psychic.

Danny & the Juniors are a ‘Doo-Wop,’ and ‘Rock N’ Roll’ vocal group that was formed in 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, by Danny Rapp, (1941-1983) (lead vocal) Frank Maffei, (2nd tenor) Joe Terranova, (1941-2019) (baritone) and David White Tricker, (1939-2019) (first tenor.) The quartet had met while attending ‘John Bartram High School’ in Southwest, Philadelphia, and at the time of writing they remain active, with Frank Maffei, who is the groups one constant, performing with his brother Booby Maffai.

The quartet started out life performing at local events as the ‘Juvenaires,’ where they were discovered by the American songwriter/producer John Madara, who got then signed to their first recording contract in 1957. It was Madara, and David White Tricker who wrote the groups first recording ‘Do the Bop,’ as ‘Johnny Madara and The Juvenaires.’ Artie Singer (1919-2008) who co-owned the record label (‘Singular Records’) that ‘Do the Bop’ was recorded on then took the song to the influential American television presenter Dick Clark, (1929-2012) who suggested the group change their name to the ‘Juniors,’ and also rename the song. The song was re-recorded as ‘At the Hop,’ and went to Number 1 on Billboard, selling in excess of 1.5 million copies in America.

The discography of ‘Danny & the Juniors’ excluding re-issues includes 18 singles released between 1957-1964, they have never released a studio Album, but the first of many compilation Albums ‘Rockin’ With Danny and The Juniors’ was issued in 1983. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles, three of their songs have made the top 40, with ‘At the Hop,’ making Number 1, and ‘Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay,’ reaching Number 19. In the UK, only ‘At the Hop’ has charted, when making Number 3 in 1958, and also reaching Number 39 when re-issued in 1976.

‘Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay’ was written by David White Tricker, and produced by Artie Singer, being released as the follow up single to ‘At the Hop’ in January 1958. Other charts hits written by Tricker, with John Madara include the ‘feminist anthem’ ‘You Don’t Own Me,’ for Lesley Gore (Billboard Number 2 1964) and ‘1-2-3,’ for Len Barry (Billboard Number 2, and UK Number 3 in 1965.) ‘Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay’ is one of the songs performed by the American Rock N’ Roll band ‘Sha Na Na’ in the 1978 movie ‘Grease’ (see also best songs 768.) ‘Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay’ is also alluded to by Neil Young in his 1979 song ‘My My, Hey Hey, (Out of the Blue’) (see also best songs 602) where he sings ‘Rock and Roll is here to stay’ in a mocking manner, as he expresses his disillusionment with fame.

By 1958 the ‘new fad’ of ‘Rock N’ Roll’ music was in danger of disappearing just as quickly as it had arrived. Elvis Presley (1935-1977) (see also best songs 954-664-442 and 194) was in the army, and Little Richard, (1932-2020) (see also best songs 521) Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022) (see also best songs 678-362 and 99) and Chuck Berry (1926-2017) (see also best songs 548-308 and 30) were causing more than their fare share of controversy. ‘Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay’ was written as a rallying cry that ‘Rock N’ Roll’ was now a part of everyday life, as there were some conservative American radio stations, including ‘KWK’ in St. Louis, that had called on their listeners to ‘smash these undesirable Rock and Roll records.’

‘If you don’t like Rock ‘N Roll, think what you’ve been missin,’ but if you like to bop and strawl, come on down and listen. Let’s all start to have a ball, everybody Rock ‘N Roll.’