Jerry Lee Lewis, a.k.a. “the Killer,” rose to prominence as a rockabilly icon for Sun Records. Due to his talent, exuberant performances, and eccentric personality, American singer and pianist Bruce Springsteen is regarded as a pioneer of rock music. After ten years in the business, he transitioned to country music.
Here are some of Jerry Lee Lewis’ songs you should definitely listen to!
1. “Great Balls of Fire”
The Jerry Lee Lewis song “Great Balls of Fire” from the 1957 movie Jamboree was released on Sun Records and rapidly became a smash. The script was written by Jack Hammer and Otis Blackwell. The 1957 song by Lewis was chosen by Rolling Stone as the 96th greatest song of all time. The song became one of the top-grossing songs at the time after selling one million copies in the US in the first ten days of its release.
2. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On”
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” was Lewis’ first top ten hit, peaking at number eight in the UK and at the top of the US Country chart. Additionally, it rose to position three on the US Billboard 100. Written by Dave Curlee Williams, Big Mabelle recorded it first before it was made popular by Lewis. Originally a non-album song, it was finally featured on “Original Golden Hits- Volume 1.”
3. “Chantilly Lace”
In 1958, The Big Bopper created this rock and roll song. The production was overseen by Jerry Kennedy. “Chantilly Lace,” which also uses the same chord progression as Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen,” was initially recorded for Pappy Daily’s D label before being acquired by Mercury Records and was published in the summer of 1958. On the other hand, Lewis’ rendition from 1972 landed in the top fifty of the US pop charts, hit the Top 40 of the UK pop charts, and spent three weeks at the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
4. “Crazy Arms”
Many artists from other genres, including country music, have performed “Crazy Arms.” Just a few weeks after its initial release in 1956, a young Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song at Memphis’ Sun Studios, launching The Killer’s career.
5. “There Must Be More to Love Than This”
Jerry Lee Lewis released “There Must Be More to Love Than This” as a single in 1970. The fourth country song of Lewis to reach the top of the charts. Two of the fourteen weeks the song was on the chart were spent at the top. Thomas LaVerne and Bill Taylor contributed to the writing of this song.
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6. “Would You Take Another Chance On Me”
Jerry Lee Lewis attained fifth time in number one on the country music chart with the release of this song in 1971. It lasted 16 weeks at the top of the charts despite only spending one week there. It was recorded for the accompanying album and was written by Bill Rice and Jerry Kennedy.
7. “She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye”
Mickey Newbury and Doug Gilmore wrote She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye, which Lewis released as the first single from his album of the same name. It debuted at number one in Canada and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Newbury, Kenny Rogers, The First Edition, and Ronnie Milsap all covered the song.
8. “High School Confidential”
By departing from tradition, Lewis and his piano elevate “High School Confidential” to a new level. The song served as the music for the same-named movie starring Mamie Van Doren and Russ Tamblyn. Lewis was mentioned in the credits. The single version is among his greatest, but there is reportedly a live recording from the Star Club in Germany in 1964 that is even more frenetic and virtually mad.
9. “Mean Woman Blues”
It was published and recorded in Germany in 1964; you can almost hear the plaster falling from the ceiling and the sweat dripping down the walls. This is in part caused by the excited crowd, but the American rock ‘n’ roll pioneer gives it all significance. Lewis has the perfect backing from the British rock group The Nashville Teens for this nearly punk-style performance.
10. “I’m on Fire”
In 1964, when the Beatles’ debut had turned the music industry on its head, rockers from the previous decade strove to compete in every manner they could. In reality, Jerry Lee Lewis covered an early Strangeloves hit called “I’m on Fire.” It was one of his last songs to top the pop charts and was written by Feldmam, Goldstein, and Gottehrer, three songwriting teams from New York City who also wrote the successes “I Want Candy” and “Cara Lin.”
Here are Some More Jerry Lee Lewis songs You Should Listen to:
With so many great Jerry Lee Lewis songs, it’s definitely hard to choose which ones are the best. With that, here are some honorable mentions.
Lewis was the first mad rock and roll performer. He has been a true legend from his early days at Sun Records to his most current critically lauded recordings. His showmanship was exceptional in and of itself. His unruly hair would hang in his face while he played his instrument and would occasionally be pulled away to reveal a frightening expression. No wonder why many Jerry Lee Lewis Songs are still hyped even up to this day.
