Uploaded August 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Written and recorded in 1955 by American country singer-songwriter Carl Perkins, "Blue Suede Shoes" remains one of the staple rock and roll standards. Released in 1956 on the Sun Records label, it reached the #2 position on the Billboard Hot 100 and country charts. Perkins became the first country artist to reach the #3 spot on the R&B charts. Based on a story he heard from Johnny Cash , and later, after an incident Perkins experienced himself while playing at a dance when he overheard an exclamation by a young man telling his girlfriend not to step on his 'blue suede shoes', he had the inspiration to write the song. He initially penned the title as "Blue Swade Shoes" later admitting he couldn't even spell it right". Although Perkins had good success with the song, Elvis Presley had even better success with his own cover version. Carl Perkins is in the R&R Hall of Fame, and "Blue Suede Shoes" was inducted also as one of the '500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll'. Perkins' version was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2006 as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Written and recorded in 1955 by American country singer-songwriter Carl Perkins, "Blue Suede Shoes" remains one of the staple rock and roll standards. Released in 1956 on the Sun Records label, it reached the #2 position on the Billboard Hot 100 and country charts. Perkins became the first country artist to reach the #3 spot on the R&B charts. Based on a story he heard from Johnny Cash , and later, after an incident Perkins experienced himself while playing at a dance when he overheard an exclamation by a young man telling his girlfriend not to step on his 'blue suede shoes', he had the inspiration to write the song. He initially penned the title as "Blue Swade Shoes" later admitting he couldn't even spell it right". Although Perkins had good success with the song, Elvis Presley had even better success with his own cover version. Carl Perkins is in the R&R Hall of Fame, and "Blue Suede Shoes" was inducted also as one of the '500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll'. Perkins' version was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2006 as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
