Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
"Rumble" is an instrumental by Link Wray & His Ray Men and released as a single in 1958.The significance of Wray and his style is that he is considered the first to use distortion and the amplified power cord method probably due to his hearing problem. Power chords are a key element of many styles of rock and especially heavy metal music. The song was actually recored in 1954 and was titled "Oddball" and only played at live gigs by Wray and his band. One scenario suggests that Phil Everly (Everly Brothers) suggested changing the name to Rumble for the 1958 release, because it sounded like a street fight. Indeed it was banned in several radio markets because that term was a slang for gang fighting and for fear that the song's harsh sound glorified juvenile delinquency back then. None the less, it became a hit reaching the #16 spot on the U.S. chart. The song was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2018. On a lesser note, "Rumble" was used as the theme song for a popular TV horror show called Shock Theater.
"Rumble" is an instrumental by Link Wray & His Ray Men and released as a single in 1958.The significance of Wray and his style is that he is considered the first to use distortion and the amplified power cord method probably due to his hearing problem. Power chords are a key element of many styles of rock and especially heavy metal music. The song was actually recored in 1954 and was titled "Oddball" and only played at live gigs by Wray and his band. One scenario suggests that Phil Everly (Everly Brothers) suggested changing the name to Rumble for the 1958 release, because it sounded like a street fight. Indeed it was banned in several radio markets because that term was a slang for gang fighting and for fear that the song's harsh sound glorified juvenile delinquency back then. None the less, it became a hit reaching the #16 spot on the U.S. chart. The song was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2018. On a lesser note, "Rumble" was used as the theme song for a popular TV horror show called Shock Theater.
