79 Years Ago, Hank Williams Recorded One of the Earliest Examples of Rock and Roll With the Song That Put Him on the Road to Stardom

On this day (April 21) in 1947, Hank Williams stepped into Castle Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, to record “Move It on Over.” The song would become his first hit and help his career gain momentum. It has also been cited as one of the earliest examples of rock and roll, proving that Williams’ influence over American music runs deep.

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Today, “Move It on Over” is among the best-known of Williams’ songs. From its 12-bar blues foundations to its humorous lyrics about being in the literal doghouse, the song has had incredible longevity. However, many listeners may not realize how important the track was to Williams’ career and the progression of American music.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1947, Hank Williams Recorded a Single That Would Be the Blueprint for Songs That Made Him an Icon]

At the time, Williams had released a handful of singles on Sterling Records. None of those reached the country charts. “Move It on Over” was his first release on MGM Records. The backing of a major label was only part of what made the song what it is. Producer Fred Rose employed Red Foley’s backing band, the Cumberland Valley Boys, to play on the sessions. Williams also borrowed a decades-old melody to construct his first hit.

“Move It on Over” put Williams on the map. It sold roughly 100,000 copies and rocketed to No. 4 on the Billboard country chart. More importantly, the song’s success landed him a spot on The Louisiana Hayride. His time on the popular radio program would introduce him to a nationwide audience. Moreover, royalties from the song allowed him to buy a car and put a down payment on a house. It was also written about in the Alabama Journal, marking the first song of Williams’ to get press attention.

Hank Williams Was a Rock and Roll Pioneer

According to uDiscover Music, Hank Williams looked to “one of the first hits in recorded Black music” for inspiration. The song started as “Jim Jackson’s Kansas City Blues,” recorded by Jim Jackson twenty years before the session that produced “Move It on Over.” Two years later, Charley Patton transformed it into “Going to Move to Alabama.” In 1939, Count Basie transformed the song once again, creating “Your Little Red Wagon.” Williams’ recording benefits from the big-band swagger and call-and-response of Basie’s rendition.

In 1955, Bill Haley & His Comets topped the Billboard charts with “Rock Around the Clock.” It was the first rock song to become a major pop hit. However, it owes as much to Williams, Basie, Jackson, and Patton as it does to Blackboard Jungle for its success.

“Move It on Over” is a perfect illustration of how important Hank Williams’ legacy is to not just country music but American music as a whole. Moreover, it illustrates how much early country and rock borrowed from jazz, blues, and the largely unsung Black artists who laid much of the groundwork for generations of popular music.

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