Buddy Holly produced some of the most distinctive and influential work in the history of rock and roll. A major influence on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Elton John, Buddy Holly and the Crickets were the template for all rock bands that followed. Includes all his major hits including Peggy Sue, Rave On, That’ll Be The Day, and many more. Includes a FREE download card allowing you to download the full album.

Buddy Holly’s influence was as profound and eternal as his career was brief and tragic. Over little more than two years between 1956 and 1958, he wrote and recorded some of the most perfect rock’n’roll records of all time. Half a dozen years later when the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, the first question John Lennon asked was, ‘Is this the stage Buddy Holly played on?’

His recording career began in early 1956 when he travelled to Nashville to cut several sides for Decca. Released under the name Buddy Holly after the label had misspelt his name, from those sessions ‘Blue Days, Black Nights‘, ‘Love Me’, ‘Modern Don Juan’ and ‘You Are My One Desire’ are included here.

When these early releases failed to chart and his contract was not renewed, he teamed up with producer Norman Petty at his studio in Clovis, New Mexico, where they cut a demo of ‘That’ll be The Day’. After the tape had been sent to Brunswick, the label was so impressed they didn’t bother re-cutting the song but released the demo as a single in May 1957. It took Holly to number one on both sides of the Atlantic and over the next 18 months an unstoppable flood of great songs followed.