BBC Music

Rock Island Line: The Song That Made Britain Rock (2019x19)

Air date: Apr 12, 2019

In January 1956, a new pop phenomenon appeared in the UK charts: a British artist playing the guitar. His name was Lonnie Donegan, and the song he sang was Rock Island Line. Donegan’s rough-and-ready style was at odds with the polished crooners who dominated the charts. He played the guitar in a way that sounded like anyone could do it. Rock Island Line sounded like nothing else on the radio, and it inspired a generation of British youths to pick up guitars and begin a journey that would take them to the top of the American charts.