Song Details
- Artist
- Buddy Holly and the Crickets
- Album
- The "Chirping" Crickets
- Released
- 1957
- Genre
- Rock & Roll
- Length
- 2:18
¶ Deep Analysis
"That'll Be the Day" is a masterpiece of economy. In just over two minutes, Buddy Holly laid out the blueprint for the self-contained rock band: two guitars, bass, and drums, writing and singing their own songs.
John Wayne Inspiration
The title phrase was inspired by John Wayne's recurring line in the movie *The Searchers* ("That'll be the day!"). Holly and drummer Jerry Allison saw the film and wrote the song shortly after.
Holly's "hiccup" vocal style—a unique stuttering delivery—became his trademark and influenced everyone from The Beatles to Elvis Costello. It added a nervous, youthful energy that perfectly captured the feeling of teenage romance.
@ History & Impact
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1
The First Recording
The song was the first track ever recorded by The Quarrymen (the band that became The Beatles) in a small Liverpool studio in 1958.
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2
Decca Rejection
Holly originally recorded a slower version for Decca Records, but they refused to release it and dropped him. He then re-recorded the hit version with producer Norman Petty.