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List of twist songs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dancing Twist, Berlin, 17 May 1964

The following songs, in alphabetical order by year, are associated with the dance "The Twist" and the associated cultural craze:

1959

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  • "The Twist" (Hank Ballard) – originally released by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side, but going to No. 1 in the US upon being covered by Chubby Checker (released 1959, charted in 1960 and 1962),[1] who would become the artist most associated with the Twist phenomenon. The song was subsequently covered numerous times, often by Checker himself, including a duet with the Fat Boys in 1988.

1960

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1961

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Note: These last two are compound sequel songs, with "Tequila Twist" serving not only as a sequel to "The Twist", but also as a sequel to the Champs' 1958 hit "Tequila", and "Twist and Shout" serving as a sequel to both "The Twist" and the Isley Brothers' 1959 hit "Shout".

1962

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1963

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  • "Do the Twist" (Dale Hawkins) – The Isley Brothers (from the album Twisting and Shouting)
  • "Home on the Range Twist"/"Spaghetti Twist" – The Fortune Tellers (Japan release)[6]
  • "Twist It Up" (K. Mann-D. Appell) – Chubby Checker[2]
  • "Twist Train (Night Train)" (Washington, Lipkins, J. Forest) – The Brain Twist
  • "The Twister" (E. McDaniel) – Bo Diddley (UK release)
  • "Twisting & Shaking" – (J. T. Ratliff) J. T. Ratliff
  • "Wesoły Twist (The Gay Twist)" (F. Leszczyńska, H. Rostworowski) – Helena Majdaniec (Poland release)

1964–present

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References in other songs

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The following songs, while not songs specifically about the Twist or twisting, reference the dance/phenomenon in their lyrics.

Dance litany songs

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Several pop songs have referenced the Twist among several other songs, sometimes calling on listeners/dancers to change their dance step when the singer calls out the name of a different dance.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, p.74. Billboard. ISBN 9780823076772.
  2. ^ a b c d Bronson (2003), p.85.
  3. ^ a b Bronson (2003), p.93.
  4. ^ Bronson (2003), p.107.
  5. ^ "The Chipmunk Songbook" at AllMusic
  6. ^ a b c 45Cat.com. Retrieved June 28, 2020.