"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written by Carl Perkins, an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He first recorded it in December 1955 at Memphis Recording Service, produced by Sam Phillips for Sun Records, and it was released in early 1956 as Sun 234, with "Honey Don't" on the B-side. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, combining elements of blues, country and pop. Perkins based the song on the nursery rhyme "One for the Money", improvising the lyric on his guitar. It topped the Memphis charts and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the country charts while Perkins was in hospital after a car crash in March 1956. It sold more than one million copies by mid-April 1956, earning a gold record. Elvis Presley recorded it at RCA Victor on 30 January 1956; his single, released in August 1956, reached number 20, and the song opens his debut album of that year. Later versions by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Paul McCartney followed. The song is recognised by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (1986) and the National Recording Registry (2006).
