List of twist songs

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

• "The Twist" — written and originally released by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a b-side, but going to #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 (1988).

1960

• "Kissin' and Twistin'" — Fabian
• "Twistin' USA" — Danny and the Juniors, released as a b-side by Chubby Checker (1961^[2])

1961

• "Dear Lady Twist" — Gary "U.S." Bonds^[3]
• "Let Me Do My Twist" — Jo Ann Campbell
• "Let's Twist Again" — written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell, released by Chubby Checker^[2]
• "Oliver Twist" — Rod McKuen
• "The Peppermint Twist" — written by Joey Dee and Henry Glover, recorded and released by Joey Dee and the Starliters,^[4] going to #1 in the US (displacing Chubby Checker's "The Twist"), subsequently covered by Sweet (1974).
• "Rock-A-Hula Baby ("Twist" Special)" — Elvis Presley
• "Spanish Twist/Twist Español" and "Florida Twist" — Bill Haley & His Comets
• "Tequila Twist" — The Champs
• "Twist and Shout" — written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell, originally recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers (1962), and notably by The Beatles (1963) with John Lennon on the lead vocals, to be followed by numerous subsequent cover versions.

Note: These last two are sort of 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

• "The Alvin Twist" — The Chipmunks^[5]
• "Arkansas Twist" — Bobby Lee Trammell
• "The Basie Twist" — Count Basie
• "Bo's Twist", "Mama Don't Allow No Twistin'", and "The Twister" — Bo Diddley
• "Bristol Twistin' Annie" — The Dovells (No. 27)
• "Do You Know How To Twist?" by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters (No. 87)
• "Everybody's Twistin'" — Frank Sinatra
• "Hey, Let's Twist" — Joey Dee & the Starliters (No. 20)
• "Mister Twister", "Teach Me How to Twist", and "Kissin' Twist (Kiss 'n' Twist)" — Connie Francis
• "Percolator (Twist)" — Billy Joe & the Checkmates (No. 10)
• "Slow Twist" — Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp ^[2]
• "Soul Twist", "Twisting Time", and "Twisting with the King" — King Curtis
• "Twist-Her" — Bill Black's Combo (No. 26)
• "Twistin' All Night Long" — Danny and the Juniors
• "Twistin' and Kissin'" — Ronnie & the Hi-Lites (B-side of "I Wish That We Were Married")
• "Twistin' Matilda (And The Channel)" — Jimmy Soul (No. 22)
• "Twistin' Postman" — The Marvelettes

  Note: This record also served as a compound sequel, referencing not only "The Twist," but also The Marvellettes' 1961 number-one hit "Please, Mr. Postman"

• "Twisting Bells" — Santo and Johnny
• "Twistin' the Night Away" — written and originally released by Sam Cooke (No. 9), with a charting cover by Rod Stewart (No. 59, 1973 and 1987) and additional covers by the Marvelettes (1962) and Divine (1985)
• "Twistin' with Linda" — The Isley Brothers
• "Twist, Twist Senora" — Gary "U.S." Bonds^[3]

1963

• "Twist It Up" — Chubby Checker^[2]

1964-Present

• "Whole Lotta Twistin'" — Professor Longhair 1959-62 (date range of reissues on 1995's New Orleans Twist Party)
• "Twisting by the Pool" — Dire Straits (1983)
• "Twisting" — They Might Be Giants (1990)
• "The Denial Twist" — The White Stripes (2005)
• "Then I Go Twisting" — Erasure (2011)

References in Other Songs

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

• "Shake a Tail Feather" — Originally recorded in 1963 by The Five Du-Tones. Notable covers have been done by Mitch Ryder, The Monkees, The Kingsmen and Ray Charles.
• "My Kingdom" — Echo & the Bunnymen (1984)
• "Aneuryism" — Nirvana (1996)

Dance Litany Songs

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.

• "Land of a Thousand Dances" — Chris Kenner (1963). Covered by many acts, including most notably by Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Picket.
• "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" — James Brown (1965)
• "Do the Strand" — Roxy Music (1973)
• "Shake a Tail Feather" — Ray Charles (1980). While listed above as a song that merely references "The Twist," the Charles version that he performed in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers added additional lyrics in which Charles additionally calls for the Monkey, The Frug and the Mashed Potato, to be performed by a crowd gathered outside Ray's Music Exchange.

See also

• Twist (dance)#Twist hits on Billboard
• The Continental Twist (1961)
• Twist Around the Clock (1961)
• (Hey) Let's Twist (1962)
• Don't Knock the Twist (1962)

References

1. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, p.74. Billboard. ISBN 9780823076772.
2. Bronson (2003), p.85.
3. Bronson (2003), p.93.
4. Bronson (2003), p.107.
5. "The Chipmunk Songbook" at AllMusic