The Twist through the Ages
Fifty year ago, Chubby Checker topped the pop charts with "The Twist" and in doing so, gave rise to one of rock 'n' roll’s most iconic dance crazes. It inspired countless other dances, such as the Jerk and the Mashed Potato, and songs, including "Twistin' the Night Away," and "Twist and Shout." It also came to be emblematic of pop culture from the early 1960s. Here are several versions and spin-offs, from Checker's original cover to the employees of Sterling Cooper on "Mad Men."
Chubby Checker on ABC's "American Bandstand"
In 1961 Bill Haley recorded a version of "Let's Twist Again" for the Mexican market called "Más Twist."
A 1962 duet with Dee Dee Sharp, "Slow Twistin'", reached #3 on the national charts.
The Beatles' cover of the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout" was among their first American chart hits in 1964. Here they are performing at Shea Stadium a year later.
In 1988, "The Twist" became popular once again, thanks to a new recording of the song by rappers The Fat Boys featuring Chubby Checker. This version reached number two in the U.K.
Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction featured John Travolta and Uma Thurman dancing the Twist to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" as part of the Jack Rabbit Slim's Twist Contest.
In an early episode of Mad Men ("The Hobo Code"), Peggy Olsson and several other employees of Sterling Cooper display their twisting prowess to Chubby Checker's version. (1:30 in)
