Everly Brothers’ topped both country, pop charts with ‘Wake Up, Little Susie’

Throughout the history of recorded music, there have been recordings that were banned from radio station airplay because of suggestive lyrics.

This month in 1957, one of pop and country music’s most popular recordings was at the top of the “banned lyrics” list.

Husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant had written a song titled “Wake Up Little Susie.” Boudleaux took a tape of the song to his publisher, Wesley Rose of Acuff Rose Music. Rose took the song to Cadence Records’ Archie Bleyer – who immediately disliked the song because the lyrics suggested that Susie and her boyfriend had slept together at the drive-in movie.

Don and Phil Everly had previously recorded for Columbia Records but the label terminated their contract after four releases.

They had previously auditioned for Archie Bleyer at Cadence Records and he had turned them down. But after a second listen, he signed The Everly Brothers to a recording contract. The brothers heard the demo of “Wake Up Little Susie,” liked it and recorded it despite Bleyer’s objections.

Several radio stations refused to play the record because of the “suggestive lyrics” but in spite of the ban, the Everly Brothers Cadence Records single “Wake Up Little Susie” came on the country charts in September 1957 and quickly made the No. 1 slot. The record stayed in the No. 1 position for eight weeks and on the country charts for 22 weeks. It was their second Cadence Records release and their second No. 1.

The record also made it to the No. 1 slot on the pop charts in October 1957.

The Everly Brothers were unique to the music business, not only for their commercially crafted recordings but because they were one of the first consistently successful rock n’ roll acts to come out of Nashville, Tennessee. Their songs came from Nashville songwriters, were recorded in Nashville with Nashville musicians – yet their records left their mark on both the pop and country charts.

The Everly Brothers placed 17 songs on the country charts between 1957 and 1989, including four No. 1s.

Eleven of their 17 country charted songs also scored on the pop charts.

Don and Phil joined The Grand Ole Opry in 1957. They were inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001 and the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986. They were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 1997.

Don Everly passed away in 2021. Phil Everly died in 2014.