This American Songwriter piece looks back at four classic rock-and-roll songs that were staples of the jukeboxes found in diners and bars from the 1940s to the 1970s. Framed as a nostalgic celebration of an era when jukeboxes were ubiquitous, the article highlights tracks that remain widely enjoyed today and reflects on their origins and influence on popular music.

The four selections are Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog", Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll", Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" and Bill Haley & His Comets' "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock". The piece notes that several were not originals: "Hound Dog" was first recorded by blues singer Big Mama Thornton in the early 1950s before Elvis's version topped multiple charts for 11 weeks, while "Blueberry Hill" had been recorded by various orchestras before Domino's 1956 take. It also recounts that Seger rewrote much of "Old Time Rock & Roll" without taking a credit — something he later called "the dumbest thing I ever did" — and that Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" became the first rock song to reach number one, following an earlier release by Sonny Dae And His Knights.