"At the Hop" is a 1950s pop song written byArtie Singer,John Medora, andDavid White and originally released byDanny & the Juniors.[1] The song was first issued circa October 1957 on a small Philadelphia label (Singular 711) and included a countdown, before being acquired by ABC-Paramount and reissued as ABC-Paramount 9871 in November. It reached number one on the Cash Box[2] and Billboard[3] charts in January, becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958.[4] "At the Hop" also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers list.[5] Somewhat more surprisingly, the record reached #3 on the Music Vendor country charts. It was also a big hit elsewhere, which included number 1 for 3 weeks inCanada and a number 3 placing on the UK charts.[6]
The song was written by White, Medora, and Singer in 1957, when Danny & the Juniors were still called The Juvenairs. Initially called "Do the Bop",[8] the song was heard byDick Clark, who expressed concern that the dance fad of doing The Bop was on its way out, so he suggested they change the band name to the Juniors and the chorus from "Let's all do the Bop" to "Let's go to the Hop".[9][10] After they performed the song on Clark's showAmerican Bandstand, it gained popularity and went to the top of the US charts, remaining at number one for five weeks.[4]
The song describes the scene at arecord hop, particularly the dances being performed and the interaction with thedisc jockey host.
A sample of the song's lyrics (contemporary popular dances in italics):
On the 2008 nationally televisedPBS documentaryWages of Spin: Dick Clark, American Bandstand and the Payola Scandals,[11] Singer claimed thatDick Clark would not play "At the Hop" without receiving half of the publishing proceeds. Singer agreed to make the payments and called the situation "bittersweet" because although he didn't like having to give the money, he credited his success in the music industry to Clark and therefore was grateful to him.Payola was not illegal at the time and Clark sold the song prior to the 1960 payola hearings.
The song was covered and recorded between October 1984 and January 1985 byThe Beach Boys for their1985 self-titled album, though it never made the final cut.
"At The Hop" was covered by Austrian singerFreddy Quinn in 1958.[12]
American retro rock-and-roll bandFlash Cadillac & the Continental Kids covered the song as part of the sound track for the 1973 filmAmerican Graffiti. In the film, the band portrayed a fictional band named Herby and the Heartbeats. The cover was released as a single in 1973.
Les Forbans recorded a cover in 1983 under the title "Leve ton ful de là".
In 1973 a Danish version,Rend og hop, was recorded by the local bandBamses Venner.
The Delltones released a version of ("At The Hop") on their 1983 Album ("Bop 'Till Ya Drop").
TheKidsongs franchise covered this song in their 1997 home video, "I Can Dance".
Scooter performs this song on theTeresa Brewer episode ofThe Muppet Show. Some frogs joined him, and, upon reaching the chorus, began jumping around. Although Scooter tried to tell them to finish the song, they didn't, and, like multiple songs on the show, the song ended abruptly.
The song appears on the following compilation albums.
A Million or More Best Sellers, ABC-Paramount, 1958 (ABC 216)
At the Hop, ABC Records, 1978 (AA-1111/2)
Party Time Fifties, JCI, 1985, LP and CD (JCI 3201)
Vintage Music, Volume One, MCA Records, 1986 (MCA-1429), CD (MCA-31198)
A live recording is included on the soundtrack albumLet the Good Times Roll, Bell Records, 1973 (Bell 9002), and re-issued onLet the Good Times Roll Again, Arista Records, 1982 (ABM 2004).
