In the early ’60s dance crazes were sweeping through teen culture. “The Mashed Potato,” “The Watusi,” and “The Frug” were just a few of the dances celebrated by teens. But the dance which started all the other dance fads was Chubby Checker’s song/dance titled “The Twist.” Released in 1960, The Twist was one more example of an early rock ‘n’ roll hit coming out of the historic musical formula called the 12 bar blues. With three lines of text in each verse and simply three chords (I-IV-V), the 12 bar blues was the basis for songs from W. C. Handy, Son House, Count Basie, Elvis Presley, Cream, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.
