‘Rock Around the Clock,’ Bill Haley and His Comets

Bill Haley and the Comets’ 1955 album, “Rock Around the Clock.”

Yes, “Rock Around the Clock.”

I realize that most people don’t think of the 1955 rock landmark as a Jersey song: Bill Haley and HisComets were, after all, from the Philadelphia area, and not usuallyassociated with New Jersey.But Haley and his pre-Comets band, the Saddlemen, developed their sound while playing regularly at the Twin Bar (now known as Jack’s Bar and Grille) in Gloucester City, Camden County, and the Comets first played “Rock Around the Clock” for an audience in Wildwood, in 1954. So, that’s Jersey enough for us.

“Rock Around the Clock” was a No. 1 hit, and though it wasn’t the first rock song, it was the one that brought the sound of rock to the masses, and set the stage for Elvis Presley to become rock’s first real superstar.

New Jersey celebratedits 350th birthday from Sept. 2014 to Sept. 2015. Andin the 350 Jersey Songs series, we markedthe occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, for almost a year — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. The complete list is here.