The Only Instrumental Banned On American Radio 

Writing an instrumental song that gets banned for its content is god-tier musicianship.

Saw him play Rumble live and met him after his show at a small blues club in Pittsburgh- Loudest concert I was ever at up to that point- and his amps were cranked and facing the back walls haha- I said something like this to Link, “I been covering a couple of your tunes at my shows with my band and want to ask if you thought that’s ok?” He replied “F#%^ Ya!” Hahahhaa he was so cool and such a nice guy! He also signed my Danelectro!

It's the attitude of the 'Rumble' riff that sets it apart. Its slow tempo conveys its menace perfectly.

Wray’s daughter has been petitioning for years. I am so glad he was finally inducted. Truly a great piece of music.

The first time I listened to this song was in Pulp Fiction. I bought the soundtrack because of the music. I loved this song in particular. Greetings from Spain.

the best riffs are always the simplest. The tone and timing create the magic.

Rumble was eye opening for me as a Native American. It was an affirmation for me to pursue music.

I started playing rock and roll guitar in 1960. Rumble was the first 45 I bought. It was one of those “Man o’ man, I gotta have that record” songs. Probably the first song I learned to play. I still have that 45. It’s still a great song.

I often find myself calling Rumble the very first Hard rock tune, I mean it literally taught me the E minor Pentatonic scale!!

Link's riff captures and encapsulates the spirit of rock and roll like very few others do, right up there with what Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley did. As for the "Rumble" documentary about the influence of Native Americans on the genre, it deserves to be a lot more popular than it seems to be, as it adds a whole new perspective to the history of contemporary music, from blues and jazz through rock to hip hop.

It is important to remember songs like this in their context. At the time music listeners would have been bombarded with orchestral country numbers and bubblegum pop - so if you heard this song it would deliver a legitimate shock and you'd either want to hear it immediately again... or call for it to be banned as dangerous.

You forgot to mention that my uncle Link invented the power cord. I like his instrumentals but also loved his later albums. For examples the song Back woods preacher man which was also covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Fire and brimstone which is also covered in the movie lawless. The song I got to ramble. And Good time Joe. When he was still riding and working on this home good time Joe. He stopped by our house told my dad this new song he was writing. Played the riff but he said he hadn't got the baseline figured out yet for the song. My dad went and grabbed his bass guitar and said what about this link any played the baseline for his song. Link got so excited he said that's it that's it that's the baseline. Memory sitting there watching them to work on that song was so cool. I grew up watching him and my father sit around in my living room playing music to three and 4:00 in the morning. Watching them both trade licks on their guitar it was good times.

“Honey hide the children someone just played 2 chords that’s going to start a riot!”

When I was a kid, back in the '70s, I found a copy of this in amongst my dad's old record collection. It was in there with some Duane Eddy, The Shadows, Eddie Cocheran and a whole bunch of other old stuff. He used to let me play them when it was too wet or cold outside to go and play. Rumble stood out to me from all the other discs, it was just dripping with rebellious attitude, and I loved it.

Rumble is so cool that it was one of the things I had to learn when I first started playing guitar.

I remember reading that the second guitar in "Immigrant Song" that comes in alongside the verse was based on how "Rumble" is played. Really cool detail. I saw Bob Dylan a few years back, and he did "Cry A While" set to a version of "Rumble" altered to fit the chords/melody of the other song. Even played the same guitar solo. I thought that was such a cool moment.

The first 45 single I ever bought. But you never mentioned one of the key features that drew me to that recording, the gradually increasing tremolo! Through most of the song there is just the slightest hint of tremolo effect at the end of each phrase. Then in the last 30 seconds or so, Wray (or somebody in the studio) gradually cranks up the effect on his amp. By the end as the songs fades, the tremolo is going full force and chops the guitar sound into a thick buttery ripple. I loved it!

This is the first song I learned on guitar. I believe Jimmy Page said the song was "life changing".

Saw an interview (maybe 20 years ago or so) with Link and a group of Native North American musicians in which he recounted the origin story of Rumble and added that after he was signed, he rather liked playing Dsus (rather than DMajor) in the verse because it had a slightly sinister tone to it, but he was already getting enough grief from certain industry authority figures (about the time of the radio bans) so no "official" changes. Otherwise, he did what he pleased, when he pleased. Rock on, Link!

In the early ‘60s Link lived in Washington DC. He often played the college party circuit. That is how I got to meet him and his band. At Cornell in during this time we had 3 party week ends and Frats would book bands that to play Friday and Sat at many locations. Our house contracted him for multiple years and I was able to get to know him. He and the band members were easy to talk to and made the party a life time experience; We had brothers that would sit in and play with him and sing along with some songs. Our dates were impressed out of their minds. I have party pictures with him.

"Not because of the technical prowess or how hard it is to play..." Another music channel I watch and quite enjoy is from a musician who comes from a background of a lot of more "complex" genres like jazz/progressive etc. And recently I watched them evaluating parts from a punk song, and just so many comments along the lines of "when there's this few pieces, every little change you make has such a huge impact". And being me, I'm watching thinking to myself "Well, &*^$ing Duh!" while also having to bear in mind that there are a lot of musicians who write off anything with fewer than 4 key changes, 3 time signatures, a minimum number of swept arpeggios, etc etc. When you strip down to the bare bones, every little thing matters so much more. Complex song? Something can be 'meh' but don't worry, blink and you've missed it, something else is happening now. Something like this? Every choice carries weight. Minor variations equate to big changes. The little drags across the beat of the drums, where the guitar and even bass drag just a hair behind the beat now and then? They don't pass by in the blur of a million other *things*, they add weight and tension because they're *right there*.

1974-ish, I went and saw Link Wray in Austin, a large indoor venue into the next day with many groups playing. Link's turn, he comes onstage and sonic-booms a single 'warmup' chord, instantly paralyzing the crowd into full attention. During the short count into Rumble, Link only THEN steps on some kind of 8 kabillion megaton ancient alien tech planet-annihilation boost pedal and BAMMMMM!, into the song. I can still hear today....pure soaring joy was the in-concert built-in antidote. Thanks forever Link and gracious alien crew.

Love this song, bought the record back in 1958 and still have it. Recently started playing the guitar {i'm 82} and learned how to play Rumble, I wont say I'm real good but you would know what I was playing. I believe it when people say Rumble helped start heavy metal, it sure started something different when it came out in 1958.

Rumble was not banned in my state of Florida! It was played all the time on WLOF

Link Wray and the Wraymen's song "Rumble" arguably changed Rock music forever, introducing "Surf," "Grunge" and "Garage." In it's incredibly powerful simplicity, Link was the innovator of both the sound and the "Power Chord." Many bands were either influenced by this, or emulated this sound, particularly "The Cramps," and who else really knows. Wray's "Rawhide" is arguably the first Surf Instrumental, and "Deuces Wild" is just incredible!

Thanks Rhett! For us old european guys these rock history pills are very much appreciated. Keep on.

I was immediately pulled in by the “slap your face” tremolo level in the last few bars of the song. Such an influential jam

I use to have a 1958 Corvette and loved playing this song while driving around with the top down!!! I hear it now and I'm back in that car!!!

I'm a 60 year old rock musician still playing today. I hear so many people credit songs and groups as being pioneers of rock. I disagree with most because for me it was instrumentals that pioneered rock music. And this one is the best examples of that. Thanks for bringing this out of the collection. Rock on man

I am now 75 years old, and I have loved this song forever! Thank you for this video. It brought back so many memories.

Link also had lung issues, which is why he played instrumentals. His brother was the lead singer and went by the name of Ray Vernon, which is a reversal of his given name.

Fantastic to see Link highlighted Rhett. He’s amazing, check out his work with Robert Gordon. 👌

An artist ahead of his time. Amazing the influence he had on music and the song is still great sounding today.

Great story. You're right! It has influenced countless musicians over the years. Booker T and the MG's also comes to mind. Instrumentals touch musicians in many ways. Great video

Nice job Rhett. I've loved this song ever since I heard it back in the early 1960's and you did a marvelous job of explaining the chords and what makes this Hall Of Fame song so timelessly POWERFUL. The phrase that the bass and drums "That lets the guitar just float on top" is an epic description.

It is legitimately the first "tough riff" of Rock & Roll. It pointed to the "toughness" that was to come. Which is what Rock & Roll needed to point it in the right direction.

Link Wray being inducted into the R&R HOF is long overdue and so well deserved. He's also credited with developing the power chord. Rumble is such a great song for beginning guitarists to learn. It is the first song I learned to play all the way through in the same way Link played it in 1958. It's easy to play and sounds great. For someone just starting out, you get a lot of satisfaction and encouragement when you play the song. You think to yourself: wow, I just played a great song. I can really see why people like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend were so encouraged to learn how to play guitar. Once you get Rumble, the sky's the limit. 🎸🎸🎸

One of the coolest, most honest moments in IMGL is when Page plays air guitar to Rumble. Then he emphasizes the tremolo. That said it all for me! Filthy riff

Link Wray. Nice to see him getting some of the recognition he deserves. Now it's Lonnie Mack's turn.

I love Link Ray’s music and I was lucky and got to see him play at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on July 19, 2002. I still have the ticket stub. His son played bass but I don’t recall the drummer’s name. It was such a great show and experience. His wife was his guitar tech extraordinaire. Link was one of a kind for sure! Thanks for reminding us about Link and his rock-n-roll impact, Rhett!!

I think its bullshit that it took the RRHOF so long to induct Link Wray and the fucking Beastie Boys were in there in 2012, and Eminem was in 2022. That's fucked up.

Love watchin Wray walk around chewing bubble gum and blowin the speakers out. Legendary.

The first time I saw video of Link performing this he had to be around 7 and looked kinda silly (so I thought). Recently I saw footage of him back in the 1970s and he had such incredible swagger that it put the whole song in a new light for me.

There is a video from November 1974 of Link playing "Rumble" at Winterland in San Francisco. I was at that show and was standing right up front. Link was just plain Badass. And LOUD. It was wonderful!

Thanks so much for introducing me to this powerful musician! Never knew he existed till now. I believe this is where rock and roll started. The song is timeless. Could have been featured at Woodstock. Of course Buddy Holly was awesome too. Yet as I hear this piece, I hear groups like The Who, Jimmy Hendix, and of course Led Zeppelin. This is saved in my Favorites 😍

In the early 70s, Rumble was used as the opening theme for an early version of the Svengoolie show.

The progressively louder, fast tremolo towards the end of the instrumental deserves mention. I still have the original 45 rpm.

Simple, instructive, efficent, quick and to the point. Just like this riff, definitly a cool video 🤟

Rhett figured out how to clone people! Forget the song, this is a scientific breakthrough!

As well as 'Rumble' Link cut many other great instrumentals, 'Comanche' 'Deuces Wild' 'Jack the ripper' 'Bo Diddley' and though not much of a vocalist himself his band did provide backing on cult rockabilly classics like 'Boo hoo' by Marvin Rainwater and 'The girl can't dance' by Bunker Hill which is undoubtedly one of the heaviest sounding rock and roll records of its or any era.

I was 8 years old back in the spring of '73 when I heard Rumble for the first time, from a 45 my mom put on our old Philco stereo/tv. I got the fever. Begged my parents for an electric guitar and amplifier, but we were pretty poor. But I did extra chores and saved up my allowance all year. I finally got a cheapo electric and a cheapo amp from Sears Roebuck. The first song I learned to play was Rumble- and my dad showed me the chords. Man, what a great memory.

The story goes that the Who and Link Wray found they were working in the same recording studio whereupon Moon ripped off all his clothes and ran around yelling "Rumble! Rumble!". If it isn't true, it should be.

I can't even describe how much I've always loved this song. It stirs such raw emotion.

It is simple but, it inspired Page and others that are guitar heroes who were beginning to play; based on that criteria I'd say "Most Important" riff rather than greatest. He also invented primitive distortion so yeah, very important.

Love it. It creates an instant mood similar to how the intro in "Gimme Shelter" gives your mind the space to float.

Finally!!! Someone gives credit where credit is past-due. First hard/metal rock and Roll song, THE FIRST in 1958!

Rumble is the first song I learned to play on guitar that sounded like the recording. It was my first “I can do this” moment in learning to play guitar

This riff most definitely was the mother of hard rock. There was nothing else like it before and it took some time after the till someone picked up on it. Dave Davies of the Kinks found it and the rawness of his playing showed thru. No question he was inspired by Linc.

I was 15 when that song hit the radio and there were already electric guitar pioneers like Mickey and Sylvia, and Duane Eddy, who had altered my expectations of what guitars could sound like, so Link Wray just added to the potential "symphonic" & gigantic role that sustained & distorted guitar could play in a relatively small band. That combined with my exposure to blues artists who pushed guitar to still another place, was an inspiration for me as a novice guitar player

If Link got banned, Marty McFly would have been shot. 😉

The feel and the attitude of this song is amazing. The timing is what makes it amazing. The sound of the drums, the syncopation of the drum beat, and the fractional difference of where the drum beats vs the guitar chords and notes land on the beat was, to me, groundbreaking for 1958. I don't think anything sounded quite like this at the time. My interpretation is that the drums have a native-american spirituality to them, but then the guitar is like a raw Rock&Roll sound that I cannot point to in any other song released before Rumble. I think a lot of the Blues in the 1950s was more straight-up 12-bar blues. It didn't start on the flat-7th chord. The ordering of the chords in Rumble makes it sound intoxicated and off-balance. I have huge respect for early American Rock & Roll and also American 12-bar blues. I love Muddy Waters. I love Chuck Berry. I love Pink Anderson and Gary Davis. Link Wray took some of the chords from 12-bar blues and the harmonies from it, but then he mixed them up in Rumble to get a very different feel that didn't quite exist in country, blues or other early rock at the time.

More like the most basic riff of all time. Def not the best by far. Maybe Black dog or whole Lotta love.

Some songs will be cool forever.

I think the first time I really heard this was in the movie “Independence Day” when Randy Quaid’s character walks into the diner. Great song, simple, but to the point.

You are so right the riff, the time period, the influence are all so important. Thanks for posting.

I remember the first time I heard it. Watching Pulp Fiction for the first time. What a movie.

The first time I heard Rumble was when I was recruited by a blues-rock band. Rumble was the first song they played. I was instantly hooked. Even today, it is one of my favourite songs to play.

Growing up in Chicago in the 60s and 70s we had the weekend monster/horror movie show on UHF, "Screaming Yellow Theater", with the host Svengoolie who used Rumble as his opening and closing themes. This was the direct predecessor to the Svengoolie who is on MeTV these days with entirely different music. It was way more of a counterculture thing back then.

I watched the live version from ‘74 a while back. One of the most bone crushing fuzz tones I’ve ever heard. Great song

I love that doc IT MIGHT GET LOUD. It’s a must watch for guitarist and music lovers. I agree Rhett, amazing kool song! Thank you for sharing and covering this gem!

Spot on! This is such a cool riff, and song. It also doesn't really sound outdated at all to this date. Not many songs from that era still sound as good.

It truly is a POWERFUL RIFF and GUITAR COMPOSITION!! SIMPLER is often times BETTER!! "LINK WRAY" was just TOO COOL for words!!! RIP! About time he was inducted - should've been inducted when the place opened!!

Gotta agree. Easy to play and you learn to actually hold back on it a bit, so a great song for a beginner to feel inspired by.

Dude I been following you for few years....your advances in Production of your videos is amazing...such amazing progress...you have a knack for it man.....I patientlly wait for you videos such a pleasure to watch....keep it up Rhett awesome....I just noticed you playing bass and guitar same shot....lol very cool

I've loved this song since the 1960's, and I saw Link Wray live. Your mix needs more bass; that walking line was hypnotic!

"Rumble" truly is the embodiment of rock and roll: very in your face, full of street swagger, slicked back hair, cigarette box rolled up in your white tee-shirt sleeve, toothpick dangling from your lip, leather jacket slung over your shoulder, Ray Bans hiding a smoldering look....just daring someone to piss you off enough to start a rumble! (if only the musical guitar variety)

Me and my band covered Rumble when we first started out. Rumble is a classic and really started the wave of guitar solos and riffs as we know them.

The pearl-clutching at early rock always cracks me the fuck up, man. "Oh, goodness me! That down-tempo blues riff is gonna corrupt little Billy and Suzy and make them burn down the local five and dime!" I wish I could go back and play some really heavy stuff, see how many riots I cause by showing a 60's cat something like Be'lakor or Ne Obliviscaris. X'D Riots, aneurysms, or (my personal favorite) "Oh, that ain't godly. You need jesus. I'm calling the church right now."

-His original 1958 song 'Rumble' is bad azz. 2 Others by him that I've listened to over & again are his late 50s or early 60s songs 'Deuces Wild' & 'Ace Of Spades'. But also, in the 1980s Dick Dale of early 60s surf guitar fame got onstage live & did a fkn killer version of 'Rumble'! You might wanna give those a listen also.

It's actually kinda lame.

'Banned in Boston' explained: In the 1950's/1960's there was a section of Boston called the Combat Zone. It was where the adult entertainment was in the city, and where members of the assorted military branches would go on weekends. Well, you get a bunch of young men drunk, and looking for a scrap, brawls would ensue, hence the name the 'Combat Zone' Banning a song they feared might fuel the fights, kind of makes sense.

Would have been more approbate to Link to have been inducted by Poison Ivy.

Its not a technically advanced song. But, it doesn't have to be. It very effectively creates a groove and a vibe. The sparse guitar allows the drum beat to set a mood. Green Onions does the same thing for me. I'm a Tenor Sax player who only dabbled on guitar and bass, but I quite like Link Wray. Old, fat, and retired, but I still enjoy good instrumentals.

It's banned because the song sucks @ss😄

I saw him live 2wice in 73 74 San Francisco's Winterland he was bad ass , black leather and the Pompidou, he brought out John Chipolina for a few tunes , what a treat.

First time I heard Rumble, it was back in 1970 when it was used as the theme on the Friday night horror movie show Screaming Yellow Theater, hosted by the original Svengoolie.

When you were calling out the movie you first heard this in, I was expecting Pulp Fiction, where I first heard Rumble.

You can hear the basis of AC/DC riffs in this track. The Young brothers have said they were influenced by Chuck Berry and Link Ray and it shows.

Link Wray was amazing, and he deserves more recognition for his often simple but incredibly powerful guitar work. If you really wanna do your followers a solid, do a video appreciating the Ramones. Another great example of simple is better. Also, I would love to see you attempt some Johnny style downstrokes.

I don't get it. I'm sorry, but I think it's pretty lame. And I'm an old man who loves rock and roll. And plays guitar I just don't get it

Great riff and good review of something I was not aware of! That said who honestly gives a shit about whether an artist has been or is being inducted into some hall or something? If you love music then it doesn't matter what others think especially some corporate financed douchebag committee.

The drumbeat has a great bump and grind quality... perfect for striptease, burlesque, etc.!

It got banned because of its name, because it is slang for a street fight among rockers in the late 50s; not the because of the instrumental. And as for the record - Jesus - it's boring, and he really isn't very good on the guitar, even for the time.

I grew up in what was once the free state of Florida. I remember this song being very popular at the time and getting plenty of air time. No doubt it would be banned in the fascist Florida of today.

"Rumble" was heavy metal in its day. Nothing was harder in 1958.

Soooo Rhett -- Hate to tell you this but you know you're going to have to punch a few holes in that Gibson amp speaker to get the authentic vibe -- sorry man.

IT WAS NOT BANNED ON RADIO! I remember hearing this song a lot back in the 60s.

You never saw Pulp Fiction before 2008? That's impressive if it's true.

“Rumble” was the common word for a full on fist fight at that time. Might that have been the reason rather than people that felt it was musically inciting?

First time I heard it was in 84 with Ry Cooder playing it on the soundtrack of "Streets of Fire"