In the 1950s, radio stations in rural or conservative towns would only play mainstream or religious programs. But at night, the local stations went quiet, and you could tune in to stations from hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. As a teenager, Buddy Holly would sit in his car outside of Lubbock and listen to R&B from Nashville and Chicago. The invisible highways of their AM stations brought Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly and Little Richard to Holly's ears. Sitting in the still darkness of the Llano Estacado, his late-night ritual of intimate listening would shape a new musical consciousness.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets, “Oh Boy,” written by Norman Petty, Bill Tilghman & Sonny West, 1957.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to summer, 2025.

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