"The Twist" was written and originally released in 1958 by Hank Ballard, after seeing teenagers in Tampa, Florida doing the titular dance. This version was a moderate hit, peaking at no.28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chubby Checker's cover version, released in June 1960, was far more successful and reached no.1 in the United States, respectively no.2 globally in September 1960. In late 1961 and early 1962, the twist craze belatedly caught on in high society. Sightings of celebrities doing the dance made the song a hit with adults. This new interest gave "The Twist" a second chart life in 1962 and marked a major turning point for adult acceptance of rock and roll music.