Wednesday, Lafayette, Indiana

Chubby Checker (who was indeed chubby) became a national sensation when his song and dance topped the charts on this day in 1960. "The Twist" remains among the most successful singles in music history staying on the charts for almost six weeks. The wonderful thing about the dance was that anyone could do a competent rendition of it. It was like the Macarena without the elaborate choreography.

The year of The Twist 1960 was an electric time of optimism in the county. Handsome, young John Kennedy was about to be elected President, Rock & Roll was taking off and the cataclysmic World War was fading in many memories. The suburbs were booming and the economy was looking bright. Many people were upbeat and hopeful.

How all of this would turn sour within just a few years with the Assassination, the Vietnam War and the turbulence of the counter culture and it’s British music. But for this brief moment in time, Chubby Checker got the country up and dancing to a tune that anyone from the tenor to the tone deaf could sing and dance to without any problems.

Watch Chubby lip sync on television. And for Pete’s sake, gather the kids, stand up and join him doing the dance. It will be a great few minutes for all of you!

And then treat yourself for a few minutes and watch the hilarious Macarena video.

No matter what’s troubling you today, get up and twist away your problems.

I’m twisting right now!