Sun released the song on a single, which reached No. 3 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and No. 1 on the magazine's R&B record charts. A record review appeared in "Billboard" on 27 May 1957. The single also hit No. 1 on the country charts, and No. 8 in the UK. Lewis became an instant sensation and as music writer Robert Gordon noted: "Jerry Lee began to show that in this new emerging genre called rock 'n' roll, not everybody was going to stand there with a guitar."