Discover the story of the song > Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis

Great Balls of Fire is a song written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer in 1957. It was popularized by rock and roll pianist and singer Jerry Lee Lewis, who recorded it for Sun Records in 1957. The song was released as a single on November 5, 1957, and reached number one on the U.S. record sales chart on December 31, 1957. In France, it reached number one on the singles chart for two weeks in January 1958.

Great Balls of Fire was written as a reaction to Big Maybelle's 1955 hit song Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On. Blackwell and Hammer wrote the song in an hour, using Lewis' piano playing style as inspiration. The song is about a man who falls in love with a woman who is "so hot she lights the fire."

Lewis recorded the song in one take on October 3, 1957 at Sun Records Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Producer Sam Phillips was impressed with Lewis' performance and decided to release it as a single. Great Balls of Fire became an immediate hit, reaching number one on the U.S. record sales chart on December 31, 1957. In France, the song reached number one on the singles chart for two weeks in January 1958.

The song has been covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis himself, and Bruce Springsteen.