Drummer Earl Palmer was one of the most important and prolific studio session musicians of all time. In 2000 he was among the first session musicians to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When he died, in 2008, one obituary noted: "His list of credits read like a Who's Who of American Popular Music of the last 60 years. "This compilation takes a close look at Palmer's session work between 1949 and 1962, with the focus on hit records which he played on during this period. His early New Orleans sessions feature Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Shirley & Lee, Smiley Lewis, Little Richard, etc. His subsequent West Coast/Wrecking Crew sessions include Ricky Nelson, Bobby Day, Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Bobby Darin, Gene McDaniels, Sam Cooke, Timi Yuro, etc.