The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now
Coffee Break

Coffee Break: What is Time?

by Jill Riley and Nilufer Arsala

July 09, 2026

Wall clocks are displayed on the Zhang Zhou Guoda Trading Co Limited stand at the Hong Kong Watch And Clock Fair on September 4, 2013 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (Photo by Jessica Hromas/Getty Images)
Wall clocks are displayed on the Zhang Zhou Guoda Trading Co Limited stand at the Hong Kong Watch And Clock Fair on September 4, 2013 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (Photo by Jessica Hromas/Getty Images)(Jessica Hromas/Getty Images)

According to Music History, on July 9, 1955, Bill Haley & His Comets went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the song "Rock Around The Clock." The group stayed at No. 1 on the charts for eight weeks and became one of the biggest selling singles of all time. It also gave us the theme song to the beloved sitcom, Happy Days.

The anniversary got us thinking about how many songs reference time. Let’s mark the passing of time with song.

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs relating to time would you like to hear?


Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played