Chubby Checker will always be the king of the Twist. But just as much credit should be given to Hank Ballard, the man who wrote “The Twist.” Ballard’s version was slower and grittier. His version, released on King Records as a 78, is worth up to $250.00. That same year, 1959, King Records released Hank Ballard’s album “Singin’ and Swingin’ the Twist.” A copy can sell for $350.00 today.