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Encyclopedia > Rock and rol
Rock
Stylistic origins: Rock and roll, ultimately blues (mostly jump blues and Chicago blues), country music and R&B
Cultural origins: Late 1940s United States
Typical instruments: Guitar - Bass - Drums
Mainstream popularity: Much, constant and worldwide since the 1950s
Derivative forms: Alternative rock - Heavy metal - Punk rock - Progressive rock
Subgenres
Art rock - Cello rock - Christian rock - Classic rock - Country rock - Desert rock - Detroit rock - Dialect rock - Garage rock - Girl group - Glam rock - Glitter rock - Group Sounds - Hard rock - Heartland rock - Instrumental rock - Jam band - Jangle pop - Math rock - Post-rock - Power pop - Psychedelia - Pub rock (Aussie) - Pub rock (UK) - Rock en espanol - Soft rock - Southern rock - Surf - Symphonic rock
Fusion genres
Aboriginal rock - Afro-rock - Anatolian rock - Blues-rock - Boogaloo - Country rock - Cumbia rock - Flamenco-rock - Folk-rock - Indo-rock - Jazz rock - Madchester - Merseybeat - Progressive rock - Punta rock - Raga rock - Raï rock - Rockabilly - Rockoson - Samba-rock - Tango-rockéro
Regional scenes
Argentina - Armenia - Australia - Austria - Belarus - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Brazil - Cambodia - Canada - Chile - China - Colombia - Czech Republic - Croatia - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Greece - Germany - Hungary - Iceland - Indonesia - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Japan - Latvia - Lithuania - Malaysia - Mexico - Nepal - Netherlands - New Zealand - Norway - Peru - Philippines - Portugal - Russia - Serbia and Montenegro - Slovenia - South Africa - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Tatar - Thailand - Turkey - Ukraine - United Kingdom - United States - Uruguay - Vietnam - Zambia
Other topics
Backbeat - Rock opera - Rock band - Performers - Rock anthem - Hall of Fame - Samples - Social impact - list of Rock bands

Rock and roll (also spelled rock 'n' roll, especially in its first decade), is a genre of music that emerged as a defined musical style in the American South in the 1950s, and quickly spread to the rest of the country, and the world (rhythm sample). From the late 1950s to the mid 1990s rock was perhaps the most popular form of music in the western world. It later evolved into the various different sub-genres of what is now called simply 'rock'. As a result, "rock and roll" now has two distinct meanings: either traditional rock and roll in the 1950s style, or later rock and even pop music which may be very far from traditional rock and roll (rhythm sample). Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on a pentatonic scale and a characteristic twelve-bar chord progression. ... The jump blues is a type of blues music, characterized by a jazzy, saxophone (or other horn instruments) sound, driving rhythms and shouted vocals. ... The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago by adding electricity, drums, piano, bass guitar and sometimes saxophone to the basic string/harmonica Delta blues. ... Country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the Southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, Celtic Music, Blues, Gospel music, and Old-time music. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A guitar is a stringed musical instrument. ... A Fender Jazz Bass Bass guitar (also called electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply bass) refers to an electric bass or an electric/acoustic string instrument with a similar appearance to the guitar, but with a larger body, commonly four strings, longer scale neck and tuned an octave lower... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... The terms alternative rock and alternative music were coined in the early 1980s to describe punk rock-inspired music genres which didnt fit into the mainstream genres of the time. ... It has been suggested that true metal be merged into this article or section. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Progressive rock (shortened to prog, or prog rock when differentiating from other progressive genres) is an ambitious, eclectic, and often grandiose style of rock music which arose in the late 1960s, reached the peak of its popularity in the early 1970s, and continues as a musical form to this day. ... This is a list of music genres derived from rock and roll Acid Rock Alternative Rock Avant-rock Blues Rock British Blues Rock British Invasion Cello Rock Celtic Rock Christian rock Classic Rock Country Rock Detroit Rock Early Rock & Roll Emo Experimental Rock Folk Rock Garage Rock Glam Rock Goth... Art rock is a sub-genre of rock music that is characterized by ambitious lyrical themes and melodic or rhythmic experimentation, often extending beyond standard pop song forms and toward influences in jazz, classical, or the avant-garde. ... Cello rock is a genre of music characterized by the use of cellos and other stringed instruments such as violin and viola to create a sound, beat, and texture similar to that of familiar rock music, but distinctly reshaped by the unique timbres and more traditional genres of the cello... Christian rock is a form of rock music played by bands where the musicians are openly Christian. ... Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the mid-1980s. ... Country rock is a musical genre formed from the fusion of rock and roll with country music. ... Desert Rock is a term given to several bands that hail from the California desert. ... Detroit rock is the name for a style of Australian indie rock, particularly popular in Sydney in the 1980s. ... Dialect rock - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Garage rock (performed by garage bands, not to be confused with UK Garage dance music) was a simple, raw form of rock and roll that emerged in the mid-1960s, largely in the United States. ... A girl group, as the name implies, is a musical group featuring a group of young female singers, singing usually pop and R&B songs. ... Glam rock (less commonly glitter rock), is a style of rock music popularised in the 1970s, it was mostly a British phenomenon and confined to larger cities in the U.S., such as New York and Los Angeles. ... Glitter rock, a short-lived genre in the mid-1970s, was an extreme exploration of the fantasy-side of the reality-fantasy parents of heavy metal. ... Group Sounds is a genre of Japanese rock (J-Rock) music in the mid to late 1960s. ... Hard rock is a form of rock and roll music which finds its closest roots in early 1960s garage rock. ... In the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was heartland rock. ... Instrumental rock is a type of rock and roll which features only musical instruments, and no singing. ... The term jam band is commonly used to describe psychedelic rock-influenced bands whose concerts largely consist of bands reinterpreting their songs as springboards into extended improvisational pieces of music. ... Jangle pop was an American musical genre that arose in the middle of the 1960s, combining angular, chiming guitars and power pop structures. ... Math rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1980s. ... The term post-rock was coined by Simon Reynolds in issue 123 of The Wire (May 1994) to describe a sort of music using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbres and textures rather than riffs and powerchords. ... Power pop is a long-standing musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music. ... Psychedelic music draws its inspiration from the experience of mind-altering drugs such as cannabis, psilocybin, mescaline, ecstasy and especially LSD. Characteristic features of the style include modal melodies, lengthy instrumental solos, esoteric lyrics and trippy special effects such as reversed, distorted, delayed and/or phased sounds. ... Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s and still influencing contemporary Australian music today. ... Pub rock was a mid- to late-1970s musical movement, largely centred around North London and South East Essex, particularly Canvey Island and Southend on Sea. ... Rock en Español is the latest generation of Spanish language rock and roll. ... Soft rock, also referred to as lite rock, easy rock, and formally mellow rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work. ... Southern rock is a style of rock music that was very popular in the 1970s, and retains a fan base to the present. ... Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture. ... Symphonic rock is a style of rock music that incorporates elements from classical music. ... Aboriginal rock is a rather nebulous term for a style of music which mixes traditional rock music elements (guitar, drums, bass etc) with the instrumentation of the Australian Aborigines (Didjeridu, clap-sticks etc). ... Afro Rock is a style of music which relies heavily on the use of Western string instruments (electric guitars and bass) and guitar effects played with a rock feel, but played in an african plucked style. ... The Turkish rock scene began in the mid- to late 1960s, when popular United States and United Kingdom bands became well-known. ... Blues Rock or Blues-rock is a fusion genre of music which combines elements of the blues with rock and roll. ... Boogaloo (shing-a-ling, popcorn music) is a genre of Latin music and dance that was very popular in the United States in the late 1960s. ... Country rock is a musical genre formed from the fusion of rock and roll with country music. ... New Flamenco (Nuevo Flamenco) is the name for a Flamenco music style, which is influenced by many different modern musical genres. ... Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... Jazz fusion (sometimes referred to simply as fusion) is a musical genre that loosely encompasses the merging of jazz with other styles, particularly rock, funk, R&B, and world music. ... Madchester refers to a period during the late 1980s and early 1990s when bands recording for labels such as Manchesters successful Factory Records amongst others began to attract a lot of popularity. ... For the TV program please see Merseybeat Merseybeat, sometimes referred to as Merseysound, was a style of music popular during the 1960s. ... Progressive rock (shortened to prog, or prog rock when differentiating from other progressive genres) is an ambitious, eclectic, and often grandiose style of rock music which arose in the late 1960s, reached the peak of its popularity in the early 1970s, and continues as a musical form to this day. ... Punta rock is a form of the traditional punta rhythm of the Garifuna people of Central America. ... Raga rock was a term used in the 1960s to describe rock and roll records with Indian musical influences, especially—but not exclusively—those using the sitar, tabla, and other Eastern instrumentation. ... Raï (Arabic: راي) is a form of folk music, originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African-American and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s and has been evolved by women mainly. ... Rockabilly is the earliest form of rock and roll as a distinct style of music. ... A form of Cuban music made with elements of timba, nueva trova and rock and roll made since the late 1980s by groups like Vanito y La Lucha Almada and Habana Abierta. ... Samba-rock - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The first Tatar rock band was Bolğar, a band active in the late 1980s. ... Backbeat can mean one of two things: Backbeat or Back beat is a style of rock music percussion Backbeat is a 1994 bio-pic of the early career of The Beatles, starring Stephen Dorff, Sheryl Lee, and Ian Hart Categories: Disambiguation ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera or rock musical is a musical production in the form of an opera or a musical in a modern rock and roll style rather than more traditional forms. ... Rock group (or later rock band) is a generic name to describe a group of musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified music. ... This is a list of rock and roll performers. ... A rock and roll anthem is a celebratory rock and roll song. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing Lake Erie in the foreground The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and institution in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated, as the name suggests, to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential... Rockabilly Main article: Rockabilly Rockabilly is a fusion of country & western music with 1950s-style rock. ... The massive popularity and worldwide scope of rock and roll resulted in an unprecedented level of social impact. ... Someone who performs, composes, or conducts music is a musician. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, the last decade of the 20th Century. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Contents


Precursors and origins

Main article: Origins of rock and roll Rock and roll emerged as a defined musical style in America in the 1950s, though elements of rock and roll can be seen in rhythm and blues records as far back as the 1920s. ...


Rock and roll emerged as a defined musical style in America in the 1950s, though elements of rock and roll can be heard in rhythm and blues records as far back as the 1920s. Early rock and roll combined elements of blues, boogie woogie, jazz and rhythm and blues, and is also influenced by traditional Appalachian folk music, gospel, Rockabilly and country and western. Going back even further, rock and roll can trace a foundational lineage to the old Five Points district of mid-19th century New York City, the scene of the first fusion of heavily rhythmic African shuffles and sand dances with melody driven European genres, particularly the Irish jig. Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... Rhythm and blues (or R&B) was coined as a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Jerry Wexler at Billboard magazine, used to designate upbeat popular music performed by African American artists that combined jazz and blues. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on a pentatonic scale and a characteristic twelve-bar chord progression. ... Boogie-woogie is a style of blues piano playing that became very popular in the 1940s and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music. ... Jazz master Louis Armstrong remains one of the most loved and best known of all jazz musicians. ... Rhythm and blues (or R&B) was coined as a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Jerry Wexler at Billboard magazine, used to designate upbeat popular music performed by African American artists that combined jazz and blues. ... Appalachian folk music is a distinctive genre of folk music originating in the Appalachia region of the United States of America. ... Gospel music may refer either to the religious music that first came out of African-American churches in the 1930s or, more loosely, to both black gospel music and to the religious music composed and sung by white southern Christian artists. ... Country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the Southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, Celtic Music, Blues, Gospel music, and Old-time music. ... Five Points (or The Five Points) was a notorious slum centered on the intersection of Worth St. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The construction of the Empire State Building, 1930. ... The jig (sometimes seen in its French language or Italian language forms gigue or giga) is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type, popular in Ireland and Scotland. ...


Rocking was a term first used by black gospel singers in the American South to mean something akin to spiritual rapture. By the 1940s, however, the term was used as a double entendre, ostensibly referring to dancing, but with the hidden subtextual meaning of sex; an example of this is Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight". This type of song was usually relegated to "race music" (the music industry code name for rhythm and blues) outlets and was rarely heard by mainstream white audiences. In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed would begin playing this type of music for his white audience, and it is Freed who is credited with coining the phrase "rock and roll" to describe the rollicking R&B music that he brought to the airwaves. This article is about the use of the term in Christian eschatology, primarily in US Protestant Premillennalism. ... Roy Brown (10 September 1925–25 May 1981) was a blues musician who brought a soul singing style (from gospel music) to the emerging genre of rock and roll. ... African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... Alan Freed (December 15, 1922 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc-jockey (DJ), who became internationally known for promoting African-American Rhythm and Blues (R&B) music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of Rock and Roll. ...


There is much debate as to what should be considered the first rock and roll record. Candidates include the 1951 "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats, or later and more widely-known hits like Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" or "Johnny B. Goode" or Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" or Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" or, as RollingStone magazine pointed out, to some controversy, in 2005, "That's all right", Elvis Presley's first single for SUN records, in Memphis. Some historians go further back, pointing to musicians like Fats Domino, who were recording in the 40s in styles largely indistinguishable from rock and roll; these include Louis Jordan's "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?", Jack Guthrie's "The Oakie Bookie" (1947) and Benny Carter and Paul Vandervoort II's "Rock Me to Sleep" (1950). There are many candidates for the title of the first Rock and Roll record. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Rocket 88, a rhythm and blues song from 1951. ... Rocket 88, a rhythm and blues song from 1951 claimed by Sun Records owner and pioneer rock and roll record producer Sam Phillips as the first rock and roll song. The record was credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, but the band did not actually exist. ... Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an immensely influential guitarist, singer, and composer, and one of the pioneers of rock & roll music. ... Maybelline is the title of a Chuck Berry song first released in September of 1955 as a single on Chess Records of Chicago, Illinois. ... Johnny B. Goode is a song written by Chuck Berry in 1955 (although recorded in 1958), and is considered one of the first pure rock and roll songs ever recorded. ... Bo Diddleys emphasis on rhythm largely influenced popular music, especially that of rock and roll in the 1960s. ... The original members of Bill Haley and His Comets, c. ... This article is about the song. ... Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Fats Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana), is a classic R&B and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist. ... Louis Jordan swinging on sax, Paramount Theatre, NYC, 1946 (Photo: William P. Gottlieb) Louis Jordan (July 8, 1908 - February 4, 1975) was a pioneering and hugely influential African-American jazz and rhythm & blues musician and songwriter who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. ... Jack Guthrie (13 November 1915–15 January 1948) was born Leon Jerry Guthrie in Olive, Oklahoma, USA. He was the cousin of Woody Guthrie and had a hit record in the country and western charts with a rewritten version of a Woody Guthrie song Oklahoma Hills (1945). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...


Main artists starting to score in the main hit charts from 1955 onward included the influencial and pioneering: Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis. Bill Haley, with his band, the Comets, was one of the first rock and roll acts to tour the United Kingdom. ... Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll or The King, was an American singer, song producer and actor. ... Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Fats Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana), is a classic R&B and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist. ... Little Richard on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, (issue RS 58, May 28, 1970) Little Richard (born Richard Wayne Penniman, December 5, 1932 in Macon, Georgia) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, and an early African-American pioneer of rock and roll. ... Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an immensely influential guitarist, singer, and composer, and one of the pioneers of rock & roll music. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist, as well as an early pioneer of rock and roll music. ...


Early North American rock and roll (1953-1963)

Whatever the beginning, it is clear that rock appeared at a time when racial tensions in the United States were coming to the surface. African Americans were protesting segregation of schools and public facilities. The "separate but equal" doctrine was nominally overturned by the Supreme Court in 1954. It can hardly be a coincidence, then, that a musical form combining elements of white and black music should arise, and that this music should provoke strong reactions, of all types, in all Americans. It has been suggested that Apartheid outside South Africa be merged into this article or section. ... Separate but equal was a policy enacted into law throughout the U.S. Southern states during the period of segregation, in which African Americans and Americans of European descent would receive the same services (schools, hospitals, water fountains, bathrooms, etc. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ...

The rock 'n' roll music of the 1950s would change popular music forever.
Enlarge
The rock 'n' roll music of the 1950s would change popular music forever.

The phrase may possibly first be heard on Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five's version of Tamburitza Boogie recorded on August 18, 1950, in New York City. However, in 1922, Trixie Smith had a song titled "My Man Rocks Me with One Steady Roll". Celebrate the Century - 1950s - Rock n Roll Music This image is a postage stamp produced by the United States Postal Service after 1978. ... Celebrate the Century - 1950s - Rock n Roll Music This image is a postage stamp produced by the United States Postal Service after 1978. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...


On March 21, 1952 in Cleveland, Alan Freed (also known as Moondog) organized the first rock and roll concert, titled "The Moondog Coronation Ball". The audience and the performers were mixed in race and the evening ended after one song in a near-riot as thousands of fans tried to get into the sold-out venue. March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...


The culture industry soon understood that there was a white market for black music that was beyond the stylistic boundaries of rhythm and blues and so social prejudice and racial barriers, could do nothing against the forces of capitalism. Rock and roll was an overnight success in the U.S. making ripples across the atlantic, culminating in 1964 with the British Invasion. By the end of the decade, rock had spread throughout the world. In Australia, for example, Johnny O'Keefe became perhaps the first modern rock star of that country, and beginning a long history of Australian rock. The term culture industry was coined by Theodor Adorno (1903-1969) and Max Horkheimer (1895-1973). ... Rhythm and blues (or R&B) was coined as a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Jerry Wexler at Billboard magazine, used to designate upbeat popular music performed by African American artists that combined jazz and blues. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Capitalism The page is about the economic system. ... The appearance of The Beatles on the The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964, marked the dramatic start of the British Invasion. ... Johnny OKeefe (1935-1978) was an early Australian rock and roll singer of the 1950s. ... Australian rock and rock musicians have produced a wide variety of music. ...


Rockabilly

Main article: Rockabilly Rockabilly is the earliest form of rock and roll as a distinct style of music. ...


In 1954, Elvis Presley recorded at Sam Phillips' Sun studios in Memphis, the regional hit "That's All Right, Mama." Elvis played a rock and country & western fusion called rockabilly, which was characterized by hiccupping vocals, slapping bass and a spastic guitar style. He became the first superstar rock musician. Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll or The King, was an American singer, song producer and actor. ...


It was the following year's "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets that really set the rock boom in motion, though. The song was one of the biggest hits in history, and frenzied teens flocked to see Haley and the Comets perform it, even causing riots in some places; "Rock Around the Clock" was a breakthrough for both the group and for all of rock and roll music. If everything that came before laid the groundwork, "Clock" certainly set the mold for everything else that came after. With its combined rockabilly and R & B influences, "Clock" topped the U.S. charts for several weeks, and became wildly popular in places like Australia and Germany. The single, released by independent label Festival Records in Australia, was the biggest-selling recording in the country at the time. In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly became the first rock musicians to tour Australia, marking the expansion of the genre into a worldwide phenomenon. That same year, Bill Haley & His Comets toured Europe bringing rock 'n' roll to that continent for the first time. This article is about the song. ... The original members of Bill Haley and His Comets, c. ... In 1958, Herb Abramson leaves Atlantic Records. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist, as well as an early pioneer of rock and roll music. ... Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936–February 3, 1959), better known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of Rock and Roll. ...


Covers

Main article: Cover version In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ...


Through the late 1940s and early 1950s, R&B music had been gaining a stronger beat and a wilder style, with artists such as Fats Domino and Johnny Otis speeding up the tempos and increasing the backbeat to great popularity on the juke-joint circuit. Despite the efforts of Freed and others, black music was still taboo on many white-owned radio outlets. However, savvy artists and producers quickly recognized the potential of rock and raced to cash in with white versions of this black music. // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Fats Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana), is a classic R&B and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist. ... Johnny Otis (born John Veliotes on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo, California) is an American blues and rhythm and blues pianist, vibraphonist, drummer, singer, bandleader, and impresario. ...


Covering was customary in the music industry at the time. One of the first successful rock and roll covers was Wynonie Harris's transformation of Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight" from a jump blues to a showy rocker. The most notable trend, however, was white pop covers of black R&B numbers. Wynonie Mr. ... There have been a number of notable people named Roy Brown: Roy Brown, the Canadian pilot who is credited with shooting down the Red Baron Roy Brown, a Blues musician who was a pioneer of Rock and Roll Roy Brown, a Puerto Rican musician Roy Brown, a famous clown most... The jump blues is a type of blues music, characterized by a jazzy, saxophone (or other horn instruments) sound, driving rhythms and shouted vocals. ...


Black performers saw their songs recorded by white performers, an important step in the dissemination of the music, but often at the cost of feeling and authenticity. Most famously, Pat Boone recorded sanitized versions of Little Richard songs, though Boone found "Long Tall Sally" so intense that he couldn't cover it. Later, as those songs became popular, the original artists' recordings received radio play as well. Little Richard once called Pat Boone from the audience and introduced him as "the man who made me a millionaire". Pat Boone Pat Boone (born June 1, 1934) is a singer whose smooth style made him one of the most popular performers of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Little Richard on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, (issue RS 58, May 28, 1970) Little Richard (born Richard Wayne Penniman, December 5, 1932 in Macon, Georgia) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, and an early African-American pioneer of rock and roll. ...


The cover versions were not necessarily straightforward imitations. For example, Bill Haley's incompletely bowdlerized cover of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" transformed Big Joe Turner's humorous and racy tale of adult love into an energetic teen dance number, while Georgia Gibbs replaced Etta James's tough, sarcastic vocal in "Roll With Me, Henry" (covered as "Dance With Me, Henry") with a perkier vocal more appropriate for an audience unfamiliar with the song to which James's song was an answer, (Hank Ballard's "Work With Me, Annie"). Shake, Rattle and Roll is a prototypical twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song written by Jesse Stone (under his working name Charles Calhoun). ... Big Joe Turner ( May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues singer from Kansas City, Missouri. ... Miss Georgia Gibbs on the cover of Red Hot collection. ... Etta James on the cover of one of her albums Etta James is an American R&B and gospel singer. ... This is an incomplete list. ... Hank Ballard (November 18, 1927 - March 2, 2003) was an American R&B singer and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ...


British Rock and Roll

Main article: British rock Outside of its home in the United States, the UKs brand of rock is undoubtedly the most well-known and widespread. ...


The Trad jazz movement brought blues artists to Britain, and in 1955 Lonnie Donegan's version of "Rock Island Line" began Skiffle music which inspired many young people to have a go, including John Lennon whose "The Quarry Men", formed in March 1957, would gradually change and develop into The Beatles. This primed the United Kingdom to respond creatively to American rock and roll which had an impact across the globe. In Britain, skiffle groups, record collecting and trend-watching were in full bloom among the youth culture prior to the rock era, and color barriers were less of an issue with the idea of separate "race records" seeming almost unimaginable. Countless British youths listened to R&B and rock pioneers and began forming their own bands. Britain quickly became a new centre of rock and roll. Trad jazz, short for traditional jazz is a music genre popular in Britain and Australia from the 1940s onward through the 1950s and which still has enthusiasts today. ... Lonnie Donegan MBE (April 29, 1931 – November 3, 2002) was a skiffle musician, possibly the most famous of them all. ... The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark RI) was a Class 1 railroad in the United States. ... Skiffle music is a type of folk music with a jazz and blues influence, usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the washboard, tea-chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, or a comb and paper, and so forth. ... John Winston Ono Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980) was best known as a singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist for the British rock band The Beatles. ... The Quarry Men were a little-known skiffle group formed around Liverpool, England in March 1957 by John Lennon. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Beatles were a British rock/pop group from Liverpool, England. ...


In 1958 three British teenagers formed a rock and roll group, Cliff Richard and the Drifters (later renamed Cliff Richard and the Shadows). The group recorded a hit, "Move It", marking not only what is held to be the very first true British rock 'n' roll single, but also the beginning of a different sound — British rock. Richard and his band introduced many important changes, such as using a "lead guitarist" (virtuoso Hank Marvin) and an electric bass. Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, India, on October 14, 1940) is one of the United Kingdoms most popular singers. ... Outside of its home in the United States, the UKs brand of rock is undoubtedly the most well-known and widespread. ... Hank B. Marvin (born Brian Robson Rankin, October 28, 1941, Newcastle upon Tyne, England) is the lead guitarist of the (mainly) instrumental group The Shadows, formed initially as a backing band for Cliff Richard. ... A Fender Jazz Bass Bass guitar (also called electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply bass) refers to an electric bass or an electric/acoustic string instrument with a similar appearance to the guitar, but with a larger body, commonly four strings, longer scale neck and tuned an octave lower...


The British scene developed, with others including Tommy Steele and Adam Faith vying to emulate the stars from the U.S.. Some touring acts attracted particular popularity in Britain, an example being Gene Vincent. This inspired many British teens to begin buying records and follow the music scene, thus laying the groundwork for Beatlemania. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Terence (Terry) Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith (June 23, 1940—March 8, 2003) was a English singer and actor. ... Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971) was an American rockabilly pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. He started playing in various country bands in his native Norfolk, Virginia after leaving the United States Navy with a permanent leg... Beatlemania is a term that was used during the 1960s to describe fan frenzy (particularly by young teenaged girls) towards The Beatles. ...


At the start of the '60s instrumental dance music was very popular, with hits including Apache by the The Shadows and Telstar by The Tornados from a British branch of Surf instrumental music. Apache was a popular 1960 instrumental song written by Jerry Lordan and recorded by British group The Shadows. ... The Shadows are a British instrumental rock n roll group active from the 1950s to the 2000s. ... Telstar was a 1962 instrumental record by The Tornados. ... Tornados is a British instrumental group of the 1960s who acted as the in-house back-up group for many of Joe Meeks productions. ... Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture. ...


Decline and rebirth

Main article: Rock (music). Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...


At the end of the 1950s the original Rock 'n' Roll rush faded, as stars like Elvis Presley diverted into the more commercial sound of ballads, and the music went out of fashion. It had influenced other genres which were going strong, and in the United Kingdom it formed a major part of the mix that brought the surge of British rock that reinvigorated Rock music worldwide. Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll or The King, was an American singer, song producer and actor. ... Outside of its home in the United States, the UKs brand of rock is undoubtedly the most well-known and widespread. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...


Books

  • The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll : The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music by editors James Henke, Holly George-Warren, Anthony Decurtis, Jim Miller. (1992) Random House (ISBN 0679737286)
  • The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, Patricia Romanowski, Jon Pareles (2001) Fireside Press (ISBN 0743201205)

// Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the the baby boom from returning GIs who... Listen to this article (help) Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-04-13, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... David Halberstam (born April 10, 1934), American journalist and author, was born in New York City. ... Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, which acquired it in 1998. ... The Regency TR-4 shown here is similar in appearance to the original Regency TR-1 model, but the TR-1 has a gold tuning knob and lettering. ... Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, which acquired it in 1998. ...

See also

100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll was a special program aired by VH1 on July 26, 1999. ... This is a list of music genres derived from rock and roll Acid Rock Alternative Rock Avant-rock Blues Rock British Blues Rock British Invasion Cello Rock Celtic Rock Christian rock Classic Rock Country Rock Detroit Rock Early Rock & Roll Emo Experimental Rock Folk Rock Garage Rock Glam Rock Goth... Cultural appropriation (also commonly refered to as cultural misappropriation or cultural theft) is the adoption of elements of cultural expression of one societal group, such as forms of dress or personal adornment, music and art, religion, language, or behavior, by an external group, who often ignore the underlying purpose and...

External links

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