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This article is about the 1940s–early 1960s style of music. For the general rock music genre, see rock music. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. For other uses, see rock and roll (disambiguation).
Rock and Roll
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
United States in the period up to the 1950s
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity One of the best selling music forms since the 1950s
Derivative forms rock, soft rock, pop

Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Jump blues is a type of Up-tempo Blues music influenced by Big band sound Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Boogie-woogie is a style of Piano -based Blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s but originated much earlier and was extended from piano The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Soft rock, also referred to as light rock or easy rock, is a style of Music which uses the techniques of Rock and roll to compose a softer Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Classic rock and roll is played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or (after the mid-1950s) an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced or supplemented by guitar in the middle to late 1950s. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind The beat is essentially a boogie woogie blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum. Boogie-woogie is a style of Piano -based Blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s but originated much earlier and was extended from piano The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression In Music, back beat (also backbeat) is a term applied both to a specific style of Rhythmic Accentuation with accent on even The snare drum is a Drum with strands of snares made of curled metal wire metal cable plastic cable or gut cords stretched across the a drumhead typically

The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it an unprecedented social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the characteristic backbeat, that are more properly called simply 'rock music'. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums.

Contents

Origins of the style

Main article: Origins of rock and roll

The immediate origins of rock and roll lie in the late 1940s and early 1950s through a mixing together of various popular musical genres of the time. 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 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 These included gospel, folk music, and the blues - particularly the electric forms being developed in Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, Texas, California, and elsewhere - piano-based boogie woogie, and jump blues, which were collectively becoming known as rhythm and blues. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Boogie-woogie is a style of Piano -based Blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s but originated much earlier and was extended from piano Jump blues is a type of Up-tempo Blues music influenced by Big band sound Also in the melting pot creating a new musical form were country and western music (including Western swing and influences from traditional Appalachian folk music), jazz, and gospel music. Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to

However, elements of rock and roll can be heard in country records of the 1930s, and in blues records from the 1920s. During that period many white Americans enjoyed African-American jazz and blues performed by white musicians. Often "black" music was usually relegated to "race music" outlets (music industry code for rhythm and blues stations) and was rarely heard by mainstream white audiences. African American music (also called black music) is an umbrella term given to a range of Music and Musical genres emerging from or influenced by the A few black rhythm and blues musicians, notably Louis Jordan, the Mills Brothers, and The Ink Spots, achieved crossover success; in some cases (such as Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie") this success was achieved with songs written by white songwriters. Louis Jordan ( July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was a pioneering American Jazz, Blues and Rhythm & blues The Mills Brothers were a major African-American Jazz and pop vocal Quartet of the 20th century producing more than 2000 recordings that sold The Ink Spots were a popular black vocal group that helped define the Musical genre that led to Rhythm & blues and Rock and roll, and the subgenre " Choo Choo Ch'Boogie " is a popular Song first recorded in January 1946 by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. The Western swing genre in the 1930s, generally played by white musicians, also drew heavily on the blues and in turn directly influenced rockabilly and rock and roll, as can be heard, for example, on Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" (1957).

Going back even further, rock and roll can trace one lineage to the old Five Points, Manhattan 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[1]. Five Points (or The Five Points) was a notorious Slum centered on the intersection of Anthony (now Worth Orange (now Baxter Mulberry (still the same name Cross The City of New York The jig (port is a Folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type popular in Ireland.

Origins of the phrase

In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed began playing rhythm and blues music for a multi-racial audience. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Alan Freed (December 15 1921 &ndash January 20 1965 also known as Moondog, was an American Disc-jockey who became Freed is credited with first using the phrase "rock and roll" to describe the music. However, the term had already been introduced to US audiences, particularly in the lyrics of many rhythm and blues records. Three different songs with the title "Rock And Roll" were recorded in the late 1940s; one by Paul Bascomb in 1947, another by Wild Bill Moore in 1948, and yet another by Doles Dickens in 1949, and the phrase was in constant use in the lyrics of R&B songs of the time. William M Moore (b 13 June 1918 Houston Texas – d 8 August 1983 Los Angeles California) known as Wild Bill Moore, was an American R&B One such record where the phrase was repeated throughout the song was "Rock And Roll Blues," recorded in 1949 by Erline "Rock And Roll" Harris. Erline Harris was an American Rhythm and blues singer in the 1940s and early 1950s The phrase was also included in advertisements for the film Wabash Avenue, starring Betty Grable and Victor Mature. Betty Grable ( December 18, 1916 &ndash July 2, 1973) was an American Dancer Singer, and actress Victor Mature ( 29 January 1913 – 4 August 1999) was an American Film actor. An ad for the movie that ran April 12, 1950 billed Ms. Grable as ". . . the first lady of rock and roll" and Wabash Avenue as ". . . the roaring street she rocked to fame".

Before then, the phrase "rocking and rolling", as secular black slang for dancing or sex, appeared on record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith's "My Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll". Trixie Smith (born 1895 Atlanta, Georgia; died September 21 1943, New York City New York) was an American Even earlier, in 1916, the term "rocking and rolling" was used with a religious connotation, on the phonograph record "The Camp Meeting Jubilee" by an unnamed male "quartette". [2] The word "rock" had a long history in the English language as a metaphor for "to shake up, to disturb or to incite". In 1937, Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald recorded "Rock It for Me," which included the lyric, "So won't you satisfy my soul with the rock and roll. " "Rocking" was a term used by black gospel singers in the American South to mean something akin to spiritual rapture. The Rapture is a prophesied event in Christian eschatology, in which Christians will be gathered together at the return of Christ; even Christians who have died By the 1940s, however, the term was used as a double entendre, ostensibly referring to dancing, but with the subtextual meaning of sex, as in Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight. Not to be confused with Puns which employ multiple phrases A double entendre is a Figure of speech similar to the Pun, in Roy Brown ( 10 September 1925 — 25 May 1981) was a Blues Musician who brought a soul singing style (from For the television show see Good Rockin' Tonite. " Good Rocking Tonight " was originally a Jump blues song released in 1947 by " The verb "roll" was a medieval metaphor which meant "having sex". Writers for hundreds of years have used the phrases "They had a roll in the hay" or "I rolled her in the clover"[3]. The terms were often used together ("rocking and rolling") to describe the motion of a ship at sea, for example as used in 1934 by the Boswell Sisters in their song "Rock and Roll"[4], which was featured in the 1934 film "Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round",[5][6] and in Buddy Jones' "Rockin' Rollin' Mama" (1939). The Boswell Sisters were a Close harmony singing group that attained national prominence in the USA in the 1930s Buddy Jones (1906- October 20 1956 was an American Western swing musician who recorded in the 1930s and 1940s Country singer Tommy Scott was referring to the motion of a railroad train in the 1951 "Rockin and Rollin'". [7].

Early rock and roll records

Main article: First rock and roll record

There is much debate as to what should be considered the first rock & roll record. There are many candidates for the title of the first rock and roll record, but it is arguable whether any such thing exists There are many candidates for the title of the first rock and roll record, but it is arguable whether any such thing exists One leading contender is "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (in fact, Ike Turner and his band The Kings of Rhythm), recorded by Sam Phillips for Sun Records in 1951. This article is about the song For the band by this name see Rocket 88 (band. Jackie Brenston ( 15 August 1930, Clarksdale, Mississippi — 15 December 1979, Memphis, Tennessee Ike Wister Turner ( November 5 1931 &ndash December 12 2007) was an American Musician, Bandleader, Samuel Cornelius Phillips ( January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) better known as Sam Phillips, was an American Sun Records was a Record label based in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27 1952. Four years later, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" (1955) became the first rock and roll song to top Billboard magazine's main sales and airplay charts, and opened the door worldwide for this new wave of popular culture. This article is specifically about the singer For detailed information about his rock and roll group see Bill Haley & His Comets. For the movie named after the song see Rock Around the Clock (film. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Rolling Stone magazine argued in 2004 that "That's All Right (Mama)" (1954), Elvis Presley's first single for Sun Records in Memphis, was the first rock and roll record[8]. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " " That's All Right (Mama " is the name of the first single released by Elvis Presley, written and originally performed by blues singer Arthur Crudup. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Sun Records was a Record label based in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27 1952. But, at the same time, Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle & Roll", later covered by Haley, was already at the top of the Billboard R&B charts. For the Ice hockey player see Joe Turner Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr " Shake Rattle and Roll " is a prototypical Twelve bar blues -form Rock and roll song written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.

Turner was one of many forerunners. His 1939 recording, "Roll 'Em Pete", is close to '50s rock and roll. "Roll 'Em Pete" is a Rhythm and blues song originally recorded in 1938 by Big Joe Turner and pianist Pete Johnson. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was also recording shouting, stomping music in the 1930s and 1940s that in some ways contained major elements of mid-1950s rock and roll. Rosetta Tharpe ( March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was a pioneering Gospel singer songwriter and recording artist who attained She scored hits on the pop charts as far back as 1938 with her gospel songs, such as "This Train" and "Rock Me", and in the 1940s with "Strange Things Happenin Every Day", "Up Above My Head", and "Down By The Riverside. " Moon Mullican was one of the first white singers to record a style of uptempo blues that was identical to black music and not white country music. Aubrey Wilson Mullican ( March 29, 1909 - January 1, 1967) known as Moon Mullican, was an American Country and western His "Pipeliner Blues", first recorded in 1940, swung like Big Joe Turner's "Roll 'Em Pete", and the unreleased 1946 track "Let Me Rock You Baby" went even further. "Roll 'Em Pete" is a Rhythm and blues song originally recorded in 1938 by Big Joe Turner and pianist Pete Johnson. By 1952, he was rocking with such jump blues as "Rocket to the Moon" that were similar in style to "Rock Around the Clock". Other significant records of the 1940s and early 1950s included Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight" and Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" and Amos Milburn's Chicken Shack Boogie (all 1947); Jimmy Preston's "Rock the Joint" and Fats Domino's "The Fat Man" and Big Joe Turner's "Ooo-Ouch-Stop" (all 1949); and Les Paul and Mary Ford's "How High the Moon" (1951). Roy Brown may refer to Roy Brown (Montana politician, Montana state Senator and gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown (Manitoba politician For the television show see Good Rockin' Tonite. " Good Rocking Tonight " was originally a Jump blues song released in 1947 by Hank Williams ( September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who has Move It on Over is the second album by George Thorogood & The Destroyers released by Rounder Records in 1978 Amos Milburn (April 1 1927 – January 3 1980 was an American Rhythm and blues Singer, and Pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s Jimmy Preston (b 18 August 1913 Chester Pennsylvania – d December 1984 Philadelphia PA) was an R&B bandleader alto saxophonist and singer who made "Rock the Joint", also known as We're Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight, is a Boogie song recorded by various proto- Rock and roll singers notably Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans Louisiana) is a classic R&B and Rock and roll "The Fat Man" is a Rhythm and blues song by Fats Domino, considered to be one of the First rock and roll records The record was recorded The duo Les Paul and Mary Ford comprises Les Paul and Mary Ford. " How High the Moon " is a Jazz standard with Lyrics by Nancy Hamilton and music by Morgan Lewis.

Both rock and roll and boogie woogie have four beats (usually broken down into eight eighth-notes/quavers) to a bar, and are twelve-bar blues. Rock and roll however has a greater emphasis on the backbeat than boogie woogie. In Music, back beat (also backbeat) is a term applied both to a specific style of Rhythmic Accentuation with accent on even Little Richard combined boogie-woogie piano with a heavy backbeat and over-the-top, shouted, gospel-influenced vocals that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says "blew the lid off the '50s. In Music, back beat (also backbeat) is a term applied both to a specific style of Rhythmic Accentuation with accent on even The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States " However, others before Little Richard were combining these elements, including Esquerita, Cecil Gant, Amos Milburn, Piano Red, and Harry Gibson. Esquerita was the Stage name of singer songwriter and pianist Eskew Reeder Jr. Cecil Gant ( April 4 1913 - February 4 1951) was an American Blues Singer and Pianist. Amos Milburn (April 1 1927 – January 3 1980 was an American Rhythm and blues Singer, and Pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s William "Willie" Lee Perryman ( October 19 1911 - July 25 1985) who was usually known professionally as Piano Red and later Harry "The Hipster" Gibson ( June 27, 1915 - May 3, 1991) was a Jazz Pianist, Singer, and Songwriter Little Richard's wild style, with shouts and "woo woos," had itself been used by female gospel singers, including the 1940s' Marion Williams. Marion Williams (b August 29, 1927; d July 2, 1994) was an American gospel singer Roy Brown did a Little Richard style "yaaaaaaww" long before Richard in "Ain't No Rockin no More. Roy Brown may refer to Roy Brown (Montana politician, Montana state Senator and gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown (Manitoba politician "

Bo Diddley's 1955 hit "Bo Diddley" backed with "I'm A Man" introduced a new, pounding beat, and unique guitar playing that inspired many artists. Bo Diddley ( December 30 1928 &ndash June 2 2008, born Ellas Otha Bates) was an original and influential American " Bo Diddley " is a Rhythm and blues song first recorded and sung by Bo Diddley at the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago and released " I'm a Man " is a popular American song written and released by Bo Diddley in March 1955 on Checker Records as B-side to his hit " Bo Other artists with early rock and roll hits were Chuck Berry and Little Richard, as well as many vocal doo-wop groups. Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St Rev Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932 better known by the Stage name Little Richard, is an American Singer, Songwriter Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based Rhythm and blues music which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity both in the 1950s Within the decade crooners such as Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, and Patti Page, who had dominated the previous decade of popular music, found their access to the pop charts significantly curtailed. Edmund John "Eddie" Fisher (born August 10, 1928) is an American Singer and Entertainer. Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como ( May 18 1912 &ndash May 12 2001) was an Italian-American singer and television personality Clara Ann Fowler (born November 8, 1927) known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer one of the best-known female artists

Rockabilly

Main article: Rockabilly

"Rockabilly" usually (but not exclusively) refers to the type of rock and roll music which was played and recorded in the mid 1950s by white singers such as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, who openly drew on both the country and R&B roots of the music. Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s Carl Lee Perkins ( April 9, 1932 &ndash January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of Rockabilly music a mix of Rhythm Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American Rock and roll and Country music Singer, Songwriter Many other popular rock and roll singers of the time, such as Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, came out of the black rhythm and blues tradition, making the music attractive to white audiences, and are not usually classed as "rockabilly". Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans Louisiana) is a classic R&B and Rock and roll Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St Rev Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932 better known by the Stage name Little Richard, is an American Singer, Songwriter

In July 1954, Elvis Presley recorded the regional hit "That's All Right (Mama)" at Sam Phillips' Sun studios in Memphis. " That's All Right (Mama " is the name of the first single released by Elvis Presley, written and originally performed by blues singer Arthur Crudup. Samuel Cornelius Phillips ( January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) better known as Sam Phillips, was an American Sun Studio was opened by rock pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis Tennessee, on January 3, 1950. Two months earlier in May 1954, Bill Haley & His Comets recorded "Rock Around the Clock". This article is specifically about the rock and roll band See Bill Haley for biographical information regarding Haley himself For the movie named after the song see Rock Around the Clock (film. Although only a minor hit when first released, when used in the opening sequence of the movie Blackboard Jungle, a year later, it really set the rock and roll boom in motion. Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 Social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school The song became one of the biggest hits in history, and frenzied teens flocked to see Haley and the Comets perform it, causing riots in some cities. "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" introduced the music to a global audience.

Cover versions

Main article: Cover version

Many of the earliest white rock and roll hits were covers or partial re-writes of earlier rhythm and blues or blues songs. In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released 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. Johnny Otis (born John Alexander Veliotes on December 29, 1921 in Vallejo California) is an American Blues Juke joint (or jook joint) is the Vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring music dancing gambling and drinking primarily operated by Before the efforts of Freed and others, black music was 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. White musicians also fell in love with the music and played it everywhere they could. This, however, is somewhat unfair and a lot of the early rock hits were country based songs too. Many of Presley's early hits were covers, like "That's All Right" (a countryfied arrangement of a blues number, it's flip side Blue Moon of Kentucky was also successful), "Baby, Let's Play House", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and "Hound Dog". " Blue Moon of Kentucky " is a Waltz written in 1947 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band The Blue Grass Boys "Heartbreak Hotel", the song that brought Presley to a world-wide audience (and his first ever release that was not a cover) was composed by country writers. " Heartbreak Hotel " is a Rock and roll song performed by Elvis Presley, with Bill Black ( bass) Scotty Moore (

Covering was customary in the music industry at the time; it was made particularly easy by the compulsory license provision of United States copyright law (still in effect [9]). In a compulsory license a government forces the holder of a Patent, Copyright, or other Exclusive right to grant use to the state or others United States copyright law governs the legally enforceable rights of creative and artistic works in the United States. 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. Wynonie "Mr Blues" Harris ( August 24, 1915 - June 14, 1969) born in Omaha Nebraska, was an American Blues Roy Brown may refer to Roy Brown (Montana politician, Montana state Senator and gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown (Manitoba politician Jump blues is a type of Up-tempo Blues music influenced by Big band sound The most notable trend, however, was white pop covers of black R&B numbers. Exceptions to this rule included Wynonie Harris covering the Louis Prima rocker "Oh Babe" in 1950, and Amos Milburn covering what may have been the first white rock and roll record, Hardrock Gunter's "Birmingham Bounce," in 1949. Sidney Louie Gunter Jr (b 27 February 1925 Birmingham Alabama) known as Hardrock Gunter, is a singer songwriter and guitarist whose music at the turn of the 1950s

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 (not to mention revenue). 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. Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone (born June 1 1934) is an American Singer whose smooth style made him a popular performer of the 1950s Rev Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932 better known by the Stage name Little Richard, is an American Singer, Songwriter 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. "

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. Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938) is an American Blues, soul, R&B, Rock & roll An answer song (or answer record) is as the name suggests a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song normally by another artist Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks) ( November 18, 1927 - March 2, 2003) was an African American R&B / "

Blues would continue to inspire rock performers for decades. Delta blues artists such as Robert Johnson and Skip James also proved to be important inspirations for British blues-rockers such as The Yardbirds, Cream, and Led Zeppelin. The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of Blues music. Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8 1911 – August 16 1938 is among the most famous of Delta blues musicians Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James ( June 21, 1902 – October 3, 1969) was an American Delta blues singer guitarist A British blue is also a type of cat The British blues is a type of Blues music that originated in the late 1950s Blues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining Bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended Boogie jams with Rock The Yardbirds are an English rock band noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous Guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck Cream were a 1960s British rock band Led Zeppelin were The reverse, black artists making hits with covers of songs by white songwriters, although less common, did occur. Amos Milburn got a hit with Don Raye's "Down the Road a Piece," Maurice Rocco covered Raye's "Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar," and Wynonie Harris covered "Don't Roll Your Bloodshot Eyes At Me" by Hank Penny and "Oh, Babe" by Louis Prima, for the R&B market. Amos Milburn (April 1 1927 – January 3 1980 was an American Rhythm and blues Singer, and Pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s Don Raye ( March 16, 1909 - January 29, 1985) born Donald MacRae Wilhoite Jr "Down the Road a Piece" is a Song written in 1940 by Don Raye as a Boogie woogie for the Will Bradley / Ray McKinley Herbert Clayton Penny ( August 18, 1918 in Birmingham Alabama – April 17, 1992 in California of heart failure was an accomplished Louis Prima ( December 7, 1910 Legacy The Prima-Butera arrangements and recordings continued to be copied by younger musicians including David

Cultural impact

Alan Freed is credited with first using the phrase "rock and roll" to describe rhythm and blues music played for a multi-racial audience. Alan Freed (December 15 1921 &ndash January 20 1965 also known as Moondog, was an American Disc-jockey who became While working as a disc jockey at radio station WJW in Cleveland, he also organized the first rock and roll concert, called "The Moondog Coronation Ball" on March 21, 1952. WKNR is an AM all-sports station in Cleveland Ohio, broadcasting at 850 kHz with its transmitter in North Royalton Ohio and The Moondog Coronation Ball was a concert held at the Cleveland Arena in Cleveland Ohio on March 21, 1952. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The event proved a huge drawing card — the first event had to be ended early due to overcrowding. Thereafter, Freed organized many rock and roll shows attended by both whites and blacks, further helping to introduce African-American musical styles to a wider audience.

Rock and roll 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, and the difficult task of enforcing this new doctrine lay ahead. Separate But Equal is a 1991 American Television movie depicting the landmark Supreme Court Desegregation case This new musical form combining elements of white and black music inevitably provoked strong reactions. African American music (also called black music) is an umbrella term given to a range of Music and Musical genres emerging from or influenced by the

After "The Moondog Coronation Ball", the record industry soon understood that there was a white market for black music that was beyond the stylistic boundaries of rhythm and blues. The record industry is the part of the Music industry that sells Sound recordings of Music. Even the considerable prejudice and racial barriers could do nothing against market forces. A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a Rock and roll was an overnight success in the U. S. , making ripples across the Atlantic, and perhaps culminating in 1964 with the British Invasion. The British Invasion was the term applied by the news media — and subsequently by consumers — to the influx of Rock and roll, beat and pop performers

The social effects of rock and roll were worldwide and massive. The massive popularity and worldwide scope of Rock and roll resulted in a powerful level of social impact Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. In addition, rock and roll may have helped the cause of the civil rights movement because both African American teens and white American teens enjoyed the music. It also birthed many other rock influenced styles. Progressive, alternative, punk, and heavy metal are just a few of the genres that sprang forth in the wake of Rock and Roll.

Teen culture

A teen idol was a recording artist who attracted a very large following of (mostly) female "teenagers", because of their good looks and "sex appeal" as much as their musical qualities. ‎ Teen idols refers to someone idolized by teens a teen idol is often young but in many cases no longer teenaged NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** A good example is Frank Sinatra in the 1940s, although a case can be made for Rudy Vallee even earlier. Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Rudy Vallée ( July 28, 1901 - July 3, 1986) was an American Singer, Actor, Bandleader, and entertainer With the birth of rock and roll, Elvis Presley became one of the greatest teen idols of them all. His success led promoters to the deliberate creation of new "rock and roll" idols, such as Frankie Avalon and Ricky Nelson. Frankie Avalon (born Francis Thomas Avallone September 18 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American Actor Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson ( May 8, 1940 &ndash December 31, 1985) was an Other musicians of the time also achieved mass popularity. In 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) were killed when a plane Holly had chartered from Mason City, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota crashed in a corn field, after a performance at the Winter Dance Party. Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (September 7 1936 – February 3 1959 was an American Singer-songwriter and a pioneer of Rock and roll. Ritchie Valens ( Richard Steven Valenzuela; May 13 1941 February 3 1959) was an American singer songwriter and guitarist Mason City is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota in the United States.

Main article: The Day the Music Died

Teen idols of the rock and roll years were followed by many other artists with massive appeal to a teenaged audience, including the Beatles and the Monkees. The Day the Music Died refers to a plane crash occurring just after 100 a The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 For the group's self-titled album see The Monkees (album. For the TV series see The Monkees (TV series. Teen idols were not only known for their catchy pop music, but good looks also played a large part in their successes. It was because of this that certain fan magazines, exclusively geared to the fans of teen idols (16 Magazine, Tiger Beat, etc. Tiger Beat is an American Fan magazine marketed primarily to Adolescents ), were created. These monthly magazines typically featured a popular teen idol on the cover, as well as pin-up photographs, a Q&A, and a list of each idol's "faves" (i. e. favorite color, favorite vegetable, favorite hair color, etc. ).

Teen idols also influenced toys, Saturday morning cartoons and other products. At the height of each teen idol's popularity, it was not uncommon to see Beatle wigs, Davy Jones' "love beads", or perhaps even Herman's Hermits lunchboxes for sale. Davy Jones (born David Thomas Jones December 30, 1945) is an Grammy winning English pop Singer-songwriter and Herman's Hermits were an English Pop band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as 'Herman & The Hermits'

Dance styles

From its early-1950s inception through the early 1960s, rock and roll music spawned new dance crazes. Teenagers found the irregular rhythm of the backbeat especially suited to reviving the jitterbug dancing of the big-band era. Jitterbug can be used as a Noun to refer to a swing dancer or various types of Swing dances e "Sock-hops," gym dances, and home basement dance parties became the rage, and American teens watched Dick Clark's American Bandstand to keep up on the latest dance and fashion styles. Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American Television, Radio personality, Game show host American Bandstand was a Television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark From the mid-1960s on, as "rock and roll" yielded gradually to "rock," later dance genres followed, starting with the twist, and leading up to funk, disco, house and techno. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s

British rock and roll

Main article: British rock

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. British rock and roll, or Brit rock, was born out of the influence of Rock and roll and Rhythm and blues from the United States, but added 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 Lonnie Donegan MBE ( 29 April 1931 &ndash 3 November 2002) was a Skiffle musician possibly the most famous of them all " Rock Island Line " is an American Blues / folk song performed and first recorded by Lead Belly in the 1930s Skiffle is a type of Folk music with Jazz, Blues and Country influences usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the Washboard These included John Lennon and Paul McCartney, whose group The Quarrymen, formed in March 1957, would gradually change and develop into The Beatles. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, The Quarrymen (circa late 1956—October 1959/1997—present are an English Skiffle band that was formed in Liverpool in the latter part of 1956 by John The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 These developments primed the United Kingdom to respond creatively to American rock and roll, which had an impact across the globe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In Britain, skiffle groups, record collecting and trend-watching were in full bloom among the youth culture prior to the rock era, and colour 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 center of rock and roll.

In 1958 three British teenagers became Cliff Richard and the Drifters (later renamed Cliff Richard and the Shadows). Sir Cliff Richard, OBE, (born Harry Roger Webb on 14 October 1940 is an English Singer, Actor and Businessman. The group recorded a hit, "Move It", marking not only what is held to be the very first true British rock and roll single, but also the beginning of a different sound — British rock. " Move It " is a song recorded by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (the UK band that would evolve into The Shadows) British rock and roll, or Brit rock, was born out of the influence of Rock and roll and Rhythm and blues from the United States, but added Richard and his band introduced many important changes, such as using a "lead guitarist" (Hank Marvin) and an electric bass. Brian Robson Rankin (born 28 October 1941) Newcastle upon Tyne, known by the Stage name Hank B The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the

The British scene developed, with others including Tommy Steele, Adam Faith and Billy Fury vying to emulate the stars from the U. Tommy Steele OBE (born 17 December 1936 in London England) is an English entertainer Terence (Terry Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith (23 June 1940 East Acton, London &mdash 8 March 2003 Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Billy Fury (born Ronald William Wycherley, 17 April 1940 - 28 January, 1983) was an internationally successful British S. Some touring acts attracted particular popularity in Britain, an example being Gene Vincent. Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, ( February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American Rock'n'roll pioneer This inspired many British teens to begin buying records and follow the music scene, thus laying the groundwork for Beatlemania. Beatlemania is a term that was used during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy (particularly demonstrated by young teen girls directed toward The Beatles, particularly

At the start of the 1960s, instrumental dance music was very popular in the UK. Hits such as "Apache" by The Shadows and "Telstar" by The Tornados (produced by Joe Meek), form a British branch of instrumental music. The Shadows are an English instrumental and vocal Rock and roll group active from the 1950s to the 2000s Telstar - - is a 1962 Instrumental record performed by The Tornados. The Tornados (in the US they were credited as The Tornadoes) were an English Instrumental group of the 1960s who acted as the in-house Joe Meek (born Robert George Meek; 5 April 1929 — 3 February 1967 in London) was a pioneering English Record producer and Songwriter An instrumental is a Musical composition or recording without Lyrics or any other sort of Vocal music; all of the Music is produced by

At the same time, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, R&B fans such as Alexis Korner promoted authentic American blues music directly in London clubs, and elsewhere, at a time when this music was declining in popularity back in the USA. Alexis Korner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984 born Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner, was a pioneering Blues Musician and broadcaster who has sometimes This led directly to the formation of such groups as The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds in London, The Animals in Newcastle, and Them in Belfast. The Yardbirds are an English rock band noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous Guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England Them was a Northern Irish group formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the Garage rock standard " Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. In the USA, such groups became known as part of the "British Invasion". The British Invasion was the term applied by the news media — and subsequently by consumers — to the influx of Rock and roll, beat and pop performers

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^ Origin of dances at Radio Canada (French)
  2. ^ http://www.littlewonderrecords.com/music-library.html and click record number 158 to hear it
  3. ^ Bill Haley & The Comets
  4. ^ The Sisters
  5. ^ Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1934)
  6. ^ Go, Cat, Go! by Carl Perkins and David McGee 1996 page 76 Hyperion Press ISBN 0-7868-6073-1
  7. ^ Scott, Tommy (RCS Artist Discography)
  8. ^ Elvis Presley at Sun Studios in 1954
  9. ^ CD Baby: How to Legally Sell Downloads of Cover Songs

External links

Dictionary

rock and roll

-noun

  1. Style of music characterized by a basic drum-beat, generally 4/4 riffs, based on (usually electric) guitar, drums, and vocals (generally with bass guitar). Generally used to refer to the 1950’s rock, and rock of its style, quite close to swing.
  2. Style of vigorous dancing associated with this 1950’s music.
  3. An intangible feeling, philosophy, belief or allegiance relating to rock music (generally from the 1970s–1980s), and heavy metal bearing certain elements of this music, pertaining to unbridled enthusiasm, cynical regard for certain Christian and authoritarian bodies, and attitudes befitting some degree of youthful debauchery. This meaning is sometimes used as an exclamation, in describing traits of certain people, and so on.
  4. (UK) (rhyming slang) dole.

-verb

  1. To play rock and roll music.
  2. (slang, euphemism) To have sex.
  3. To start, commence, begin, get moving.
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