Rock 'n' Roll
tagStarted 1954Peak 1955-1960Last big hit still activeFrom United States
Located in 1 route
The apostrophized period spelling that signals the wild, irreverent first-wave spirit: stomping backbeats, screaming saxes, frantic piano glissandos and ecstatic vocal yelps. Loud, fast, dance-floor singles built for jukeboxes and sock hops, fusing R&B abandon with rockabilly snap and an attitude of teenage rebellion captured live and on tape.
History
DJ Alan Freed branded his 1951 Cleveland R&B show 'Moondog's Rock 'n' Roll Party,' fixing the spelling that defined the late-'50s craze. Little Richard's Specialty sides and Jerry Lee Lewis's Sun cuts pushed the music to feverish extremes. Moral panics, the draft and 1959-60 setbacks cooled the frenzy, but the term endured as shorthand for rock's untamed core.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_roll
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/rock-roll-ma0000004433
- https://www.rockhall.com/inductees