Origins of Rock-n-Roll

From the original rock-n-roll of the 1950s to the psychedelic hard rock of the 1970s, the pop rock of the 1990s and the contemporary rock of today, rock music has evolved throughout the years to encompass a variety of artists and individual styles. The term “rock-n-roll” was first popularized in 1951 by disk jockey Alan Freed. It was used to describe the emerging style of music that amalgamated pop, black pop, country pop, jazz, folk, and gospel (Ennis, 71). Black pop, or rhythm and blues, was particularly influential on early rock-n-roll artists such as Bill Haley and His Comets. Their hit ‘Rock Around the Clock’ was the first to introduce rock-n-roll and dancing as a rebellious act and proved that a large youth audience existed for this new genre of music. Other prominent figures include Little Richard, with his promiscuous performances and shrieking records, and Chuck Berry, with his revolutionary and influential lyrics (Jahn, 14-29).

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was the instigator of the popularity of rock-n-roll and caused the initial blossoming of the genre separate from other genres at the time. He was born in Mississippi in 1935 and moved to Tennessee in 1948. Elvis’ childhood in the south exposed him to black culture and introduced him to rhythm and blues and country western music. He signed a deal with Sun Records in 1954, where Sam Phillips found in Elvis “a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel”. Elvis’ major success started in 1956 when he signed a deal with RCA Records and released eleven singles and four albums, including “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” Elvis was influential because he contributed to three major movements of the time- the sexual revolution, the youth revolution, and the civil rights movement. He contributed to the sexual revolution by bringing sexual expression out into the open. He was one of the first artists to have all the desirable qualities at the time and was transformed into a sex symbol with his unconventional appearance and promiscuous dancing. Elvis contributed to the youth revolution by appealing to youth in every social class, region, and race. He was one of the first young artists whose music was seen as a stance against authority. The youth turned to Elvis and his music as an act of rebellion. Elvis also indirectly influenced the civil rights movement because he was a white man singing black music and introducing this music to a white audience. Black artists at the time were not as influential simply because of their race. Elvis introduced rock-n-roll as a genre of music for both blacks and whites, thus creating a unity between the races (Pierce, 1-7).

Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel 

The Beatles

The Beatles were a British group from Liverpool, England, that consisted of members Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr).  They arrived in American on February 7, 1964, debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show, and were an overnight success (Gould, 1-4).  They greatly influenced rock-n-rock by practically reinventing the genre after a lull of mediocrity and loss of popularity from 1961-1964.  The Beatles were also uniquely influential because they appealed to both the youth culture and the adult audience.  The adults approved of their seemingly innocent and sexless appearance, but the youth identified with this unique style of bowl cuts, matching outfits, and foreign accents.  Adults also accepted their seemingly demure lyrics of early Beatles’ records that appealed the youth with topics of young love, as depicted in “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”  While adolescent girls flocked to participate in Beatlemania, the band’s obsessive fan base, adults appreciated the Beatles’ undeniable talent, obvious education, and witty and humorous personalities (Gould, 157).   The Beatles were also tremendously influential because they were able to change with the changing times.  Towards the late 1960s, the band transformed both its image and its music.  The Beatles followed the youth culture into the emerging hippie era by growing out their beards, practicing Middle Eastern transcendental meditation, and experimenting with hallucinatory drugs.  Their lyrics also became more serious and controversial as the Beatles incorporated their political activism and anti-war sentiments.  Their songs became critiques of contemporary culture as they discussed issues such as depression, peace, equality, and revolution in songs like “Eleanor Rigby,” “Revolution,” and “Imagine” (Altschuler, 183-4). The Beatles ability to change and transform this the time proved that rock music can adapt and be applicable to issues of modern culture and society. 

The Beatles- I Want to Hold Your Hand    
The Beatles- Eleanor Rigby 

by Anna Thomas and Molly Hudish

Altschuler, Glenn C.  All Shook Up:  How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America.  New York:  Oxford UP,  2003.

Ennis, Philip H. The Seventh Stream: The Emergence of Rocknroll in American Popular Music. Hanover: Wesleyan UP, 1992.

Gould, Jonathon.  Can’t Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America.  New York:  Harmony,   2007.

Jahn, Mike. The Story of Rock: from Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones. New York: Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co, 1973.

Pierce, Patricia J. “Presley, Elvis.” American National Biography Online. Feb. 2000. <http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-00960.html>.