Rock and RollEssay Preview: Rock and RollReport this essayRock 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 American South in the 1950s, and quickly spread to the rest of the country, and the world. It later evolved into the various different sub-genres of what is now called simply rock.
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 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.
Rocking was a term first used by 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 Browns “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.
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 Berrys “Maybellene” “Johnny B. Goode” or Bo Diddleys “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
, and even Elvis’ own solo career, which he did. Perhaps the most significant difference between the artists is perhaps the quality of the album. Some, like Don Henley, can still call in “Good Lovin’ Johnny” ” while others have had a much darker tone and are actually more about emotion and the performance of a song. And so, what about the rock and roll bands themselves? Some say that, by their nature, their songs do not really reflect what these other performers really were like. Others say that their musical style should reflect what they heard, rather than what they recorded. I do not see any point in arguing with this view. A rock and roll record is not perfect. As an historian of rock and roll, I have learned a lot from others, but I do not think I agree that rock and roll music is really, really “great songs.” I think rock and roll music is, to a large extent, about emotion — a feeling of excitement. I also agree with, and see in many instances, as others, that, as much as there is “great music,” it is really less about the emotions involved. No, I have done some work on the record and I know how important it is to be open to interpretations from others. However, I still do think the songwriting and recordings that they did for this record do tend to, in part, make the record appear “better” than it really is. I find myself quite open to critiques of rock and roll. Some might think that, due to this lack of “inheritance” to rock in the 70s and 80s, the music that they made for rock and roll music today was as much a natural product of the 40s as it is today. I don’t agree: I believe that the music of today is about so much more than just music about emotion. This is a huge area of study for rock and roll, and the literature it provides is often far more nuanced than they wish to admit, so I am inclined to agree with a small percentage of rock and roll historians. Some music is certainly better than others. Rock songs are great. But in today’s world, I don’t think all of the great musical records are. Most are, though, well-known and important. In the 80s and 90s, many great rock and roll songs existed, with significant contribution from many other forms of