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Rock Music is the leading type of popular
music in much of the world. Rock music
exploded on the music scene in the
United States in the mid-1950s.
During its early history it was called
simply Rock’n’Roll.
Much of early rock was a ________________ style of music that particularly attracted
young people who wanted an ________________ to the musical tastes of the
________________ world. The creators of rock music were ________________ who
turned away from the ________________ of the music business, searching for a new
sound. By the mid-1960s, however, rock dominated the music industry, and it remains
one of the most important divisions of popular music.
The Beginnings of Rock Music
The Cleveland disc jockey
Musical Roots. Rock music originated primarily
_______________ is
as a blend of two American musical styles—(1)
often credited with
__________________________ and introducing the term
(2) _______________ . Much of the musical ‘rock’n’roll as part of
vocabulary of rock’n’roll appears in recordings radio show in the
made during the 1930s by African American early 1950s. In
blues singers, such as Son House, Robert black slang, the
Johnson, and Charley Patton. At the same phrase had a
time, the Carter family and Jimmie Rodgers sexual meaning,
were making the first country music recordings, but Freed used it
which provided another vital influence on rock. to describe the high-
energy _______________
By the late 1940s, a fast-paced blues style with and blues he played on his program. The term
an ________________, driving _________ soon became the name for the new music.
emerged through recordings released by
independent American record companies. This Early rock’n’roll caused considerable
music, which was aimed primarily at a black controversy. Many people objected to the
audience, was known as rhythm and blues. Roy ________________ of the music and its
Brown recorded “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (1947),
often ________________ or sexually
and Wynonie Harris recorded “All She Wants To
Do Is Rock” (1949), two rhythm and blues ________________ lyrics and performing
standards that helped shape rock’n’roll. Big Joe style. Some opponents of rock claimed that the
Turner introduced the song “Shake, Rattle and music was ________________ young
Roll” (1954), which became a standard among people.
rock music performers.
Major record labels, such as Columbia and RCA ________________ . In 1954 and 1955,
Victor, ignored rock’n’roll and focused on Phillips recorded Elvis Presley, a teen-ager living
mainstream popular music during the early in Memphis. Presley’s first singles on the Sun
1950’s. Most of the musical developments that label had a rhythm and blues song on one side
led to rock emerged from independent and a country song on the other. The songs
companies, such as Atlantic, Chess, King, were only modest regional hits but became
Specialty, and Sun. crucial to the development of rock’n’roll.
Sun Records. In 1950, a radio announcer Presley spent 18 months making innovative
named Sam Phillips opened a recording studio recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun. Then RCA
in Memphis, Tennessee. The next year, his bought Presley’s contract in 1955 for $35,000, a
studio produced a song that many rock remarkable sum at the time. Phillips needed
historians consider the first rock’n’roll record. the money to record his other discoveries—
It was a song about an Oldsmobile, “Rocket 88” Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl
(1951), by Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner’s Perkins, and Charlie Rich. They all went ton to
band. distinguished careers in rock or country music.
After “Rocket 88” became a success for Presley gained mass success with his first RCA
Chicago’s Chess Records, Phillips established his recordings, “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Don’t Be
own label, Sun Records, to market his Cruel” (both 1956), which led the music
recordings. He recorded African American business to demand more songs in this new
performers at first but sought a white singer style. By the end of 1956, Presley had become
with the ________________ and a national phenomenon and established
________________ of a black artist. With himself as rock music’s greatest star.
such a performer, Phillips believed, he could
appeal to a large white audience and make a Rock’n’Roll Gains Popularity
fortune. Rock’n’roll gained in popularity during the
middle and late 1950s. The first generation or
rock’n’roll artists emerged, and several
different styles developed. Independent record
producers played an important role in
spreading the music and creating new sounds.
The first generation of rock’n’roll artists were
led by Presley and five other male performers—
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Fats
Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis. These artists
________________ to black and white
audiences alike, but only Presley and Lewis
were white.
Chuck Berry was one of rock’s first great
songwriters. His songs, aimed at
________________, combined lyrics
with a squawking guitar and pounding
rhythm. Such songs as “Maybellene” (1955),
“School Day” (1957), and “Sweet Little Sixteen”
(1958) dealt them themes that included cars,
young love, and the ________________ of
adolescence.
Little Richard was steeped in the rich tradition
of black ________________ music. But he
had also played piano in stripteases clubs,
learning a sexier style of music. Little Richard’s
recordings for Specialty Records in New
Orleans remain some of the most energetic
records in rock history. They include “Tutti
Frutti” (1955), “Long Tall Sally” (1956), and
“Good Golly, Miss Molly” (1958).
Bo Diddley recorded for Chess Records
beginning in 1955, issuing such hits as “Bo A variety of styles of rock’n’roll emerged in the
Diddley” (1955) and “Say Man” (1959). He used 1950s. One was the blend of country music
a guitar as a ________________ instrument, (often called hillbilly music) rhythm and blues
and his characteristic pounding beat would popularized by Presley. It became known as
influence rock bands for decades. ________________. Some rockabilly artists,
such as Bill Haley and Buddy Holly, were former
Fats Domino played ________________ country music singers who ______________
with a driving rhythm and _______________ their style slightly to succeed in the rock’n’roll
vocals in a rich voice that had mass appeal for market. Haley recorded rock music’s first huge
white teen-agers. Domino began his career in hit, “Rock Around the Clock” (1954).
rhythm and blues. He had more hits in the
1950s than any recording artist except Elvis An African American vocal style known as
Presley, beginning with his first pop music hit, ________________ emerged from the
“Ain’t That A Shame” (1955). streets of New York City and Philadelphia. Doo-
wop, with its smooth ________________,
Jerry Lee Lewis performed with great
was the closest rock style to mainstream pop in
______________ and ________________ the mid-1950s. The Orioles helped develop the
both as singer and pianist. Lewis recorded a doo-wop sound with their hits “It’s
pair of rock classics for Too Soon to Know” (1948) and
Sun Records in 1957, “Crying in the Chapel” (1953). Other
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ important African American doo-
Goin’ On” and “Great wop groups included the Coasters,
Balls of Fire”. Lewis the Drifters, the Moonglows, and
created controversy in the Platters. The style spread to
1958 when he married white singing groups, such as the
his 13-year-old cousin, Capris, the Dion and the Belmonts,
damaging his career the Earls, and the Tokens.
for several years.
The major record companies, which had Philles Records with producer Leslie Sill in 1961.
ignored rock’n’roll at first, recognized the Spector specialized in “_______________”—
music’s potential. The mainstream music that is, vocal
industry rushed to create teen-aged groups of
________________. These young recording young
artists, all white, included Paul Anka, Frankie women—
Avalon, Fabian, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, and such as the
Ricky Nelson. Music publishing houses Crystals and
recruited young songwriters just out of high the
school, such as Neil Diamond, Carole Kin, and Ronettes.
Neil Sedaka, to write songs for the youth He backed
audience. up their
singing with
The practice of white singers what he
“________________”—that is, performing called his
their own versions of—records by black artists “wall of
was widespread throughout the early years of sound,”
rock’n’roll. For example, white mainstream which
singer Pat Boone recorded Little Richard’s consisted of blended recordings of multiple
“Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally,” Joe Turners guitars, drums, and other instruments. Spector
“Chains of Love,” and Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That also recorded the Righteous Brothers, a popular
A Shame.” Boone’s “cover” versions cut into singing due consisting of Bill Medly and Bobby
sales of the originals, costing the original artists Hatfield.
________________ .
In 1959, Berry Gordy, Jr. founded the Tamla
Independent producers brought strong record label in Detroit, which developed into
creative drives to rock’n’roll during its early ________________ Record Corporation in
years. Perhaps the first superstar record 1961. Gordy built Motown into a musical
producer was Phil Spector. After working for empire, recording such stars as Marvin Gaye,
record companies and as an independent the Jackson Five, the Temptations, Smokey
producer, Spector founded the record label Robinson, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Mary
Wells and Stevie Wonder.
Text from William McKeen, “Rock Music.” World Book Encyclopedia, 2004 ed.
Photo Credits
Alan Freed
http://www.bauerstune.net/pict/Alan_Freed.jpg
Elvis Presley
http://www.brittybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Elvis-Presley-1957-Jailhouse-Rock_02.jpg
Little Richard
http://raymondpronk.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/little_richard.jpg?w=510&h=403
Jerry Lee Lewis
http://moblog.whmsoft.net/shared_images/en/jerry-lee-lewis88383838_4c055c1a844218021b475cb227f622d6.jpg
The Crystals
http://blog.mtviggy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/the-crystals-390x487.jpg
