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Elvis Presely rises as rock and roll king
Presley was the first performer to combine country and blues music into the style known as rockabilly, and the first white vocalist to sing in a "black" style. He also was the first rock artist to inspire a mania among his fans, thanks to his sneering good looks and hip-swiveling style. His records sold millions of copies; he almost single-handedly established rock and roll as a viable musical form. -
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Beginning of rock and roll
"The Fat Man" by Fats Domino is claimed by many as the first rock and roll song. Even though this song had a rocking but not technecally, a rolling beat. -
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2nd First Rock Song
"Rocket 88" performed by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats is believed by other music historians to be the first rock and roll song. This song was wriiten in priase of the writer's Oldsmobile Rocket 88 and lead the way to hundreds of other car praising rock and roll hits -
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Elvis makes his first recording
In 1953, Elvis made his first recording as a present for his mother. The recording caught the attention of Sam Philips, who was the boss of Sun's records at the time, chose Elvis to lead the way in the new style of rockability. -
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"Rock Around the Clock" as true first rock and roll song?
"Rock Around the Clock" performed by Bill Haley and the Comets, is to the general audience, the real first rock song. This song carries more of a big band theme rather than a true rock beat. -
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The era of classic rock and roll
During this time period, the first rockers were lost. Elvis was drafted, Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year -old cousin, Chuck Berry was imprisioned for violating the Mann Act. Pat Boone emerged with "faux" rock with his watered down R&B lyrics. -
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Elvis Releases his first "big hit"
"That's Alright Mama" performed by Elvis Presley was his first commerical release -
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Little Richard joins the rock and roll scene
He combined gospel fervor with piano pounding theatrics in his most famous songs, "Tutti Fruitti", "Long Tall Sally", And "Good Golly Miss Molly". -
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Chuck Berry, the most influencial black musician of rock and roll
Berry defined the instrumental voice of rock and roll, in particular its guitar sound and the straight-ahead 4⁄4 rock beat. He was also a key shaper of the rock and roll song form, and a very good lyricist; Berry was able to craft songs that addressed classic teenage topics from a teenaged perspective in the teenage vernacular. His key recordings include: " Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957), "School Day" (1957), "Sweet Little Sixteen" (1958), " Johnny -
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Surf music came into popularity
Surf music is guitar based rock songs about surfing, girls and cars, as well as other Californian-youth activities. The primary leaders of the surf sound were the Beach Boys, led by composer/singer Brian Wilson. Wilson and his two brothers, Carl and Dennis, along with cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine, modeled their vocal harmonies on the Four Freshmen and other 1950s pop groups. -
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The Beatles arrive on the American shore
The Fab Four, as they were known, livened up the music scene with their perky blend of American country, R&B, and early rock and roll. It also didn't hurt that they were smart, funny, and very photogenic. The Beatles had the good fortune to be fronted by two Brill Building-caliber songwriters, John Lennon (1940-1980) and Paul McCartney (b. 1942). These talented composer/performers were perhaps the most skilled, successful, and influential songwriters of the 1960s; they defined pop music for th -
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The "bad boys" of rock and roll
One group that did have lasting success was the Rolling Stones. In contrast to the teen-friendly Beatles, the Stones were cleverly marketed as the "bad boys" of rock and roll. Originally a blues band playing covers (a recording of a song by a singer, instrumentalist, or group other than the original performer or composer) of American material, band members Mick Jagger (b. 1943) and Keith Richards (b. 1943) eventually started to write their own material. The Stones' more aggressive sound and lyr -
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Psychedellic rock replaces rock and roll with Hendrix leading the way
Another influential psychedelic artist was guitarist Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970). Perhaps the greatest live performer in this style, Hendrix created unique sounds on the electric guitar through different playing methods and creative use of amplification, distortion, feedback, and effects. -
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Woodstock
The 1960s came to a close with two major festivals, each emblematic of the era. The Woodstock festival, held August 15-18, 1969, in upstate New York, was the ultimate hippie dream - a three-day gathering of peace, love, and music. Dozens of rock artists gave memorable performances, from the folk-rock guitar of Richie Havens and the ethereal harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash, to the electrified psychedelia of Jimi Hendrix and the boozy blues of Janis Joplin. It was a defining moment in the new -
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Subgeneras of rock begin to multiply
Counrty-rock, singer/song writer, glam rock, progressive rock, disco, punk, new wave, heavy metal, dance/pop, popmetal, alternative rock, grunge, teen-pop