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Before and during the 50's
Rock originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm and blues, boogie woogie, gospel, jump blues, as well as country music. While rock and roll's formative elements can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until 1954. -
Early 1950's
In the early 1950's the American Popular Music Charts are dominated by the remnants of the big band era including vocalists such as Doris Day, Frankie Lane, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney and Nat King Cole, along with band leaders Mitch Miller, Percy Faith and others. The Rhythm & Blues Charts feature African-American artists playing to a predominately African-American audience in urban centers and the south. -
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Early 1960's
In the sixties rock music fully completes its takeover of the popular music charts, with only a minority of albums or songs outside the genre having a major chart impact. Elvis Presley continues to score hits in the early part of the decade, but rock music continues to diversify with the folk revival, the Brill Building sound, Phil Spector's wall of sound, girl groups and surf music, all impacting the early part of the decade. -
Television becomes a major force in rock music
By 1964 American artists are sharing the top of the charts with U.K. bands led by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. In the U.S. garage bands emerge, inspired by the British Invasion sound. Television becomes a major force in rock music in the sixties as networks try to attract a younger audience. American Bandstand continues with it's afternoon, clean-cut, teen idol format, while the Ed Sullivan Show, and other TV variety shows begin showcasing rock bands in prime time. -
Shindig!
The US networks also launch the weekly prime time shows Shindig and Hullabaloo featuring dancers and new music for teenage fans. -
Monterey Pop Festival
First with 1967's Monterey Pop Festival which attracts 55,000 fans per day to a three day concert. -
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Late 60's
In the late sixties outdoor rock music festivals begin. In the summer of 1969 the Woodstock Music and Art Fair draws 500,000 people to a three day concert in Bethel, New York. Soon after the decade ends The Beatles break up, but their dominance of the sixties record charts is apparent. -
Woodstock Music and Art Fair
In the summer of 1969 the Woodstock Music and Art Fair draws 500,000 people to a three day concert in Bethel, New York. -
Breakup of the Beatles
With the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, other bands and artists used the sound found in some of their songs, which is characterized as soft rock.
With the application of the appropriate orchestrations, they created the songs that were later called "power ballads" (ballads with an intense rhythm reminiscent of the metal sound and usually distinguished by erotic themes). -
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The 70's
Rock became associated with opposition to mainstream social culture in the mid-1960s. However, in the 1970s, rock music became very popular with mainstream audiences as well. -
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Classic Rock
bands such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Van Halen, and the Rolling Stones, as well as solo artists such as Peter Frampton who were mostly heard on AM radio, shared chart positions with soft rock bands. -
Arena Rock
The Beatles and the Rolling Stones had already laid the groundwork for massive live performances. The growing popularity of Heavy Metal and Progressive Rock has resulted in more and more bands selling out in large venues. Businesses related to music saw the event as an opportunity for big profits and thus promoted bands under the title of "Arena Rock" bands. -
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton's 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive instantly became the best-selling live album of all time, a record that was later broken, but still remains one of the best-selling albums worldwide. -
Aerosmith
Aerosmith's similar song Walk This Way reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody became extremely popular, somehow bridging hard rock with popular soft rock. -
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1980-2000 and beyond...
Bands such as AC/DC, Queen, Def Leppard, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Scorpions, Europe, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Poison, Dokken, Whitesnake, and Cinderella were among the most popular acts of the decade. -
Nirvana
Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. In the late 1980s, Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle grunge scene, -
Best 80s Rock Songs
Timetoast
On the above link you can listen to some of the best songs of the 80's