Home Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
rock and roll
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Bill Haley and His Comets
East and West German cultural changes: 1950s Music, fashion, and more
Quizzes
USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
Pop Culture Quiz
Publicity still of Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock in 1957. (cinema, movies, motion pictures, film)
Rock Music and Rock ’n’ Roll
Dancers performing the jitterbug at a juke joint outside Clarksdale, Miss., 1939.
Rock and Roll Call
Young girl wearing a demin jacket playing the trumpet (child, musical instruments, Asian ethnicity)
Sound Check: Musical Vocabulary Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)
All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained
President Richard M. Nixon smiles and gives the victory sign as he boards the White House helicopter after his resignation on August 9, 1974 in Washington, D.C.
Timeline of the 1970s
iPod. The iPod nano released to the public Sept. 2010 completely redesigned with Multi-Touch. Half the size and even easier to play. Choose from seven electric colors. iPod portable media player developed by Apple Inc., first released in 2001.
10 Musical Acts That Scored 10 #1 Hits
Elvis Presley performing on the television show "Elvis: The Comeback Special" (1968).
Why Is Elvis Called “the King of Rock ’n’ Roll”?
British rock group The Beatles, waving to screaming fans en route to Boston, Massachusetts airport (from l to r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, on August 12, 1966.
Did the Beatles Really Say They Were More Popular than Jesus?
Discover
Artist interpretation of a Space meteoroid impact. Meteor impact. Asteroid, End of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Planet Earth, Doomsday Predictions, comet
10 Failed Doomsday Predictions
Young men throw balloons and glitter from above the mosque at the celebration Eid Al-Fitr after prayers playing with balloons outside of Al-seddeeq mosque, Al-Mansourah, Egypt. 17 July 2015.
Eid al-Fitr
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist
The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Washington DC.,USA, April 26, 1989. Supporters for and against legal abortion face off during a protest outside the United States Supreme Court Building during Webster V Health Services
Pro and Con: Abortion
African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.
Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement
Arts & Culture

rock and roll

early style of rock music
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/art/rock-and-roll-early-style-of-rock-music
Also known as: rock ’n’ roll
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Bill Haley and His Comets
Bill Haley and His Comets
See all media
Category: Arts & Culture
Also called:
rock ’n’ roll or rock & roll
Key People:
Elvis Presley
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
Chuck Berry
Buddy Holly
Related Topics:
rock
See all related content →

Recent News

Apr. 4, 2024, 5:22 AM ET (MSN)
Mario Van Peebles Set To Direct Drama Detailing Birth Of Rock n' Roll

rock and roll, style of popular music that originated in the United States in the mid-1950s and that evolved by the mid-1960s into the more encompassing international style known as rock music, though the latter also continued to be known as rock and roll. Rock and roll has been described as a merger of country music and rhythm and blues, but, if it were that simple, it would have existed long before it burst into the national consciousness. The seeds of the music had been in place for decades, but they flowered in the mid-1950s when nourished by a volatile ...(100 of 630 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.