When did rock n roll start?

[VicHawkeye]

Seems like there should be an easy answer. One of the top search results claims it starts with Chuck Berry, another claims Elvis.

Both of these are easily disproved but that still doesn’t answer the question. IMO this topic would make an interesting Ken Burns style doc.

 

[HotelAlphaWilcoKilo]

 

[lucas80]

I'm gonna say with Buddy Holly.

 

[VicHawkeye]

I’m actually friends with Ritchie Valens’ sisters and brother. I see them every year at the Buddy Holly tribute in Clear Lake. Great people as was late brother Bob.

 

[SSG T]

I would argue that this is the first song that sounded like the mid-late 50s rock artists (Chuck, Little Richard, etc)

This was from 1951

 

[SSG T]

I’m actually friends with Ritchie Valens’ sisters and brother. I see them every year at the Buddy Holly tribute in Clear Lake. Great people as was late brother Bob.

I think people completely forget how young Valens and Holly were when they died. Buddy was 22 and Ritchie was 17 (a couple months shy of 18). I mean, Valens was younger than my mom.

 

[Gimmered]

November 12th 1955. Enchantment under the sea dance.

 

[SSG T]

November 12th 1955. Enchantment under the sea dance.

Thanks to Marty, that's when hair metal started.

 

[HotelAlphaWilcoKilo]

I’m actually friends with Ritchie Valens’ sisters and brother. I see them every year at the Buddy Holly tribute in Clear Lake. Great people as was late brother Bob.

Esai Morales is a handsome motherfvcker and a talented actor to boot. Give Ritchie's sister and brother thanks for carrying on the legacy.

 

[VicHawkeye]

I would argue that this is the first song that sounded like the mid-late 50s rock artists (Chuck, Little Richard, etc)

This was from 1951

View embedded media

This guy from ‘49 had a bit of the Berry riffing going on.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

Is that " the " Ike Turner?

 

[hawksurprize]

I think people completely forget how young Valens and Holly were when they died. Buddy was 22 and Ritchie was 17 (a couple months shy of 18). I mean, Valens was younger than my mom.

 

[hawksurprize]

 

[SoDakHawk]

In the beginning, back in 1955, man didn't know 'bout a rock 'n' roll show and all that jive. The white man had the schmaltz. The black man had the blues. No one knew what they was gonna do but Tschaikovsky had the news.

He said, "Let there be sound, and there was sound. Let there be light, and there was light. Let there be drums, there was drums. Let there be guitar, there was guitar. Oh, let there be rock!"

And it came to pass that rock 'n' roll was born. All across the land every rockin' band was blowin' up a storm. And the guitar man got famous, the business man got rich. And in every bar there was a superstar, with a seven year itch.

There was fifteen million fingers learnin' how to play and you could hear the fingers pickin' and this is what they had to say, "Let there be light, sound, drums, guitar. Oh, let there be rock!"

One night in a club called the Shakin' Hand there was a 42 decibel rockin' band. And the music was good and the music was loud. And the singer turned and he said to the crowd:. "Let there be rock"

 

[VicHawkeye]

Is that " the " Ike Turner?

Yep. Ike was absolutely there at the start.

 

[win4jj]

Blues made rock.

 

[VicHawkeye]

Blues made rock.

Absolutely and here’s proof. 1953 Alan Freed radio show. All songs are basically what’s called jump blues today, however Alan Freed promotes it as rock n roll.

 

[baddog25]

Seems like there should be an easy answer. One of the top search results claims it starts with Chuck Berry, another claims Elvis.

Both of these are easily disproved but that still doesn’t answer the question. IMO this topic would make an interesting Ken Burns style doc.

The first time an african-american boy pounded 2 nails to the side of the barn and connected them with a wire and wedgd a pop bottle under it and started experimenting.

 

[HotelAlphaWilcoKilo]

Uppercut, uppercut
To the gut

Yep. Ike was absolutely there at the start.

You must understand
That a vicious backhand
Cuts out all the flack
(WHAT THE PROBLEM IS?!?!)

It's always a thrill
Of beatin' her 'til
I can score some crack
Love's physical (WHY-YITE!)

Now you claim I cracked your jaw
Now you're a big star and I'm parkin' cars

O-oh-oh
You done lied
Nothing's true
Nothing's true to it

You done lied
I didn't beat you with my boot, no

I'm plannin' a comeback
Gonna show everyone now
They'd said I'm insane
But I'm just tootin' coke

 

[bagdropper]

I would argue that this is the first song that sounded like the mid-late 50s rock artists (Chuck, Little Richard, etc)

This was from 1951

View embedded media

First thing that popped into my head was this song.

 

[VicHawkeye]

My educated opinion on how it happened:

Late 40s rockin’ fad in black music. Rock the Joint, Good Rockin’ Tonight, rock n roll ie sex etc

‘49 Fats Domino records The Fat Man

Early 50s: Cleveland record store owner Leo Mintz gets Alan Freed to promote records on his radio show as rock n roll.

‘51 Rocket 88 sets prototype for mid late 50s rock n roll, covered by Bill Haley in ‘52.

Doo wop, 1953

1954 Elvis and Chuck Berry make their first rock n roll records, Alan Freed moves rock n roll party radio show from Cleveland to NYC.

1955 Blackboard Jungle hit movie. Rock Around the Clock rereleased and hits #1. Rock n roll now the most popular genre in America.

 

[soybean]

 

[artradley]

Blues made rock.

 

[soybean]

 

[pablow]

In my mind the birth of rock and roll was tied to the invention of the modern electric guitar (Fender). The instrumentation changed away from horns and a new sound was born. The roll and roll beat goes back a long ways, but the electric guitar changed things rapidly.