Genre: ROCK 'N' ROLL

Rock in the fifties was still in the early stages of its infancy. The first Rock genres were rather unaffiliated and came from many different origins. The precise origin of Rock ‘n’ Roll is very complex and often part of a deeper debate. Skiffle, Rockabilly and Folk Revivals are all primitive forms of Rock, showing a slow development from different paths towards a more unified sound during Rock’s Golden Age. Be that as it may, Rock ‘n’ Roll itself – the main genre – was a groundbreaking milestone. The music broke great social barriers for the first time in history. Rock ‘n’ Roll connected white cultures (especially the average middle class white American young family) with black cultures (particularly exciting black R&B musicians). But Rock also connected the United Kingdom with the United States. British Skiffle was a reaction on the popularity of American Rock ‘n’ Roll. Alas, as Skiffle never broke through, Rock ‘n’ Roll became welcomed by the British, leading to British Blues Rock and the British Invasion. Last but not least, R‘n’R dissolves the musical barrier between young and old. That is to say: music expands from an adult-only form of entertainment to a vital part of any adolescent or teen life. Rock ‘n’ Roll gives the youth their own sound, their genre, their personal revolution against whatever their parents liked to listen.

Rock ‘n’ Roll introduces the typical Rock instrument set-up, consisting of four to five musicians (though three is possible as well): lead singer, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, drums, and bass (though the singer could also play an instrument). Rock ‘n’ Roll is based on the Jump Blues rhythm, with a heavily accentuated backbeat. Rock ‘n’ Roll is even faster than its direct predecessors Early Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and Jump Blues, with less emphasis on bass and a replacement of the double bass by the electric bass.