<P> The phrase `` rocking and rolling '' originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean , but it was used by the early 20th century , both to describe a spiritual fervor and as a sexual analogy . Various gospel , blues and swing recordings used the phrase before it became used more frequently -- but still intermittently -- in the late 1930s and 1940s , principally on recordings and in reviews of what became known as `` rhythm and blues '' music aimed at black audiences . In 1951 , Cleveland - based disc jockey Alan Freed began playing this music style while popularizing the term `` rock and roll '' to describe it . </P>
<P> The phrase `` rocking and rolling '' originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean , but it was used by the early 20th century , both to describe a spiritual fervor and as a sexual analogy . Various gospel , blues and swing recordings used the phrase before it became used more frequently -- but still intermittently -- in the late 1930s and 1940s , principally on recordings and in reviews of what became known as `` rhythm and blues '' music aimed at black audiences . In 1951 , Cleveland - based disc jockey Alan Freed began playing this music style while popularizing the term `` rock and roll '' to describe it . </P>
where did the words rock and roll come from
where did the words rock and roll come from
originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean
originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean