rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the united states during the late 1940s and early 1950s.it 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.according to journalist greg kot, 'rock and roll' refers to a style of popular music originating in the united states in the 1950s.by the mid-1960s, rock and roll had developed into 'the more encompassing international style known as rock music, though the latter also continued to be known in many circles as rock and roll.'for the purpose of differentiation, this article deals with the first definition.in the earliest rock and roll styles, either the piano or saxophone was typically the lead instrument.these instruments were generally replaced or supplemented by guitar in the middle to late 1950s.the beat is essentially a dance rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, almost always provided by a snare drum.classic rock and roll is usually played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm) and a double bass (string bass).after the mid-1950s, electric bass guitars ('fender bass') and drum kits became popular in classic rock.rock and roll had a polarizing influence on lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language.it is often portrayed in movies, fan magazines, and on television.some people believe that the music had a positive influence on the civil rights movement, because both black american and white american teenagers enjoyed it.the term is sometimes also used as synonymous with 'rock music' and is defined as such in some dictionaries.the phrase 'rocking and rolling' originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean, but by the early 20th century was used both to describe the spiritual fervor of black church rituals and as a sexual analogy.a retired welsh seaman named william fender can be heard singing the phrase 'rock and roll' when describing a sexual encounter in his performance of the traditional song 'the baffled knight' to the folklorist james madison carpenter in the early 1930s, which he would have learned at sea in the 1800s; the recording can be heard on the vaughan williams memorial library website.various gospel, blues and swing recordings used the phrase before it became widely popular; it was used in 1940s recordings and reviews of what became known as 'rhythm and blues' music aimed at a black audience.in 1934, the song 'rock and roll' by the boswell sisters appeared in the film transatlantic merry-go-round.in 1942, before the concept of rock and roll had been defined, billboard magazine columnist maurie orodenker started to use the term to describe upbeat recordings such as 'rock me' by sister rosetta tharpe; her style on that recording was described as 'rock-and-roll spiritual singing'.by 1943, the 'rock and roll inn' in south merchantville, new jersey, was established as a music venue.in 1951, cleveland, ohio, disc jockey alan freed began playing this music style, and referring to it as 'rock and roll' on his mainstream radio program, which popularized the phrase.several sources suggest that freed found the term, used as a synonym for sexual intercourse, on the record 'sixty minute man' by billy ward and his dominoes.the lyrics include the line, 'i rock 'em, roll 'em all night long'.freed did not acknowledge the suggestion about that source in interviews, and explained the term as follows: 'rock 'n roll is really swing with a modern name.
rock and roll | stylisticorigin | country music
rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the united states during the late 1940s and early 1950s.it 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.according to journalist greg kot, 'rock and roll' refers to a style of popular music originating in the united states in the 1950s.by the mid-1960s, rock and roll had developed into 'the more encompassing international style known as rock music, though the latter also continued to be known in many circles as rock and roll.'some people believe that the music had a positive influence on the civil rights movement, because both black american and white american teenagers enjoyed it.the term is sometimes also used as synonymous with 'rock music' and is defined as such in some dictionaries.the phrase 'rocking and rolling' originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean, but by the early 20th century was used both to describe the spiritual fervor of black church rituals and as a sexual analogy.a retired welsh seaman named william fender can be heard singing the phrase 'rock and roll' when describing a sexual encounter in his performance of the traditional song 'the baffled knight' to the folklorist james madison carpenter in the early 1930s, which he would have learned at sea in the 1800s; the recording can be heard on the vaughan williams memorial library website.various gospel, blues and swing recordings used the phrase before it became widely popular; it was used in 1940s recordings and reviews of what became known as 'rhythm and blues' music aimed at a black audience.in 1934, the song 'rock and roll' by the boswell sisters appeared in the film transatlantic merry-go-round.by 1943, the 'rock and roll inn' in south merchantville, new jersey, was established as a music venue.in 1951, cleveland, ohio, disc jockey alan freed began playing this music style, and referring to it as 'rock and roll' on his mainstream radio program, which popularized the phrase.several sources suggest that freed found the term, used as a synonym for sexual intercourse, on the record 'sixty minute man' by billy ward and his dominoes.