You’ve all heard of Rock ‘n’ Roll music.  Ever wondered how the term “rock ‘n’ roll” originated?  Well, the first time it was used was way back in 1910 (in the time of your great-great-grandparents!) in a song called “The Camp Meeting Jubilee”; part of the song goes “we’ve been rocking and rolling in your arms, in the arms of Moses”.  (This song was a Spiritual, of the type that the old black slaves would have sung in the days of slavery.  If you remember from our Blues project, Spirituals were religious songs that Slaves would sing; they usually expressed longing for freedom).

In America in the 1940s, Blues became livelier and was now called “Rhythm & Blues” or R&B.  (So if ever you wanted to know what “R&B” stands for, now you know – but R&B nowadays is very different!)  Blues was music performed and enjoyed by black people only, but white people began to take notice of R&B and many white R&B bands formed.  This was at a time of racial tension in America, because black people were not allowed to attend the same schools and use the same services as white people and many protested this, so it is interesting that for the first time in history both races were enjoying the same music.

By 1950 “rock ‘n’ roll” was used to describe strong, lively R&B music that had a 12-bar structure like Blues.  Then, in 1951, the first ever rock ‘n’ roll concert was organised.  The audience and performers consisted of both black and white people.  The evening ended after just one song because of a riot – literally thousands of fans were trying to get into the sold-out concert.  The record industry now understood that there was a white market for black music (in other words there was money to be made out of white fans of  Rock ‘n’ Roll). 

In those days, Rock ‘n’ Roll music was like this: Fast 12-bar Blues structure, with a double-bass playing the bass part.  The drum kit and electric rhythm guitar provide rhythm; the drum beat providing a loud “back-beat” with the snare drum.  (When you count the beats, one-two-one-two-one-two, the two is the back-beat.) The vocalist sings and there is always a solo instrument, usually saxophone or electric lead guitar.  By the mid-50s, the double-bass – which is what jazz musicians used – was replaced by the electric bass guitar, which was much louder and therefore much more fitting with the general feel of rock ‘n’ roll music.  Most of the earliest Rock ‘n’ Roll hits were covers of much earlier old Blues hits. 

The first rock ‘n’ roll hit to top the American charts and music sales and dominate the radio stations was Bill Haley’s “Rock around the Clock” in 1954.  Other famous songs were Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” (the song that is performed by the lead character in the film Back to the Future) and Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally”. 

By 1955 the craze for Rock ‘n’ Roll spread to Britain.  Cliff Richard is perhaps the most notable original rock ‘n’ roll British artist, with his hit “Move It” in 1958.  At the same time, many other bands were popping up which were playing similar Rock ‘n’ Roll and R&B influenced music: namely The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.  By the 1960s, Rock ‘n’ Roll had started to move on to a new sound which was ever-moving towards ROCK MUSIC.