1. ORIGINS
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll or rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular music
that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early
1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and
gospel.
Rock and roll music developed in the United States in the early nineteen-fifties. It
was based on the music called rhythm and blues that was performed by African
American musicians.
ORIGINS (THE FIRST BANDS)
Early rock and roll singers developed their own kinds of music. Elvis Presley,
Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan were the most popular rock and roll
musicians in the early nineteen-sixties. All were American. Then, in nineteen-sixty-
four, a new rock and roll group from England invaded America: the Beatles.
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became
the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of
popular music. The lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George
Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
The popularity of the Beatles led the way for more rock and roll bands from
England to become popular in America. The Rolling Stones was the most important
of these bands. The Rolling Stones is one of the few groups from the nineteen-
sixties that is still performing and recording today. In nineteen-sixty-five, the group
recorded one of its most famous songs, "Satisfaction."
1960’S
The musical instrument most linked to rock and roll is the guitar. Experts say Jimi
Hendrix was one of the most influential guitar players in rock and roll during the late
nineteen-sixties. He made electric guitar music more expressive by creating new
sounds on the instrument. Here is Jimi Hendrix playing "Purple Haze."
1970’S
By the nineteen-seventies, rock and roll music became known as rock music. It
expanded into many new forms. For example, there was country rock, hard rock,
acid rock, and heavy metal rock. Punk rock, jazz rock, and glitter rock.

2. Rock music became a bigger business than ever. It was the most popular music in
America's music industry.
1980’S
A new kind of music, called rap music, became popular in the nineteen-eighties. It
developed from the culture of young African Americans in big cities. Rap songs are
spoken over the sounds of electronic rhythms.
1990’S
Rock and roll changed a lot in its first fifty years. Yet rock is still just as difficult to
define. It continues to reinvent itself, and the appeal now reaches far beyond
America. Today, rock is often called the music of the world.