History of American Music
ROCK AND ROLL
1955 - 1981
Rock and Roll
 Rock and Roll is the genre of popular music that
originated and evolved in the US during the late
1940’s and early 1950’s.
 Rock and Roll is a combination of predominantly
African-American genres such as blues, jazz, and
gospel.
1950’s – The Birth of Rock and Roll
 Rock and Roll music is born in the 1950’s from a
fusion of electric blues, country and gospel music.
 The early 50’s were dominated by remnants of the
big band era, which then transferred into Rock and
Roll.
 Doris Day, Frankie Lane, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary
Clooney, Elvis Presley and Nat King Cole.
1960’s Expanding the Boundaries
 The 60’s rock music comes of age and dominates the
popular music charts.
 Rock diversifies with new styles such as surf, soul,
folk rock, the British invasion, psychedelic and hard
rock.
 Television became a factor and prime time variety
shows.
 Bob Dylan, The Supremes, The Beach Boys, The
Jackson Five, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones.
1970’s – Rock Becomes Big Business
 The early seventies are marked by the death of Janis
Joplin and Jim Morrison.
 Pyschedelic music declines, but morphs into hard
rock, progressive rock and heavy metal.
 Touring bands start playing in concert halls and
sports arenas rather than small night clubs.
 James Taylor, Elton John, Billy Joel, Abba, Diana
Ross, Stevie Wonder, Bee Gees, Led Zeppelin, The
Who, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Ramones,
Blondie
1980’s – The Influence of Technology
 MTV (Music Television) is launched on the cable
system 1981.
 The prevalence of music videos is influential in
bringing numerous new bands to many people.
 The early 1980’s influence of hip hop and rap – rock
and roll took a back seat.
1955
 1955 brings Rock and Roll’s first #1 single – “Rock
Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & his Comets on the
billboard charts
 Top 40 radio is still dominated by “parent music” –
and Rock and Roll was a “novelty” for the kids.
 Urban and southern white teenagers are turning to
R&B radio stations and purchasing R&B records.
1956
 RCA releases Elvis Presley’s first single “Heartbreak
Hotel” – this song would be on the pop charts at #1
for seven weeks.
 Sun Records artist Johnny Cash hits #1 with single “I
Walk The Line”
 Country music starts to cross over to Pop and Rock
and Roll charts.
1957
 DJ Alan Freed moves from Cleveland to New York
City to start putting more Rock and Roll on the
mainstream radios.
 Alan Freed’s short lived TV show “The Big Beat” and
“American Bandstand” make way onto TV stations
promoting Pop and Rock and Roll music
 Sun Records sign new artist Jerry Lee Lewis, who
was Elvis Presely’s main musical “rival”
1958
 Billboard introduces the Hot 100 Singles, a chart that
tabulates both store sales and airplay.
 Elvis gets drafted into the Army – serves two years
stationed in Germany.
 Entertainer Chuck Berry continues to reach top ten
billboard success with hits like “Johnny Be Good”.
 Chart topping star Jerry Lee Lewis’ career suffers after it
is discovered that he is married to his thirteen year old
second cousin.
1959
 A tragic plane crash in Iowa kills three of rock
music’s biggest starts – Buddy Holly, The Big
Bopper, and Ritchie Vallens.
 Motown music is formed in Detroit by Berry Gordy.
 Rock and Roll accounts for 43% of all records sold in
the US.
Group Work
 In your groups, go to:

www.rockmusictimeline.com
 Find your decade and read the paragraph on the left
hand side and look at the timeline.
 Create five (5) key points from the decade – and chose on
song or artist mentioned in the information
 You will present to the class
1960
 Elvis comes back from the Army
 21-year-old Eddie Cochtran is killed in a car accident
 Motown has it’s first top hit – “Shop Around” by the
miracles
 First Grammy awards were hosted in Las Vegas and
Frank Sinatra won for his “Nice and Easy”
 Chubby Checker writes a cover of “The Twist” –
becomes nationwide dance craze
1961
 Girl groups formed and became more popular
 Motown label had one of it’s first hit single
 Groups like “The Beach Boys” and “The Supremes”
gained popularity.
 Pop and R&B charts gained hit single.
 Surf music emerges from So. Cal.
1962
 Elvis gives up touring to pursue acting.
 The Beatle’s are rejected from DECA records but
later signed by EMI
 Dancing was a popular performing art
 A UK band called “The Tornadoes” was the first UK
band to go #1 in the US
 The Four Seasons scored their first #1 album
1963
 Patsy Kline dies in plane crash
 Johnny Cash releases “Ring of Fire” – best selling
song
 12 year old Stevie Wonder releases first song on
Motown label
 “Beatlemania” starts in UK – two #1 singles in US
 Bob Dylan releases first album to show off his song
writing skills
1964
 Television became more influential in pop culture
 The Beatles kicked off with their “British Invasion”
 Prime Time Pop music show became popular
 Other UK groups followed onto the US music charts
 American singer Sam Cook is shot in LA
1965
 The Beatle’s were #1 for four weeks in the US with




single “Yesterday”
The Beatles had first big concert performance with
55,600 people in NYC
Bob Dylan uses electric guitar for the first time and
gets shamed for it
The Rolling Stone have first #1 album and single
The British Invasion continues with Dave Clark Five
and The Yardbirds
1966
 John Lennon “The Beatles are more popular than




Jesus”
Herb Alpert and the Tijuanna Brass have four
albums in top ten in the US
The Beatles perform their last official concert
TV show “The Monkees” feature a group similar to
The Beatles
The Beach Boys hit #1 with album “Psychedelic”
1967
 First issue of Rolling Stone magazine hits the stands.
 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is #1 album o
the year
 Elvis gets married to long time girlfriend
 Florence Ballard fired from The Supremes
 The Beatles manager dies of a drug overdose.
1968
 Johnny Cash’s albums hit #1 – Folsom Prison Blues




– recorded in an actual prison.
The Beatles “Hello Goodbye” hits #1 in US and UK –
launch their own album label
Pink Flloyd lead singer checks into mental
institution – he is replaced .
“Hey Jude” – released by the bands own label
NBC airs Elvis’s comeback special.
1969
 Led Zepplin released their first album
 Dusty Springfield releases “Son of a Preacher Man”
 Crosby, Stills, and Nash release debut album
 Woodstock music festival happened
 The Jackson 5 release their first hit – “I Want you
Back”
 You and your partner will agree on a song that has a
cover. This song needs to be school appropriate.
 You and your partner will listen to each song, you
will fill out a compare/contrast worksheet and put
together a keynote, powerpoint, Prezi, or google slide
presentation.
 You need to include an audio example of each song.
This needs to be embedded into your presentation
and can be from YouTube.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suOIy5GQQT0
 Slide #1 – The original song. Title, artist, year and
FIVE things you hear. Link to the song.
 Slide #2 – The cover song. Title, artist, year and
FIVE things you hear. Link to the song.
 Slide #3- FIVE things that are the same between the
two songs.
 Slide #4 – FIVE things that are different between the
two songs.
Woodstock – Bethel, NY – August 15-17, 1969
Woodstock - 1969
Woodstock - 1969
Woodstock - 1969
Woodstock - 1969
Woodstock - 1969
 “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music”
 Held at Max Yasgur’s 600 acre dairy farm in the
Catskill mountains in Bethel, New York.
 32 acts performed outdoors to an audience of over
400,000 people.
 Widely regarded as one of the “50 moments that
changed the history of music” according to Rolling
Stone Magazine.
 Founded by a group of music producers.
Woodstock - 1969
Jimi Hendrix - Star Spangled Banner
Janis Joplin - Take Another Little Piece of my
Heart
The Who - My Generation
1970
 The Beatles break up and release their final album




“Let it Be”.
The “Isle of Wight” festival is held in the U.K –
beating Woodstock with attendance at 600,000.
Drugs claim the life of Janis Joplin and Jimi
Hendrix.
Simon and Garfunkel break up and release their
album “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Goes #1
worldwide.
Black Sabbath releases their debut album.
1971
 Doors frontman Jim Morrison dies of a drug
overdose.
 Ex-Beatle George Harrison organizes the Concert for
Bangladesh in NYC. Ravi Shankar becomes an
important figure in American music.
 Carole King releases her second hit single, It’s Too
Late.
 UK artist David Bowie signs with RCA – single
“Changes” reaches #1.
1972
 John Lennon’s visa expires and US immigration asks
him to leave the country.
 Don McLean’s “American Pie” is the most popular
single in 1972.
 UK hard rock bands start having more influence on
American radio – prepares the US for hard rock
music.
1973
 Led Zeppelin play to 56,800 at Tampa Stadium,
breaking the Beatles record for largest audience
played to on American soil.
 The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, NY breaks
Woodstock record. Over 600,00 in attendance. The
Allman Brothers and The Greatful Dead perform.
1974
 Bob Dylan makes a comeback, performing for the




first time since 1966.
Led Zeppelin launch their own record label “Swan
Song”.
Mama Cass Elliot of “The Mamas and the Papas”
dies in her sleep.
Guitarist Mick Taylor quits The Rolling Stones.
John Lennon joins Elton John on stage in NY during
his concert.
1975
 Stevie Wonder plays to a crowd of 125,000 at the
Washington Monument for Human Kindness Day.
 Disco hits the charts thanks to The Bee Gees and
Earth Wind and Fire.
1976
 Bruce Springsteen jumps the fence at Graceland in
an effort to meet Elvis, but is escorted out.
 Paul McCartney performs in the US for the first time
since leaving the Beatles in 1966.
 Elton John discloses his bisexuality for the first time
in Rolling Stone Magazine.
1977
 Studio 54 dance club opens in NYC.
 Pre-recorded cassette tapes equal vinyl album sales
for the first time.
 Elvis is found dead in his home in Memphis.
 The movie “Saturday Night Fever” takes disco to the
big screen.
1978
 The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack is #1 from
January through June.
 The Grateful Dead perform in front of the pyramids
in Giza, Egypt.
 “Grease” was released – the album had three #1 hit
singles.
 Billy Joel releases first hit single.
1979
 Disco continues to dominate the singles charts.
 The Sony Walkman is introduced in Japan.
 Eleven fans are trampled to death at a Who concert
in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Timeline Project
 THIS IS YOUR FINAL PROJECT INSTEAD OF A




TEST. YOU’RE WELCOME.
Create a timeline of the major musical events that
happened between 1950 and 1979.
You will need two points per year, one of the points
has to be a song that was released that year. The
other point will be an important event that happened
that year. You will need to write a 2-3 sentence
synopsis of each event.
You can use the powerpoint or other sources.
This is due on Friday, December 11th.