History of Rock and Roll Exam 1
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(GRADED A)
Rocket 88 - ANSWER considered to be the first "real" rock recording.
recorded by Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings
(wasn't very popular)
Rock and Roll era began... - ANSWER 1950s
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS - ANSWER First rock record to hit No. 1 on the
pop charts
What was happening in the 50s? - ANSWER - Baby boomers (1946-1964) were teenagers during the
1950s. They spent money on records for enjoyment; rebelled against their parent's taste in music. Main
supporters of early rock n' roll
Tin Pan Alley - ANSWER the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and
songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Located on 28th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
TPA Publishers - ANSWER professional songwriters that usually wrote songs for Broadway and Movies
TPA songs - ANSWER sentimental lyrics / memorable melodies / simple rhythms / moderate tempos /
sophisticated harmonies & complex song forms
-mainstream pop in the early 1950s; music of the white middle class adults.
- 32 bar AABA format
32-bar AABA form - ANSWER (A) main melody is performed twice, then (B) a bridge section is played
followed by a return of the main melody (A).
, -Each section is 8 bars long with a total of 4 sections.
Crooners - ANSWER sang sentimental ballads accompanied by lush orchestra and jazz bands.
-Singers dressed in formal wear
-had physically and emotionally restrained performances
- Whisper singing
-Developed after the introduction of the electric microphone
Novelty Songs - ANSWER Dean Martin- " That's Amore" Patti Page- "How much is that Doggy in the
Window".
- nonsensical songs performed for comical effect.
- aimed at middle class white adults.
-rejected by teens
Pop Crooners - ANSWER Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Perry Como.
- late 1920s to the early 1950s
- also multimedia stars in the 50s and 60s (Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby).
Record Industry - ANSWER -ran by old white men of upper middle class.
-main audience was adult middle class suburbanites.
- sought steady profits with manageable flow of recordings.
-predictable 2 month chart run
-sales dropped tremendously during The Great Depression
record companies - ANSWER 5 major record labels- RCA Victor, Columbia, Capital, Mercury, and Decca.
-released 42 of the top 50 best selling discs in 1956.
-"rock n' roll" started a revolution in the music business.
- missed initial blast of rock music (teen market)
, -record sales increased from $191 million (1951) to $514 million by 1959 due to rock n' roll music bought
by the teen market.
Indie music labels - ANSWER Small independent record labels.
Came out about the mid 1950s. They released 33 of the top 50 best selling records in 1956 to the late
1960s.
-promoted marginalized music (R&B and Country Western).
-produced first rock recordings
Early recordings of Rock - ANSWER combined of Rhythm and Blues music and Country Western.
-urban blacks and rural whites were outside of the mainstream American culture.
-mass migration of blacks and whites from the rural south to the urban north produced new markets for
non-mainstream music.
Race Music - ANSWER -term that was later changed to R&B in the late 1940s.
-first "race" hit was "Crazy Blues" by Marnie Smith in 1920 which inspired classic urban blues.
Hillbilly Music - ANSWER -term that was later changed to Country Western in the late 1940s.
-first "hillbilly" hit was "Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane" by Fiddlin' John Carson in 1923.
Rhythm and Blues - ANSWER -umbrella category that included Blues, Gospel, and Jazz music.
-music was made and largely consumed by African Americans
-Blues were the most important development of Rock N' Roll
different types of blues music - ANSWER country blues, classic, jazz, crooner, and jump blues.
-country blues and urban electric blues had the greatest influence on rock.
Blues music - ANSWER -no precise date or origin, but was evolved in the late 1800s following the
emancipation of African Americans.
-created by poor black laborers
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(GRADED A)
Rocket 88 - ANSWER considered to be the first "real" rock recording.
recorded by Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings
(wasn't very popular)
Rock and Roll era began... - ANSWER 1950s
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS - ANSWER First rock record to hit No. 1 on the
pop charts
What was happening in the 50s? - ANSWER - Baby boomers (1946-1964) were teenagers during the
1950s. They spent money on records for enjoyment; rebelled against their parent's taste in music. Main
supporters of early rock n' roll
Tin Pan Alley - ANSWER the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and
songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Located on 28th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
TPA Publishers - ANSWER professional songwriters that usually wrote songs for Broadway and Movies
TPA songs - ANSWER sentimental lyrics / memorable melodies / simple rhythms / moderate tempos /
sophisticated harmonies & complex song forms
-mainstream pop in the early 1950s; music of the white middle class adults.
- 32 bar AABA format
32-bar AABA form - ANSWER (A) main melody is performed twice, then (B) a bridge section is played
followed by a return of the main melody (A).
, -Each section is 8 bars long with a total of 4 sections.
Crooners - ANSWER sang sentimental ballads accompanied by lush orchestra and jazz bands.
-Singers dressed in formal wear
-had physically and emotionally restrained performances
- Whisper singing
-Developed after the introduction of the electric microphone
Novelty Songs - ANSWER Dean Martin- " That's Amore" Patti Page- "How much is that Doggy in the
Window".
- nonsensical songs performed for comical effect.
- aimed at middle class white adults.
-rejected by teens
Pop Crooners - ANSWER Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Perry Como.
- late 1920s to the early 1950s
- also multimedia stars in the 50s and 60s (Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby).
Record Industry - ANSWER -ran by old white men of upper middle class.
-main audience was adult middle class suburbanites.
- sought steady profits with manageable flow of recordings.
-predictable 2 month chart run
-sales dropped tremendously during The Great Depression
record companies - ANSWER 5 major record labels- RCA Victor, Columbia, Capital, Mercury, and Decca.
-released 42 of the top 50 best selling discs in 1956.
-"rock n' roll" started a revolution in the music business.
- missed initial blast of rock music (teen market)
, -record sales increased from $191 million (1951) to $514 million by 1959 due to rock n' roll music bought
by the teen market.
Indie music labels - ANSWER Small independent record labels.
Came out about the mid 1950s. They released 33 of the top 50 best selling records in 1956 to the late
1960s.
-promoted marginalized music (R&B and Country Western).
-produced first rock recordings
Early recordings of Rock - ANSWER combined of Rhythm and Blues music and Country Western.
-urban blacks and rural whites were outside of the mainstream American culture.
-mass migration of blacks and whites from the rural south to the urban north produced new markets for
non-mainstream music.
Race Music - ANSWER -term that was later changed to R&B in the late 1940s.
-first "race" hit was "Crazy Blues" by Marnie Smith in 1920 which inspired classic urban blues.
Hillbilly Music - ANSWER -term that was later changed to Country Western in the late 1940s.
-first "hillbilly" hit was "Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane" by Fiddlin' John Carson in 1923.
Rhythm and Blues - ANSWER -umbrella category that included Blues, Gospel, and Jazz music.
-music was made and largely consumed by African Americans
-Blues were the most important development of Rock N' Roll
different types of blues music - ANSWER country blues, classic, jazz, crooner, and jump blues.
-country blues and urban electric blues had the greatest influence on rock.
Blues music - ANSWER -no precise date or origin, but was evolved in the late 1800s following the
emancipation of African Americans.
-created by poor black laborers
