Rock and Roll: From Bill Haley to Blind Melon in Ten Songs

Post World War two (WW2) America saw the rise of the working class lifestyle made possible by the emerging economic boom that followed the war. This saw a seismic shift in the American music culture from an elitist to a proletarian/working class subculture. With this new development emerged the rock and roll genre in the mid-1950s. Perhaps as a reflection of the era’s poor and working class rebellion against bourgeoisie music and art. From then onwards this new purely American music genre and subculture took in an array of influences ranging from folk rock, soul, hard rock, and psychedelic music. It was less elitist, more rural, more African American, and more lower class. Thus it appealed to a large portion of the American society becoming the prominent element of popular culture in the second half of the 20th century. As a tool of social change and a sound track for social justice movements (Stoppard 1), rock and roll is the best thing to happen to American post WW2. From the 1952 Comets, the first rock and roll band, of Bill Haley to the Beatles and the Rolling stones of later decades, rock and roll has a rich history of self-reinvention, rebellious genius, and stylistic innovation. Millions of rock and roll records have been produced since the mid-50s, millions sold, and thousands have made it to the top of the charts in the world. From all these, the following ten are better placed to represent the history of rock and roll. Although the rock and roll arguably began in the early 20th century, the genre as we know it today began in the early 50s with Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock released in May 1954. Although not as popular as some of the songs in this list, Rock Around the Clock offered a sharp break with the status quo and set popular culture on a new course. Thus it is widely considered the one song, more than any other that brought rock and roll into the mainstream culture around the world” ( Post World War two (WW2) America saw the rise of the working class lifestyle made possible by the emerging economic boom that followed the war. This saw a seismic shift in the American music culture from an elitist to a proletarian/working class subculture. With this new development emerged the rock and roll genre in the mid-1950s. Perhaps as a reflection of the era’s poor and working class rebellion against bourgeoisie music and art. From then onwards this new purely American music genre and subculture took in an array of influences ranging from folk rock, soul, hard rock, and psychedelic music. It was less elitist, more rural, more African American, and more lower class. Thus it appealed to a large portion of the American society becoming the prominent element of popular culture in the second half of the 20th century. As a tool of social change and a sound track for social justice movements (Stoppard 1), rock and roll is the best thing to happen to American post WW2. From the 1952 Comets, the first rock and roll band, of Bill Haley to the Beatles and the Rolling stones of later decades, rock and roll has a rich history of self-reinvention, rebellious genius, and stylistic innovation. Millions of rock and roll records have been produced since the mid-50s, millions sold, and thousands have made it to the top of the charts in the world. From all these, the following ten are better placed to represent the history of rock and roll. Although the rock and roll arguably began in the early 20th century, the genre as we know it today began in the early 50s with Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock released in May 1954. Although not as popular as some of the songs in this list, Rock Around the Clock offered a sharp break with the status quo and set popular culture on a new course. Thus it is widely considered the one song, more than any other that brought rock and roll into the mainstream culture around the world” ( From Haley and His Comet’s hit single in the mid-50 rock and roll became mainstream and other artists, from other genres including R&B and country western and so on, joined the band wagon and the genre was on a roll. One such artist was Chuck Berry with his hit record Johnny B. Goode released in 1958. In a never heard before mish mash of country, R&B, guitar as the lead instrument and electric sound, the song has been touted as the beginning of rock and roll as we know it today besides Bill Haley’s.