Rock and Roll

Electric guitar-driven genre fusing blues, country, and rhythm and blues that erupted in 1950s America.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley defined its first wave in the mid-1950s.
• The standard lineup couples electric guitars and bass with a drum kit playing a 4/4 backbeat.
• The Beatles' 1964 arrival in America launched the British Invasion and reshaped the genre.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: 1950s – present