History of the “Sounds” of Music Part #9 1950

The 1950s..."The Road to Woodstock" Evolution of the Sounds of Music

Classic Rock Turntables.com

By William W. Nelson

Founder of the Asheville School of Classic Rock

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1950s

Introduction

By 1950, the "Shellac Crisis" was over... Record Labels began switching to Vinyl (which was cheaper and basically unbreakable). Sales of Records started climbing due to Jukebox sales. Mainstream Pop with its smooth, melodic Vocals with Orchestral arrangements was still dominant with a lead Singer... the American Popular Music Charts were dominated by the remnants of the Big Band Era including vocalists such as Doris Day, Frankie Lane, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Nat King Cole... along with Band leaders Mitch Miller, Percy Faith, and others.

But things were evolving quickly due to the Jukebox in 1951... they were everywhere: Bars, Diners, Roadhouses, Barbershops, and Church Activity Rooms. Also, one heavily interested in collecting records could purchase used Juke 45s for a Song... interestingly, relatively few Country and Blues Records were bought new in Shops. Besides listening to the Box, Radio was alive with Mainstream Pop.

Bell Telephone Laboratories announced the invention of the "Phototransistor"...Music Amplifiers and Instruments would never be the same: Amps became more portable with a cleaner Sound and greater reliability... Leo Fender created the first “Solid Body” Electric Guitar (the Telecaster)... Recording Studio gear like mixing consoles and effects units benefited from transistor technology, leading to more compact and versatile recording setups...

In 1954, the Transistor Radio hit US stores and would change the lives of Teens and Music listeners... the key was that there was no need to share Radio Sounds unless desired, and be free to listen to Stations of one's choice. Radio Producers revamped their Programming and pushed out every new Rocord released (the Issue of Payola started) and Teens could gather together for "Sock Hops' in their Homes. By 1958, Zenith introduced an advanced model with improved Sound and better longer-range reception... it retailed at $90 ($1,000).

In Cleveland, Ohio radio Disc Jockey Alan Freed begins his "Moondog Show" where he spins an up-tempo mixture of rhythm & blues hits, upbeat jazz combos and western swing, gaining a wide audience of both white and black young people. Freed eventually names this cross-current of musical styles and influences "Rock and Roll".

Advances in music technology are important in the early '50s as the solid body electric guitar becomes commercially available and is quickly adapted by R&B artists, and eventually Country and Pop artists. The 78 RPM record is replaced by the LP (long playing) vinyl album and the 45 RPM single is introduced, soon becoming the standard for jukeboxes.

With the ability for Artists to make new Sounds... the 1950s marked the beginning of a significant musical revolution that created new Sounds and Genres, particularly with the rise of Rock 'n' Roll. This decade saw dramatic shifts in popular Music that would influence Generations to come:

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The Swing Era

By 1936, Swing had become the most popular Genre of Music in the US, as young Americans filled Dance Halls across the Country. Clubs like the Ritz Ballroom in Bridgeport, and the Cotton Club in Harlem, became increasingly popular. Many of these Nightclubs would combine Music and Dancing with Dinner, giving an all-inclusive experience for Patrons. However, by the end of World War II, Swing clubs had begun to die out, and by the late 1940s Americans had moved forward from their Big Band obsession in favor of newer Genres like Jazz Bebop and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

In addition, War Taxes hobbled Swing Nightclubs, which struggled to afford traditional Big Bands. In the interest of cutting costs, Clubs began employing Smaller Bands, rather than paying for larger Orchestras. As a result, Music forms like Bebop came to the forefront, while Big Band fell to the wayside.

The Musician's Strike in 1942 caused Record Companies to focus on Vocalists, rather than supporting Big Bands... many Musicians began forming smaller Groups, which allowed for more experimentation with the new Instrumentation equipment and were more economically viable... and Radio and Television allowed for more House Parties spending their entertainment Dollars on their liking rather than in Clubs.

However, notable band Leaders would continue to perform adapting to the time, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, and Artie Shaw would survive with their Cult Fans.

Blues

The evolution of Jump Blues in the 1940s and early 1950s marked a significant transition in African American Popular Music. Emerging from the Big band Swing Era, Jump Blues combined Elements of Traditional Jazz, Blues, Gospel, and boogie-woogie into a high-energy, danceable style. Known for its infectious rhythm and energetic style, jump blues music combined elements of jazz, blues, and swing. It often featured a swinging horn section, vibrant piano melodies, and driving bass lines that got people up on their feet and dancing. Many influential artists, such as Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner, played a significant role in shaping the jump blues sound. Today, jump blues music continues to be celebrated for its infectious groove and timeless appeal. By combining musical elements from multiple sources, it created an exciting sound that would lay the groundwork for rhythm and blues and classic rock.

Key figures like Louis Jordan pioneered the genre, moving away from large orchestras to smaller combos featuring prominent horn sections, electric guitars, and driving rhythms.

Jump blues was characterized by its upbeat tempos, catchy riffs, and often humorous or risqué lyrics. The music appealed to both black and white audiences, helping to break down racial barriers in popular music. As the 1950s progressed, jump blues directly influenced the development of rhythm and blues (R&B) and rock and roll. Artists like Wynonie Harris, Big Joe Turner, and Ruth Brown helped popularize the style, which emphasized strong vocals, saxophone solos, and a rhythmic groove that encouraged dancing. The genre's impact on popular music was profound, laying the groundwork for the rock and roll revolution that would follow and shaping the sound of R&B for decades to come.

Jazz

The decade began with the ascendance of Cool Jazz, a style that emerged as a reaction to the frenetic energy of bebop. Cool jazz favored a more relaxed, melodic approach, often featuring intricate arrangements and a softer tone. Miles Davis was at the forefront of this movement, with his landmark album "Birth of the Cool" setting the stage for the Cool Jazz Sound. Other key figures included Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

As the decade progressed, Hard Bop emerged as a counterpoint to Cool Jazz. This style incorporated elements of R&B, Gospel, and Blues into the Bebop framework. Hard Bop was characterized by a return to blues-based melodies and rhythms, with a strong emphasis on the rhythm section. The major proponents of Hard Bop were Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, Max Roach, Cannonball Adderley, Lee Morgan, and Hank Mobley... although there were numerous adherents to the style. The most popular style for Black Artists in a time when Jazz reached its height of popularity... it became an identification with the African-American elements of Jazz for young Black Musicians in reaction to the West Coast cool movement propagated mostly by White Musicians.

Towards the end of the 1950s, Modal Jazz gained prominence, largely due to Miles Davis' influential album "Kind of Blue" (1959). This approach focused on improvisation based on Scales or Modes rather than Chord Progressions, allowing for more extended and free-flowing Solos. John Coltrane, who played on "Kind of Blue," would go on to become one of the most important exponents of Modal Jazz. Other notables are Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock.

New influences appear with Jazz-based Latin and Calypso Music enjoying popular success and introducing a wider variety of Dance-oriented Rhythms. Pérez Prado, known as the "King of Mambo," achieved mainstream success with his cha-cha-chá version of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White," which hit number one on the American charts in 1955. Harry Belafonte became one of the most successful Calypso performers, bringing the genre to a wider audience.

Country Swing

Country Swing is a style of Dance Music that combines elements of Country Music with Swing Rhythms, making it suitable for various dance styles like the two-step, East Coast Swing, and West Coast Swing. Noteable Artists were Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Hank Wiliams, Lefty Frizell, and Merle Haggard.

It evolved as a fusion of various Dance Styles and Musical influences... It emerged from the broader Western Swing Music Genre, which originated in the 1920s and 1930s in the Southwestern United States, particularly Texas and Oklahoma. The Western Swing itself was an improvised blend of traditional Country Music, Dixieland Jazz, Blues, Polka, Mariachi, and Emmirant Old-time Songs.

According to Country Singer Merle Travis, "Western Swing is nothing more than a group of talented country boys, unschooled in Music, but playing the Music they feel, beating a solid two-four Rhythm to the Harmonies that buzz around their brains. When it escapes in all its Musical glory, my Friend, you have Western Swing." In 1950s, Hank Penny and Armand Gautier opened the Palomino in North Hollywood, which became a major venue for Country fans in Hollywood.

West Coast Jazz brought it its initial popularity. Western Swing Bandleader Hank Thompson, who was stationed in San Pedro during World War II, said it was not uncommon to see "ten thousand people at the pier" at Redondo Beach. As dancers adapted to this new sound, they incorporated elements from existing swing dance moves, such as those found in Lindy Hop and Jitterbug, but with a more relaxed and informal approach suited to Country Music Venues

Rhythm and Blues (R&B)

R&B was formed, cohesively, by the first "Great Migration" from 1910 to 1940 as Southern Blacks sought a better way of life in the Northern States and California... with extra income gained in the Factories and associated Businesses, they sought places of entertainment by gathering together in Clubs and Activity Events.

R&B is a Genre of popular Music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. Record Companies originally used the term to describe recordings marketed predominantly to Urban African Americans, at a time when "Urbane, Rocking, and Jazz-based Music... with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular. In the commercial R&B music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the Bands usually consisted of Piano, one or two Guitars, Upright Bass, Drums, one or more Saxophones, and usually with background Vocalists. R&B Lyrical Themes often encapsulate the African-American experience of pain and the quest for Freedom and Joy, as well as Triumphs and Failures in terms of Relationships, Economics, Politics, and Aspirations.

R&B is Music drawing from the Deep Tributaries of the African American Experience... it is an amalgam of Blues, Jump Blues, Big Band Swing, Soul, Gospel, Boogie Woogie, and Jazz. Vocals include a smooth sultry delivery, Vocal Runs and Melismas, powerful belting, and coupled with Harmonies and background Sounds. It utilizes Funk influences Rythms, Syncopated, Beats, and steady Dancable Grooves. It included a Verse-Chorus structure, Bridges and Breakdowns, and extended Vamps and Outros. Simple repetitive Parts mesh, creating momentum and rhythmic Interplay producing mellow, lilting, and often hypnotic Textures while calling attention to no individual Sound. While Singers are emotionally engaged with the Lyrics, often intensely so, they remain cool, relaxed, and in control.

In 1942, Billboard magazine launched a Chart ranking the "most popular Records in Harlem" titled the Harlem Hit Parade based on a survey of Record Store's sales primarily in the Harlem District of New York City... the area called the "Black Capital of America." The Top Song on the Charts was "Trav'lin' Light" released by Paul Whiteman with Vocals by Lady Day (Billie Holiday)... ironically, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby topped the charts for the 3-weeks of XMAS.

Another chart, "Race Records Juke Box", was created in 1945... in 1948, a parallel Chart was added: "Race Record Best Sellers". (The term "Race Music" originally came from within the black community, but was deemed offensive in the postwar world.) All of these were renamed as "R&B Charts" in 1949. A third, "Jockeys Chart", based on Radio Airplay, was introduced in 1955, and a Unified Chart was only introduced in 1958. Because of the existence of multiple charts, some dates had more than one number-one song during transition.

Although Jerry Wexler of Billboard magazine is credited with coining the term "Rhythm and Blues" in 1948, the term was used in Billboard as early as 1943. The term "Rhythm and Blues" was used by Billboard in its Chart listings from June 1949 until August 1969, when its "Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles" Chart was renamed as "Best Selling Soul Singles". Adapted from (Source)

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R&B Evolution

The advent of commercial recordings by and for African Americans can be dated to Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues” in 1920, an unprecedented commercial success. The music recording industry’s marketing category “race records” was established to identify this market, the term borrowed from the African American vernacular use of “race man” during that era to express racial pride and solidarity. The music industry used “race records” as a catch-all category for most forms of African American music including jazz, blues, and religious music, and—following Mamie Smith’s success—produced recordings by Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, and other female vocalists in a similar blues style with the musical accompaniment of piano, horns, wind instruments, banjo, and percussion.

Some recordings in the “race records” category included genres that would become foundations for R&B, in particular blues, big band, and gospel. The blues piano and guitar duo Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, with Carr’s smooth vocals in the hit song “How Long, How Long Blues,” later would influence R&B artists such as Charles Brown and Ray Charles. In Chicago, boogie-woogie piano players Jimmy Yancey, Clarence “Pine Top” Smith, and other pianists developed the rolling bass lines that would influence R&B pianists such as Amos Milburn.

Pianist and composer Thomas A. Dorsey’s composition “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” now a standard, is considered a touchstone in the emergence of gospel. Working in Chicago with vocalist Sallie Martin, Dorsey crafted gospel by blending musical elements from blues into sacred song forms. By the end of the 1930s, swing bands like Chick Webb’s influenced artists such as Louis Jordan, who incorporated swing horn riffs into the jump blues.

The early development of R&B occurred in tandem with the second migration of African Americans who moved from the Southern and rural regions of the United States during and after World War II. Between 1941 and 1950, the African American population of Western cities grew by 33 percent, with about 340,000 African Americans from such states as Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma settling in Southern California for employment in the region’s expanded defense industries. Similar patterns of migration took place in the Midwest to Chicago and Detroit, and in the East to New York City.

These expanding African American urban communities with increased economic resources presented a large audience hungry for social interaction with music and entertainment. Within these racially segregated communities, cross-generational groups of musicians and performing artists provided musical affirmation for these populations. The surge in L.A.’s African American population, for example, gave rise to a vibrant entertainment scene extending along Central Avenue that by decade’s end would support no less than eight record labels specializing in R&B.

R&B is not Monolithic that encompasses a complex story of the evolution of Music Sounds... R&B identifies as the history of Musical Artists and Musicians who expressed their lives through Songs, in a Genre that has evolved into Worldwide Music with a mainstream crossover appeal. It is a distinctly African American Music that draws from their expressive Culture... it is an amalgam of Folk, Blues, Jump Blues, Big Band Swing, Gospel, Boogie Woogie, and Funk Sounds.

Southern musicians, especially performers from Texas who had moved to Los Angeles, were no less influential on the development of R&B. Pianist Charles Brown, first with Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers, developed a smooth blues and R&B sound in post-war Southern California. Noted for his crooning vocals in the style of Nat King Cole, Brown had great success with mellow blues songs like “Drifting Blues” (1945) that would go on to influence fellow Texan Ivory Joe Hunter and Ray Charles.

Texas-born blues guitarist T-Bone Walker, who worked with jazz bands in South Central L.A. clubs, pioneered the use of the electric guitar and developed a single-line soloing style based on jazz horn lines that continues to influence musicians today. His 1947 song “Call It Stormy Monday,” based on a harmonically extended twelve-bar blues form, with lyrics referencing the working-class life, has become an R&B and blues standard. Boogie-woogie pianist Amos Milburn from Houston-a popular performer in clubs around L.A. ‘s Central Avenue-whose recordings on the independent Aladdin Records were based firmly in the blues and boogie-woogie style as performed in Texas, appealed to audiences on the West Coast and beyond with hit songs such as “Chicken Shack Boogie” (1948).

Throughout its history, the sounds that have come to define R&B have derived from a range of musical characteristics, instrumentation, and ensembles, ranging in size from tight piano trios to large groups with full rhythm and horn sections. Performed with a core of acoustic instruments in the 1940s, R&B was “plugged in” and electric from the late 1950s forward.

Rhythmically, R&B now encompasses a wide breadth from blues shuffles with a back beat to boogie-woogie, modified rumba rhythms, and syncopated variations of eight-beat rhythm patterns that are the hallmark of rock ’n’ roll, and more. Even slow R&B ballads feature a palpable rhythmic pulse, while up-tempo songs might include polyrhythmic arrangements to create rhythmic density. At its core R&B is dance music that compels the listener to respond. It is the creative melding and mixing of antecedent song forms-including blues, gospel, swing, and other harmonic structures with new innovations that keep the evolving sounds of R&B contemporary.

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The Roots of Rock n Roll... Adapted from (Source)

The Early Use of the Phrase

The word “roll” has been used since the Middle Ages to refer to, among other things, having sex: “Let’s go for a roll in the hay”; “Rolling under the sheets”; etc. The word “rock”, again among other things, has been used since at least the 17th century as a term meaning “shake or disturb”.

First documented use of the Term... The alliterative phrase "rocking and rolling" was originally used by European Mariners at least as early as the 17th century to describe the combined "Rocking" (Fore and Aft) and "Rolling" (side to side) motion of a ship on the ocean. Examples include an 1821 reference, "... prevent Her from Rocking and Rolling ...", and an 1835 reference to a Ship "... "Rocking and Rolling on both beam-ends".

In 1831, one Emma Willard published a Book of Poetry, The Fulfilment of a Promise, with her most popular Poem entitled "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep,"... it was recorded several times around the start of the 20th Century and was played in African American Churches regularly.

In 1881, Comedian John W. Morton of Morton's Minstrels performed a song entitled "Rock and Roll" as part of a repertoire of comic songs at a concert at the Theatre Royal in Victoria, British Columbia.

A Comic Song titled "Rock and Roll Me" was performed by Johnny Gardner of the Moore's Troubadours Theatrical Group during a performance in Australia in 1886, and one Newspaper Critic wrote that Gardner "made himself so amusing that the large audience fairly rocked and rolled with laughter."

The Phrase was in several versions of "The Camp Jubilee", by both the Edison Male Quartet and the Columbia Quartette, recorded between 1896 and 1900. It contained the lyrics "Keep on rockin' an' rolling in your arms/ Rockin' an' rolling in your arms/ Rockin' an' rolling in your arms/ In the arms of Moses." "Rocking" was also used to describe the spiritual Rapture felt by Worshippers at Religious Events, and to refer to the Rhythm often found in the accompanying Music.

"Rocking" and "Rolling" were also used, both separately and together, in a Sexual Context; writers for hundreds of years had used the phrases "They had a roll in the hay" or "I rolled her in the clover. This had also spread to Black Gospel Singers using “Rock” to refer to being shaken in a Spiritual sense, as in Spiritual Rapture (rocked).

The terms "Rocking", and "Rocking and Rolling", were increasingly used through the 1920s and into the late 1940s, especially, but not exclusively, by Black Secular Blues and Jump Blues Musicians, to refer to either Dancing or Sex, or both. The term maintained a strong sexual connotation in the Blues and R&B genres into the 1950s.

The Term's Evolution in Music

The following Songs are considered the basic "Roots" of "Rock n Roll" that began the migration to "Rock Music"...

In 1922, Blues Singer Trixie Smith recorded "My Man Rocks Me (with One Steady Roll)," first featuring the two words in a secular context. Although it was played with a Backbeat and was one of the first "Around the Clock" (Bill Haley) type Lyrics, this slow minor-key was by no means "rock and roll" in the later sense.

In 1927, blues singer Blind Blake used the couplet "Now we gonna do the old country rock / First thing we do, swing your partners" in "West Coast Blues", which in turn formed the basis of "Old Country Rock" by William Moore the following year.[31] Also in 1927, traditional country musician Uncle Dave Macon, with his group the Fruit Jar Drinkers, recorded "Sail Away Ladies" with a refrain of "Don't she rock, daddy-o", and "Rock About My Saro Jane".

Duke Ellington recorded "Rockin' in Rhythm" in 1928.

Robinson's Knights of Rest recorded "Rocking and Rolling" in 1930.[9]

In 1932, the phrase "rock and roll" was heard in the Hal Roach film Asleep in the Feet.

In 1934, the Boswell Sisters had a pop hit with "Rock and Roll" from the film Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round,[33][34] where the term was used to describe the motion of a ship at sea.[35]

In 1935, Henry "Red" Allen recorded "Get Rhythm in Your Feet and Music in Your Soul" which included the lyric "If Satan starts to hound you, commence to rock and roll / Get rhythm in your feet..." The lyrics were written by the prolific composer J. Russel Robinson with Bill Livingston. Allen's recording was a "race" record on the Vocalion label, but the tune was quickly covered by white musicians, notably Benny Goodman with singer Helen Ward.

Other notable recordings using the words, both released in 1938, were "Rock It for Me" by Chick Webb, a swing number with Ella Fitzgerald on vocals featuring the lyrics "... Won't you satisfy my soul, With the rock and roll?"; and "Rock Me" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a gospel song originally written by Thomas Dorsey as "Hide Me in Thy Bosom". Tharpe performed the song in the style of a city blues, with secular lyrics, ecstatic vocals and electric guitar.[36] She changed Dorsey's "singing" to "swinging," and the way she rolled the "R" in "rock me" led to the phrase being taken as a double entendre, with the interpretation as religious or sexual.[37]

The following year, Western swing musician Buddy Jones recorded "Rockin' Rollin' Mama", which drew on the term's original meaning – "Waves on the ocean, waves in the sea/ But that gal of mine rolls just right for me/ Rockin' rollin' mama, I love the way you rock and roll". In August 1939, Irene Castle devised a new dance called "The Castle Rock and Roll", described as "an easy swing step", which she performed at the Dancing Masters of America convention at the Hotel Astor.[38] The Marx Brothers' 1941 film The Big Store featured actress Virginia O'Brien singing a song starting out as a traditional lullaby which soon changes into a rocking boogie-woogie with lines like "Rock, rock, rock it, baby ...". Although the song was only a short comedy number, it contains references which, by then, would have been understood by a wide general audience.

By 1950, things were beginning to solidify in that the Term "Rock n Roll" was being firmly established as the new "Sounds" in Town...

The Journey To Rock n Roll...

Timeline of Relevant Aspects and Elements along the Journey...

What was the first true Rock n Roll Song?

Sister Rosetta Tharpe's 1944 recording of "Strange Things Happening Every Day" is widely considered a pivotal moment in the genesis of rock and roll. This groundbreaking track blended traditional gospel lyrics with Tharpe's electrifying guitar work and a driving rhythm section, creating a sound that was revolutionary for its time.

My daddy rocks me with one steady roll.
There’s no slippin’ when he once takes hold.
I looked at the clock and the clock struck one.
I said, “Now Daddy, ain’t we got fun.”
He kept rockin’ with one steady roll.

The song reached #2 on the Billboard "Race Records" chart in April 1945, making it the first Gospel Record to achieve Crossover success in the R&B market. Tharpe's innovative approach on this Track, featuring her powerful Vocals and virtuosic Electric Guitar playing, laid the foundation for the following Rock n Roll Revolution.

Her dynamic Style, which infused spiritual themes with Bluesy Guitar Licks and infectious Rhythms, influenced many early Rock and Roll pioneers, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley. The Song's impact was so significant that some Music Scholars argue it could be considered one of the first Rock n Roll Records, cementing Tharpe's status as the "Godmother of Rock n Roll".​

In 1938, Louis Jordan, a Student of Fats Waller, pioneered "Jump Blues," a swinging, up-tempo, Dance-oriented hybrid of Jazz, Blues, and Boogie-Woogie... he formed The Tympany Five which emphasized his fast-paced Vocal delivery and guttural Sax style. Caldonia, published by Adams’s Preview Music in 1945, was a monster No. 1 Race Record that spilled over into the White Pop Charts. Jordan had a significant influence on Chuck Berry's songwriting style in several ways: narrative style of storytelling, whimsical dexterity in lyrics, electric-guitar-driven version of Jordan's poppy, witty large-ensemble jump blues, syncopated vocal delivery, and Stage presence. Carl Hogan's opening Riff to "Ain't That Just Like A Woman" later became one of rock's most recognizable Riffs in Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"... then along came "Saturday Night Fish Fry"

In 1948, Jump Blues shouter Wynonie Harris reached #1 on the US R&B Chart with the Cover Song "Good Rocking Tonight" which was written and first released by Roy Brown in 1947... Harris infused the Song with a fast Gospel Backbeat, emphasizing the 2nd and 4th Beats of the Bar. This fusion of Gospel Rhythms with Blues content was groundbreaking. In 1954, "Good Rockin' Tonight" was the second Sun Records release by Elvis Presley, along with "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" on the Flip Side. Elvis and his Bandmates' Version is an almost word-for-word cover of Harris' Version but omitted the Lyrics' by-then-dated roster of names in favor of a simpler, more energetic "We're gonna rock, rock, rock!"

In 1949, Goree Carter an R&B Singer, Guitarist, and Songwriter from Houston recorded "Rock Awhile" on the Label Freedom Recordings. The Song failed to Chart, but Carter's over-driven Guitar Style has historians making the case for this Song to be one of the first Rock n Roll Songs.

In 1949 "Rock the Joint" by Jimmy Preston... "Rock and Roll" by Wild Bill Moore...

In 1950, Fats Domino's "The Fat Man"

In 1951 came "Rocket 88"...

"Earth Angel"

It is time to make the call on the first Rock n Roll Song...

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In addition, the Record Industry advanced the interest of the Youth Factor...

In 1948, Columbia Records introduced the 33 & 1/3 rpm 12 inch LP (long play) vinyl record album which allows over 20 minutes of playing time per side. The LP would soon replace the 78 rpm record, the standard format of the time, which allowed only 5 recorded minutes per side.

In 1949, RCA Victor responded to Columbia's 12-inch Long Playing LP with the 45 rpm Record. This 7" Vinyl Disc with the big hole in the middle would go on to become the standard for hit Singles and Jukebox play.

The Solid Body Electric Guitars emerged... in 1950, the Fender Broadcaster, later renamed as the Telecaster, followed by the Gibson Les Paul model in 1952. These Guitars, designed for electric amplification, would become the Instruments of choice for Rock Guitarists for many years... although a good Acoustic was never forgotten.

In 1950, The Memphis Recording Service was opened by Sam Phillips who began recording Electric Blues Pioneers and R&B artists like Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King. and Ike Turner. Turner deserves special mention as he was the main Talent Scout for Phillip's traveling throughout the South searching for "The next BIG Thing".

Phillips later started his own Record Label, Sun Records, and had his greatest commercial success with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

List of all the Songs worthy of understanding the Evolution of Rock n Roll

Big Joe Turner... Hank Williams... Billy Crudup... Otis Blackwell... Carl Perkins "Rockabilly"

The Early Period of R&B 1950-54... the Journey to "Rock n Roll"

As the 1950s began the US Pop music charts were dominated by pop vocalists produced with lush orchestration, influenced by the Big Band or Swing era of the 1930s and 1940s. New influences appeared, with Latin and Calypso Music enjoying popular success and introducing a wider variety of Dance-oriented Rhythms in the early 50s. Country Music also developed an up-tempo Dance Sound popular from the 30s and into the late 40s called Western Swing. The Rhythm & Blues (R&B) charts feature music made predominately by and for black Americans with the charts of the late 40s and early 50s featuring a mix of up-tempo ​​​​​Jazz and Blues performed by small Combos in a Beat-heavy Style often referred to as Jump Blues. White Pop Artists (Pat Boone) began covering Songs from these emerging Genres, turning them into hits on the Pop Chart. Eventually, the original versions of many of these Hits also began to crossover from the R&B charts to the Pop Charts, exposing African American Artists to a wider audience... all of this would create the Rock n Roll Era that would eventually evolve, through Innovation, into the "Rock Music" Umbrella in the 60s.

Billboard magazine published two Charts covering the top-performing songs in the United States in R&B and related African American-oriented Music Genres: Best Selling Retail R&B Records and Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues Records, based on Sales in stores and plays inJukeboxes respectively. The two charts are considered part of the lineage of the Magazine's multimetric R&B Chart officially launched in 1958, which since 2005 has been published under the title Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Notable Top evolving R&B Artists and their Songs in 1950...

Louis Jordan and his Tympathy Five... their Single "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (Parts I & II)...

Ivory Joe Hunter... his Single "I Almost Lost My Mind" covered by Pat Boone in 1956

Fats Domino... his Single "The Fat Man" goes to #2 R&B... with his Boogie-Woogie Piano and a prominent Backbeat.

Roy Brown hits #1 R&B with "Hard Luck Blues"...

His follow-up to "Good Rocking Tonight" with Brown's Gospel-influenced singing Style would be a strong influence to Rock n Rollers. "Good Rockin' Tonight" has been covered by many artists including Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Joe Ely, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, James Brown, the Doors, and the rock group Montrose. Brown was one of the first popular R&B singers to perform songs with a gospel-steeped delivery, which was then considered taboo by many churches. In addition, his melismatic, pleading vocal style influenced notable artists such as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson, James Brown and Little Richard.

The 1940s ushered in a Revolutionary Era in Music, marked by significant shifts in Styles and Genres. Swing Music, which had emerged in the 1930s, reached its peak popularity during the early 1940s, dominating Dance Halls and Radio Jocks with its infectious Rhythms and Big Band sound. However, as the decade progressed, new musical forms began to take shape.

The Blues

The 1940s marked a significant period of evolution for Blues Music, driven by the Great Migration and urbanization of African Americans. As people moved from rural Southern areas to Northern Urban Centers, the Blues Sounds underwent a dramatic transformation. The most notable change was the Electrification of Instruments, particularly the Guitar, which gave rise to the "Chicago Blues" Style. The introduction of Electric Guitars and Amplified Sound transformed Blues Music, making it louder, more energetic, and more suited to the bustling Urban environment.

Jump Blues Artists like Muddy Waters and Elmore James pioneered this Electrified Style, incorporating Slide Guitar techniques and Gravelly Vocals that would become hallmarks of the Genre. Simultaneously, the Decade saw the emergence of Rhythm and Blues (R&B), which blended elements of traditional Blues, Jazz, Country, and Gospel... featuring more Upbeat and Danceable Rhythms. This evolution laid the groundwork for the Rock and Roll explosion of the 1950s, as Blues began to influence and merge with other popular music styles

The birth of Bebop, a more complex and improvisational form of Jazz, challenged Swing conventions and paved the way for Modern Jazz. Simultaneously, the rise of crooners like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole brought a new emphasis on Vocal performances... and, for a time, shifted the focus from instrumentalists to Singers. This all laid the groundwork for the rock 'n' roll revolution of the 1950s. These developments, coupled with technological advancements in Recording and the impact of World War II on Musical Themes and Record Distribution. This collectively transformed the Musical Landscape, setting the Stage for the diverse and dynamic Music Mcene that would unfold in the following decades.

In Memphis, another important Chapter in the history of Blues Music was unfolding. Known as the crossroads of America, Memphis served as a cultural Melting Pot where various musical influences converged. Sun Records, a pioneering Label in the City, helped launch the careers of Blues artists like B.B. King and Ike Turner. The vibrant Memphis Blues scene not only nurtured the growth of Blues music but also had a significant impact on the development of Rock and Roll.

Detroit became another vital hub for Blues Music during the Great Migration. Blues Musicians flocked to Detroit for industrial Jobs, bringing their Music with them. The City developed its own unique Blues style, which was heavily influenced by the Urban environment and the thriving Motown and R&B scenes. Notable Detroit Blues Musicians, such as John Lee Hooker and Eddie Burns, contributed to the City's rich Musical Tapestry and influenced many future Artists.

Jazz

The 1940s marked a transformative Period for Jazz, characterized by significant stylistic Innovations and Shifts in Musical approach. The decade witnessed the emergence of Bebop, a revolutionary style pioneered by Musicians like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk.

Bebop represented a departure from the more danceable swing music of the previous era, featuring complex Harmonies, fast Tempos, and intricate Melodies that challenged both Musicians and Listeners. Simultaneously, the Decade saw the rise of Cool Jazz, a more relaxed and melodic Subgenre exemplified by Artists like Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck.

The influence of Latin and Afro-Cuban Rhythms also grew, with Musicians like Dizzy Gillespie incorporating these Elements into their compositions. As Big Bands declined due to Economic challenges, smaller Ensembles gained prominence, allowing for greater Musical Experimentation.

The Post-war period saw a resurgence of the Jazz scene, particularly in New York City, with iconic Venues like Birdland becoming Hubs for this evolving art form. This Era of dynamic change and diversification in Jazz laid the groundwork for the Genre's continued Evolution in subsequent Decades.

1951

Rhythm and Blues

In 1951, the Music Scene was on the cusp of significant changes that would shape Popular Music for decades to come. Rock and Roll was in its nascent Stages, and caught a lift with the recording of "Rocket 88"... the Song is credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, but the was largely composed by Ike Turner, who led the Band during its recording.

"Rocket 88" is the 5th R&B Song to push along the evolution of Proto-RnR... "Saturday Night Fish Fry"... "I Almost Lost My Mind"... "The Fat Man"... and "Hard Luck Blues" all contributed to the Elements that made up Proto-Rock n Roll.

They include:

Elements of Blues and Jazz, Country, and Gospel... Blues contributed its emotional depth, 12-bar Structure, and Guitar-driven Sounds, while Jazz added Syncopated Rhythms and improvisational Flair. Country Music lent its storytelling Lyrics, twangy Guitar Sounds, and Vocal Styles. Gospel's influence is evident in the energetic Performances, Call-and-Response Patterns, and powerful Vocal deliveries. The Electric Guitar, central to RnR's sounds, drew from Blues Techniques and Country Picking Styles. RnR's Rhythmic foundation combined the Swing of Jazz with the driving beat of R&B, itself an offshoot of Blues. Lyrically, RnR often addressed Themes found in Blues and Country, while adopting the fervor and intensity of Gospel Performances.

Instrumental Elements of R&B, including the Piano and/or the Saxophone, though they were largely phased out as RnR evolved in later years. At its core, it features a strong, accentuated Backbeat typically provided by a Snare Drum kit, with emphasis on the backbeat (2nd and 4th beats). In most Songs, the Electric Guitar plays a central role, often using distorted Tones, prominent Riffs, and energetic Solos. The Electric Bass Guitar provides the low-end Foundation, while Pianos or Keyboards add rhythmic and melodic Support.

Sounds are further defined by its use of 12-bar Blues Progressions, simple Chord Structures, and catchy Melodies. Vocals are typically powerful and emotive, sometimes with a raw or aggressive delivery... mostly by spinning a Tale.

The music is characterized by its high energy, often uptempo rhythms, and a raw, amplified Sound that emphasizes Volume and Intensity.

Many writers are obsessed with naming the first RnR Song... and most say that "Rocket 88" gets the Nod.

Blues

The Blues continued to exert a strong influence, providing a foundation for the emerging rock sound with its rhythms, instrumentation, and emotive delivery. Meanwhile, rhythm and blues was gaining popularity, with artists like Ruth Brown releasing hits that showcased the genre's evolving style. Traditional pop and country music remained strong, but were beginning to incorporate elements from these newer styles. Jazz was also undergoing innovations, with cool jazz and bebop pushing the boundaries of the genre. The rise of the teenage market and the increasing popularity of the electric guitar were starting to shape the direction of popular music. This period marked the beginning of a transition from the dominant sounds of the 1940s towards the more diverse and youth-oriented music that would define the rest of the 1950s.

1952

1953

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My Take:

As you can see, the number of new Artists and rejuvenated Ones are showing up on our Charts (Pop and R&B)... 1961 was a year that laid the groundwork for the diverse and innovative sounds that would define the rest of the 1960s, with new Artists, Styles, and production techniques emerging alongside established Stars.

Chart-toppers: The Billboard Hot 100 saw a variety of hits, including "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis, which was the top song of the year. Other major hits included "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline and "Crying" by Roy Orbison.

New artists: 16 acts achieved their first number one song in 1961, including The Shirelles, Del Shannon, Roy Orbison, and The Marvelettes, indicating a fresh wave of talent.

The development of Regional Music Scenes:

Surf music emerged from Southern California

Phil Spector began developing his influential "Wall of Sound" production technique.

Record labels: Berry Gordy's Tamla/Motown label had its first number one hit and signed The Supremes, setting the stage for future success.

Crossover appeal: The music of 1961 showed increasing crossover between pop, R&B, and country, as exemplified by Patsy Cline's success.

You can just start to feel things a Changin' on "Down the Road."

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