What was the first true rock & roll song?

Answer 1

There is much debate as to what should be considered the first rock and roll record. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was recording shouting, stomping music in the 1940s that in some ways contained major elements of mid-1950s rock and roll. She scored hits on the pop charts as far back as 1938 with her gospel songs, such as "Rock, Daniel," "Up Above My Head", "Down By The Riverside", and "Rock Me". Another artist who was singing hard-rocking blues/gospel to a boogie piano player was Big Joe Turner, whose 1938 recording, "Roll 'em Pete," is almost indistinguishable from 50's rock and roll. Other significant recording artists of the 1940s and early 1950s included Roy Brown ("Good Rocking Tonight", 1947), more Big Joe Turner ("Honey, Hush", 1953, and "Shake, Rattle and Roll", 1954), and Fats Domino ("The Fat Man," 1949).

Rolling Stone magazine argued (with much controversy) in 2005 that "That's All Right (Mama)" (1954), Elvis Presley's first single for Sun Records in Memphis, was the first rock and roll record. And Bo Diddley's 1955 hit "Bo Diddley" backed with "I'm A Man" introduced a new pounding beat and unique guitar playing that inspired many artists. However, rock and roll and boogie woogie both have 8 to the bar, 12-bar blues. The difference is that rock and roll has a greater emphasis on the back beat than boogie woogie.

Little Richard combined boogie-woogie piano with a heavy back beat and over-the-top raspy, shouted, gospel-influenced vocals never before heard in recorded music. He has been credited by Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, and many other artists for starting a new kind of music. Further, James Brown and others have credited Little Richard's band for first putting funk in the rock and roll beat. Elvis Presley cited Little Richard as an inspiration.

The first artists with secular rock 'n' roll hits were Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. After Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" (1954), became the first rock and roll song to top Billboard magazine's main sales and airplay charts in early 1955, the door was opened for this new wave of popular culture. Within the decade crooners such as Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, and Patti Page, who had dominated the previous decade of popular music, found their access to the pop charts significantly curtailed.

Answer 2

Here's a link to an interesting article on the history of Rock and Roll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll

Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", 1955, was the song that opened the door for Rock and Roll, but there are earlier songs than that which come to mind..."Shake, Rattle and Roll" and Elvis' "That's All Right Mama" both came out in 1954.

Answer 3

There really isn't a first true rock & roll song because "rock & roll" was a term used by blues and jazz musicians for years (as a term for sex) before the blues/rockabilly sound of Chuck Berry & others was ever called "rock & roll music" by a DJ. Any of the songs of that era from Chuck Berry or Bill Haley or others might be considered by someone to be the first rock & roll song, but the importance was in the music itself rather than in the terminology. As Kurt Cobain said "today's Alternative Music is tomorrow's Mainstream".

Answer 4

As previously stated by a couple of contributors, "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "Rocket 88" are perhaps two of the earliest songs considered "rock and roll." However, of course after it appeared in the opening credits of "Blackboard Jungle", Bill Haley and His Comets song, "Rock Around the Clock" became the nation's first rock and roll song to reach number one on the Billboard charts on July 9, 1955.

Answer 5

one in 1951 called Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston, also some claim Rock around the clock by Bill Haley and the Comets-1954 or Earth Angel-The Penguins- 1954. There is much controversy about what was the first rock and roll song.

Answer 6

I have not any time to pose as a rocker, it is going to no longer be an argument in spite of if somebody is a poser or no longer; because it somewhat is what fuels posing interior the 1st place, 'the phobia of rejection'. For the record... i admire 80s rock... Billy Idol, Queen, Led Zepplin, Aerosmith, somewhat AC/DC, Whitesnake and Saxon and comparable issues. I additionally like, new age variety song alongside with Enya, Clannad and era. I additionally like soundtracks from video clips. So what form of guy or woman am I? Snow guy

Answer 7

Rock Around The Clock is the standard answer by many.
I personally select I Wanna Hold Your Hand by the Beatles. That song woke up the world!

Answer 8

Bill Haley and the Comets-Rock Around the Clock.

Answer 9

Rocket 88 by Ike Turner has all the rhythmic, melodic, harmonic and technical characteristics before Haley's R.A.C. It just was called Rhythm and Blues 'cause he wasn't white... R'n'R was a name given to the R'n'B played by white artists.

Answer 10

Blue Suede Shoes by carl perkins.