The Sound of Rebellion

Rock and roll exploded in the mid-1950s when Black American musical traditions — blues, gospel, rhythm and blues — collided with country music and were amplified through electric guitars. The result was louder, rawer, and more physically exciting than anything mainstream audiences had heard.

Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Fats Domino created the template. Elvis Presley brought it to white audiences in a segregated America, creating a cultural earthquake. Parents were horrified. Teenagers were liberated.