rock 'n' roll
Guitar-driven popular music
Rock 'n' roll is a genre of popular music that emerged in 1950s America, characterized by a strong backbeat, electric guitars, and energetic performance.
The term, a euphemism for sex in earlier Black slang, came to name music that fused rhythm and blues with country influences.
Rock 'n' roll suggests the classic sound of that era—Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard—while rock describes the broader genre that evolved from it.
The phrase also means liveliness or action: Let's rock 'n' roll.
Also spelled rock and roll.
Rock and roll monarch
- BeatlesIconic sixties rock quartet
- Chuck BerryRock and roll pioneer
- Buddy HollyFifties rock-and-roll pioneer
- Little RichardFifties rock originator
Fats Domino · vinyl · jukebox · diner · Cadillac · sock hop · poodle skirts · bobby socks
Amplified stringed instrument
- drumsStruck membrane instruments
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
- distortionTwisting from original state
power chord · riff · solo · backbeat · vocals · band · concert · arena
Rotating motion or surprise
- jiveSwing-era dance or bunk
- boogieRhythmic blues music
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- bopQuick light punch
jitterbug · shimmy · mosh pit · headbanging · air guitar · crowd surfing · pogo · shag
Rejection of mainstream values
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- nonconformityRejection of prevailing norms
- antiestablishmentOpposed to dominant institutions
- leather jacketGarment of tanned animal skin
loud · provocative · censorship · banned · scandalous · controversial · generation gap · moral panic
Elvis
Rock and roll monarch
- BeatlesIconic sixties rock quartet
- Chuck BerryRock and roll pioneer
- Buddy HollyFifties rock-and-roll pioneer
Little Richard · Fats Domino · vinyl · jukebox · diner · Cadillac · sock hop · poodle skirts · bobby socks · hot rod
electric guitar
Amplified stringed instrument
- drumsStruck membrane instruments
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
distortion · power chord · riff · solo · backbeat · vocals · band · concert · arena · festival
twist
Rotating motion or surprise
bop · jitterbug · shimmy · mosh pit · headbanging · air guitar · crowd surfing · pogo · shag · hand jive
counterculture
Rejection of mainstream values
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- nonconformityRejection of prevailing norms
- antiestablishmentOpposed to dominant institutions
leather jacket · loud · provocative · censorship · banned · scandalous · controversial · generation gap · moral panic · long hair
excess
Surplus beyond need
- touringTraveling for pleasure
- famePublic recognition, widespread
- groupiesObsessive celebrity followers
backstage · party · hedonism · stardom · VIP · all-night · debauchery · wild · decadence
rock 'n' rollclassical music
Western orchestral tradition
easy listening · elevator music · muzak · chamber music · opera
rock 'n' rollconformity
Adherence to norms
square · strait-laced · buttoned-up · conventional · puritanism
roll, rock, stroll, rolled, troll, rolling, rocks, roller, rocking