rock and roll
Guitar-driven pop ancestor
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that emerged in 1950s America, characterized by a strong backbeat, electric guitars, and energetic vocals.
The term originally carried sexual connotations—to rock and roll was slang for sex—which gave the music its rebellious edge.
Often shortened to rock, the genre spawned countless subgenres.
As a verb, to rock and roll means to get going energetically: Let's rock and roll.
Amplified stringed instrument
- drumsStruck membrane instruments
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
- distortionTwisting from original state
riff · power chord · solo · vocals · stage · concert · band · album
Rhythmic pulse or strike
- backbeatAccent on weak beats
- grooveNarrow cut or routine
- shuffleRandomize by mixing
- tempoRate of musical performance
pulse · swing · syncopation · driving · pounding · steady · thumping · kick drum
Rock and roll monarch
- BeatlesIconic sixties rock quartet
- Chuck BerryRock and roll pioneer
- Buddy HollyFifties rock-and-roll pioneer
- Little RichardFifties rock originator
vinyl · jukebox · Sixties · doo-wop · rockabilly · British Invasion · Motown · Jimi Hendrix
Coin-operated music player
- poodle skirtAppliquéd circular garment, mid-century
- dinerCasual American eatery
- sock hopInformal school dance
- CadillacGM's upscale marque
greaser · soda fountain · drive-in · bobby socks · hot rod · letterman jacket · malt shop · James Dean
Rotating motion or surprise
- jiveSwing-era dance or bunk
- boogieRhythmic blues music
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- jitterbugEnergetic swing-era partner dance
shag · mosh · headbang · pogo · air guitar · crowd surf · stage dive · fist pump
Energy from charged particles
wild · explosive · adrenaline · sweat · excitement · thrill · roar · frenzy
Rejection of mainstream values
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- antiestablishmentOpposed to dominant institutions
- nonconformityRejection of prevailing norms
- attitudeSettled way of thinking
leather jacket · mohawk · punk · anarchy · provocative · censorship · banned · controversial
electric guitar
Amplified stringed instrument
- drumsStruck membrane instruments
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
distortion · riff · power chord · solo · vocals · stage · concert · band · album · tour
beat
Rhythmic pulse or strike
tempo · pulse · swing · syncopation · driving · pounding · steady · thumping · kick drum · snare
Elvis
Rock and roll monarch
- BeatlesIconic sixties rock quartet
- Chuck BerryRock and roll pioneer
- Buddy HollyFifties rock-and-roll pioneer
Little Richard · vinyl · jukebox · Sixties · doo-wop · rockabilly · British Invasion · Motown · Jimi Hendrix · The Who
jukebox
Coin-operated music player
- poodle skirtAppliquéd circular garment, mid-century
- dinerCasual American eatery
- sock hopInformal school dance
Cadillac · greaser · soda fountain · drive-in · bobby socks · hot rod · letterman jacket · malt shop · James Dean · Marilyn Monroe
twist
Rotating motion or surprise
jitterbug · shag · mosh · headbang · pogo · air guitar · crowd surf · stage dive · fist pump · shimmy
electricity
Energy from charged particles
loud · wild · explosive · adrenaline · sweat · excitement · thrill · roar · frenzy · rush
counterculture
Rejection of mainstream values
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- antiestablishmentOpposed to dominant institutions
- nonconformityRejection of prevailing norms
attitude · leather jacket · mohawk · punk · anarchy · provocative · censorship · banned · controversial · explicit
- American musicjazz, blues, country music, country, hip hop
- 1950sEisenhower, poodle skirt, Elvis Presley, Rosa Parks, baby boom
- 1950s nostalgiapoodle skirts, hula hoops, drive-in theaters, sock hops, jukeboxes
- 20th century cultureRoaring Twenties, Jazz Age, Great Depression, baby boom, counterculture
- music trendsBeatlemania, disco fever, MTV era, streaming, rave culture
- oldiesElvis, golden oldies, Hound Dog, oldies, Johnny B. Goode
rock and rollclassical music
Western orchestral tradition
easy listening · elevator music · muzak · chamber music · smooth jazz
rock and rollconformity
Adherence to norms
square · respectability · propriety · conservatism · bourgeois values
roll, rock, rolled, rolling, rocks, roller, rocking, bedrock, rocked