subject: Know More about the History of Rock And Roll [print this page] Rock and roll has become so familiar to music lovers that very few ask about its roots or origins or how the name came about. The history of rock and roll still remains a matter of research.
While there are several theories about the history of rock and roll. Many researchers agree that the music genre got its name after the World War II. Its sound was then born out of a fusion of R&B (rhythm and blues) along with influences from Afro-American culture as also from gospel music and American country music. Many are of the opinion that rock and roll has its roots in country records during the 1930s and blues records during the 1920s, even though the music was never labeled as rock and roll.
Regardless of the uncertainty about the history of rock and roll music or its true beginnings, it's believed that rock and roll originated in the south as a result of a conglomeration between several music traditions in the region. From thereon, the music grew as many freed slaves along with their descendants migrated to major urban cities like Memphis and in the north to Detroit, Chicago, New York City, Buffalo and Cleveland. In these cities, both white and black residents have had lived closely and thus began emulating each other's style.
During the 1930s, swing and jazz were among the very first kinds of music to produce Afro-American sounds to a mainly white audience. The 1940s followed this sound with saxophones, horns, boogie-woogie beats and shouted lyrics. During and immediately following World War II, limited audiences and shortage of fuel made large jazz bands less economical. They were replaced with smaller combos, using drums, bass and guitars.
The history of rock and roll continues to evolve for several reasons, technology being one of them.
