Birth of a rebel: The beginnings of Rock and Roll

Like most other dances, Rock and Roll does not have a ‘birthday’ but that does not refrain many scholars from giving it one. And if you are looking for it, the 12th April 1954 might indeed be a good choice. It is the day of the studio-recording of Bill Haley’s Rock around the clock, a song that went around the world and marked the beginning of an international R’n’R movement. Already by the end of 1954 it spanned from the USA, its ‘birthplace’, to Europe and far beyond.

We shall call it a movement because R’n’R can be regarded as a symbol of a restless youth that was not prepared to assimilate the norms and mentalities of their parents’ generation. It was very often perceived as a radical break with customs and traditions and as such partially forbidden in the US and Europe but also in Iran, Egypt and most communist countries where it was seen as a severe threat to religious and/or state authority.

Particulary problematic for white conservative masses in the US was the Rock and Rollers’ contribution to bridging the gap between between races and ethnicities. Drawing on black Rhythm and Blues as well as on predominantly white Country Music, the songs that Alan Freed defined as R’n’R managed to blur the boundaries. Not by coincidence, Elvis Presley became known as the ‘white singer with the black voice’ but also – with regard to his ‘black’ dancing style – as ‘Elvis the pelvis’. The sexual connotations of his hip-movements were widely criticised as morally unacceptable and some city councils forbid his shows.

Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly and Little Richard are other musicians worth mentioning in this highly rebellious period of Rock and Roll that came to an end in 1963. However, the Beatles and other groups made a renaissance possible that reached culminating points from 1964 to 1966 and from 1968 to 1970. From the seventies we can observe R’n’R developing into a competitive sport that concentrates on acrobatic aspects. In many respects, the spectacular has here replaced the original rebellious character. At the same time, more social forms are cultivated inside and outside of dancing schools, and there are niches for admirers of Elvis Presley and others that try to keep the spirit of the 1950s alive. For more information see the online Wikipedia.     Guido Rings 2005