Where did Rock and Roll come from?
Channel: Alliterative
Date: 2021-09-19

What's the etymology of Rock & Roll? What defines the musical genre, and where did it come from? What was the first rock & roll song? We try to answer these questions and more in this exploration of the roots of rock.

Thank you to all our Patreon supporters! Please check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheEndlessKnot

Endless Knot merchandise can be found in our store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/EndlessKnot/
Show notes & credits: http://www.alliterative.net/rock-and-roll

Transcript: http://www.alliterative.net/rock-and-roll-transcript

My music channel -- with my covers of some of these songs and other early rock and roll: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCixmru_kBh0EUd0d2jud9zw

Videos mentioned:
Johnny Boker Sea Shanty https://youtu.be/M7iTzmrWd0c
Gospel https://youtu.be/K06AqhjjbdA
12Tone's "12 Bar Blues" https://youtu.be/5y4T9SkNYFo
Manhattan https://youtu.be/k7L2B9qj6N8
Guitar https://youtu.be/L_YmbcyYlPI
Soul Food https://youtu.be/QbuABBPej9E

Links to the songs mentioned as candidates for the first rock & roll song (and some additional songs):

Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlDwZNRMgsJLaR5Luu5ys97JnNm0rYccG

My Man Rocks Me (with One Steady Roll)
Trixie Smith (1922) – https://youtu.be/95bs5pj4BNE

Rock Me
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1938) – https://youtu.be/QpAMmTcFOCU

Roll ‘em Pete
Big Joe Turner (1939) – https://youtu.be/DZaeRX5pqcc

Good Rockin’ Tonight
Roy Brown (1947) – https://youtu.be/9WhQcEt9E9k
Wynonie Harris (1948) – https://youtu.be/7H2nv76uM9U
Elvis Presley (1954) – https://youtu.be/x35OGgxPSEw

Rock Awhile
Goree Carter (1949) – https://youtu.be/Ece-JE85vFo

Rock the Joint
Jimmy Preston (1949) – https://youtu.be/z5XcbQVz4Go
Bill Haley and his Saddlemen (1952) – https://youtu.be/rpjZBoABE4g

The Fat Man
Fats Domino (1949) – https://youtu.be/xgCjiOjTqFU

Rocket 88
Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (1951) – https://youtu.be/v7f-qAq3T8U
Bill Haley and his Saddlemen (1951) – https://youtu.be/dKQzdbmjIBw

Crazy Man, Crazy
Bill Haley and his Comets (1953) – https://youtu.be/uTNmdmWbkCM

Shake, Rattle and Roll
Big Joe Turner (1954) – https://youtu.be/rJoTiZ0tHYc
Bill Haley and his Comets (1954) – https://youtu.be/N9lGMHCgiAM

That’s All Right
Big Boy Crudup (1947) – https://youtu.be/4Z20bmNYLL0
Elvis Presley (1954) – https://youtu.be/DCP_g7X31nI

Blue Moon of Kentucky
Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (1947) – https://youtu.be/xtpiqdN2lJk
Elvis Presley (1954) – https://youtu.be/Ggi5Tq3XDRI

Tutti Frutti
Little Richard (1955) – https://youtu.be/LO9kNFf3kRg
Pat Boone (1956) – https://youtu.be/fehS9PZq8yI

Maybellene
Chuck Berry (1955) – https://youtu.be/VEYbZ1sI9bY

Other Songs Mentioned:

Ida Red
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys (1939) – https://youtu.be/pW-lWQBjnFg

Strange Things Happening Every Day
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1944) – https://youtu.be/x9RU4y7GPxQ

Hound Dog
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (1953) – https://youtu.be/Jr9q485COk0
Elvis Presley (1956) – https://youtu.be/-eHJ12Vhpyc

Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley and his Comets (1954) – https://youtu.be/hzYBEJgKjv0

Wee Wee Hours
Chuck Berry (1955) – https://youtu.be/rjpz1n22zkw

Ain’t That a Shame
Fats Domino (1955) – https://youtu.be/50OF4x1lIbg
Pat Boone (1955) – https://youtu.be/6MhSepsQikk

Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (1956) – https://youtu.be/EWwzsNyFn1I

I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (1956) – https://youtu.be/Gh8-dRe4yPU

Jailhouse Rock
Elvis Presley (1957) – https://youtu.be/PpsUOOfb-vE

Johnny B. Goode
Chuck Berry (1958) – https://youtu.be/uFeZ_x--aRg

Website: http://www.alliterative.net/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alliterative
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliterativeendlessknot
Tumbler: http://alliterative-endlessknot.tumblr.com/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/alliterative
Podcast: http://www.alliterative.net/podcast or https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/endless-knot-podcast-endless/id1016322923?mt=2

Click here to sign up for our video email list, to be notified when new videos are posted: http://eepurl.com/6YuJv
Click here to sign up for our podcast email list, to be notified when new podcast episodes go up: 
http://eepurl.com/btmBZT