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The Sixties: Rock & Roll, The First Wave 1954-1959

This guide covers the decade 1960 - 1970

What's that sound?

From the beginning, Rock & Roll incorporated elements from rhythm & blues and country & western music. With that sound, there was an energy and a joy, a rebellion and a beat that could be danced to. And it scared the heck out of adults, but the kids loved it.

If there was an early music that sounded Rock & Roll, it was Rhythm & Blues. But Rhythm & Blues was only played on African-American radio stations. Rhythm & Blues transformed itself into Rock & Roll when Sam Phillips recorded Elvis Presley, a white kid from Tupelo, Mississippi. The sound that was Rhythm & Blues now became Rock & Roll.

Rhythm & Blues

  1. Strange Things Happening Every Day, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1945)
  2. Caledonia, Louis Jordan (1948)
  3. Good Rockin' Tonight, Wynonie Harris (1948)
  4. Rocket 88, Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats (1951)
  5. Hound Dog, Big Mama Thornton (1953)
  6. Shake, Rattle & Roll, Big Joe Turner (1954)
  7. Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley (1955)
  8. Jim Dandy, LaVern Baker (1956)
  9. Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (1955)
  10. Sweet Baby of Mine, Ruth Brown (1956)

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1950s Pop Instrumentals

Photograph: Les Paul

Les Paul, May 31, 2004

  • How High the Moon, Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951)
  • Autumn Leaves, Roger Williams (1955)
  • The Poor People of Paris, Chet Atkins (1955)
  • Rebel Rouser, Duane Eddy (1958)
  • Tequila, The Champs (1958)
  • The Happy Organ, Dave "Baby" Cortez (1959)
  • Sleep Walk, Santo & Johnny (1959)
  • Last Date, Floyd Cramer (1960)
  • Walk, Don't Run, The Ventures (1960)

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Novelty Songs of the Fifties and the Sixties

  1. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Gayla Peevy (1953)
  2. The Chipmunk Song, David Seville (1958)
  3. Purple People Eater, Sheb Wooley (1958)
  4. Witch Doctor, David Seville (1958)
  5. Along Came Jones, The Coasters (1959)
  6. Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight), Lonnie Donegan (1959)
  7. M.T.A., The Kingston Trio (1959)
  8. Alley Oop, The Hollywood Argyles (1960)
  9. Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Brian Hyland (1960)
  10. Monster Mash, Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1962)
  11. Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp), Allan Sherman (1963)
  12. Winchester Cathedral, New Vaudeville Band (1966)
  13. Tip Toe Through the Tulips, Tiny Tim (1968)
  14. The Streak, Ray Stevens (1974)

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Majjor Rock & Roll Artists

Photograph: Bill Haley and the Comets

Bill Haley & the Comets, 1956

Public Domain.
 “We took parts of four different types of music: Dixieland, country and western, rhythm and blues, and our old jazz standards.” –Bill Haley (Crampton, p.45)

Photograph: Elvis Presley in

Elvis Presley, The King of Rock & Roll, 1957

Public Domain, Elvis Presley, on the set of Jailhouse Rock.
“Without Elvis, none of us could have made it.” –Buddy Holly (Crampton, p.35)
Elvis Presley “taught white America to get down.” –James Brown (Crampton, p. 39)

Photograph: Fats Domino

Fats Domino, 1962

Public Domain. Fats Domino performing at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1962.

Photograph: Little Richard

Little Richard, 1957

Public Domain. Trading card photo of Little Richard In 1957.

Carl Perkins 1977

Public Domain. Taken from photo: Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis from the 1977 Johnny Cash CBS Christmas Special television program.

Photograph: Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry 1957

Public Domain.

Photograph: Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash, 1955

Public Domain

Photograph: The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers (Phil, right; Don, left), 1958

Public Domain. Publicity portrait for Cadence Records.

Photograph: Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly, 1957

Public Domain. Buddy Holly publicity picture for Brunswick Records.
Buddy Holly “made it so easy to wear glasses. I was Buddy Holly.” –John Lennon, (Crampton, p.69)

Photograph: Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis

Public Domain.

Photograph: Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson

Public domain photo cropped from March 1970 trade ad for Wanda Jackson's single "A Woman Lives for Love".

Photograph: Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison, Rock's Great Balladeer 1965

Nederlands: Roy Orbinson ontving gouden plaat voor "Pretty Woman" in Singel concertzaal, Roy Orbinson (kop)
25 maart 1965
Photo by Jac. de Nijs / Anefo.
Source: Nationaal Archief

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock & Roll

Ten of Elvis Presley's Best

1954. That's All Right
1955. All Shook Up
1955. Mystery Train
1956. Don't Be Cruel.
1956. Heartbreak Hotel.
1956. Hound Dog
1956. Love Me Tender
1958. Jailhouse Rock.
1961. Can't Help Falling In Love With You
1969. Suspicious Minds.

Source: Rolling Stone Magazines 500 Greatest Songs.
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Rock & Roll

  • Good Rockin' Tonight, Elvis Presley (1954)
  • Ain't That a Shame, Fats Domino (1955)
  • Blue Suede Shoes, Carl Perkins (1955)
  • Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley and the Comets (1955)
  • Tutti Frutti, Little Richard (1955)
  • Ballad of a Teenage Queen, Johnny Cash (1957)
  • Bye Bye Love, Everly Brothers (1957)
  • Fujiyama Mama, Wanda Jackson (1957)
  • Great Balls of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)
  • That'll Be the Day, Buddy Holly (1957)
  • Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry (1958)
  • Only the Lonely, Roy Orbison (1960)

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Rock 'n' Roll Movies '50s Style

  1. Blackboard Jungle (1955)
  2. The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
  3. Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
  4. Diner (1982)
  5. Don't Knock the Rock (1956)
  6. The Girl Can't Help It (1956)
  7. High School Confidential (1958)
  8. Jailhouse Rock (1957)
  9. King Creole (1958)
  10. La Bamba (1987)
  11. Loving You (1957)
  12. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
  13. Rock Around the Clock (1956)
  14. The Wild One (1953)

Additional References

Covach, J. R., & Flory, A. (2015). What's that sound?: An introduction to rock and its history. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Crampton, L., & Rees, D. (2003). Rock & roll year by year. Dorling Kindersley.
Jackson, J. A. (1999). American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the making of a rock 'n' roll empire. New York: Oxford University Press.
James, D. E. (2017). Rock n film: cinemas dance with popular music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Strodder, C., & Phillips, M. (2007). The encyclopedia of sixties cool: A celebration of the grooviest people, events, and artifacts of the 1960s. Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press.
Ward, E. (2016). The history of rock & roll Vol. 1 1920-1963. New York: Flatiron Books.