History

• Rock and roll evolved in dance halls across North America in the 1950s and became one of the defining movements in music history. Popular disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term "rock 'n' roll " in reference to the music.
  
  

Instruments

• Most rock and roll bands were small groups made up of trios or quartets.The primary instruments were usually drums, guitar, piano and double bass.
  
  

Influences

• The raw sound that encapsulates rock and roll derives from the early American music genres of gospel, blues, jazz and country. As the guitar gained popularity, it soon became the prominent sound in a majority of rock and roll recordings.
  
  

Icons

• Several iconic figures influenced rock and roll, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Their combination of musicianship and energetic showmanship came to embody the spirit of rock and roll.
  
  

Recordings

• Many great examples of rock and roll exist from the 1950s. Perhaps the most influential recordings of the time were distributed by Sun Records, famously known as the place where rock and roll was born.