Kevin's Watch

2004 is, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, the 50th Anniversary of that crazy little thing called rock and roll. Because that's the year a young truck driver named Elvis Presley went into Sun Studios to record, among other things, a song called "That's All Right." The rest, as they say, is history.

But what do you think? Is this a fair version of the birth of rock 'n' roll?

What about Chuck Berry? Even though classic songs of his like Johnny B. Goode and Roll Over Beethoven came after Presley's debut, Berry surely was already making music before Elvis.

Is it more accurate to say that Berry and rhythm & blues were the beginnings of rock n roll, and Presley took that and made it acceptable for a white audience? Presley himself said that rock 'n' roll was just a new name for R&B.

So Elvis may be the King of rock 'n' roll, but is he also the Father? Or is it Chuck? Or is it someone else?

And does it matter?

No one made rock n Roll. there are so many different forms but if some had to of made it can only be.... the one..... the only...

LED ZEPPELIN, must be the greatest rock band, EVER!

I answered "No one person"... I think each of the above people, and some others, brought different things to the gradual birth of rock 'n' roll.

No one person started rock and roll; it was a slow evolution from preceding genres like blues and jazz, etc. If it's true that someone can just start rock, then why didn't it pop up in the middle of the 19th century?

Anyway, I could be wrong. I guess it's my way of saying it doesn't matter who started it, personally. It's here and I'm damn well enjoying it.

Anyway, I tend to look at rock as a long line of influences.

Ezra Pound wrote:There are the Alps... you will have to go a long way round/if you want to avoid them.

That said, The Beatles are undeniably the biggest mountain. Even if you don't like them, they're an objective lesson in understanding Western pop music. Elvis was the biggest preceding factor, of course. Not so sure about who dominated the 70s. Probably Led Zeppelin.

Well, I was born in 1956-so obviously I did!!!!!!

Lord Foul wrote:No one person started rock and roll; it was a slow evolution from preceding genres like blues and jazz, etc. ...

That was the impression that I always had.
Blues was the roots of rock, with a bit of jazz flair.
Either way around, I am sure glad that it did happen.
I can't imagine being at a party and getting wild to
Beethoven or Tommy Dorsey.

ROCK ON! - David Essex

Chuck Berry was a greater influence on teh Beatles than Presley was. If I was pressed to say who started Rock, I would say Berry did. The Beatles perfected it and are teh greatest rock band in my opinion. There isn't one good band out there that wasn't influenced by the Beatles.

Lord Foul is right you can't just put a finger on one person or band. Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan etc they were all there, but it was a mix of Black music like blues and jazz.

Rock and Roll was started by Aliens, as a subversive weapon to destroy our civilisation.

Either them or Communists - or maybe Alien Communists; I haven't quite decided yet.

It was a culmination of so many different musical styles.......R&B, Delta Blues, Jazz, Big Band and even Folk and Country. You can't point to one person. Would it be what it is today without Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and way too many others to mention? No.

Thank the Lord for those guys!

Duck