History of Rock n Roll – Topic 1: By Hillary Torres

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, people, genres, and events from the lecture on the origins and early development of Rock ’n Roll.

Field Holler

A melodic cry with abrupt or swooping pitch changes sung by enslaved African Americans while working; a precursor to blues singing.

Work Song

Rhythmic songs sung by laborers in fields or prison camps to boost morale, build community, and endure hardship.

Call and Response

Musical pattern in which a leader sings or plays a phrase and a group answers in unison; common in African American traditions.

Spirituals

Religious folk songs created by enslaved Africans who adapted Christian hymns to express struggle, hope, and redemption; introduced harmony.

Funeral Procession Bands

New Orleans horn bands that played lively dance music during street funerals, bridging marching-band drumlines and early jazz/drum-set styles.

Ragtime

Piano genre with steady left-hand beat and right-hand syncopation; blends European classical elements with African rhythms.

Scott Joplin

The most famous ragtime composer and pianist, known for pieces such as “Maple Leaf Rag.”

Blues

Improvisatory American genre from the Deep South that fuses African music, European folk, field songs, and spirituals; features rough vocals and swing feel.

12-Bar Blues

Standard twelve-measure chord progression forming the harmonic basis for many blues, R&B, and rock tunes.

Mississippi Delta Blues

Acoustic, slide-guitar driven blues style from the Delta region; artists include Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt.

Chicago Blues

Electrified urban blues developed by southern migrants in Chicago; artists include Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

Jump Blues

Up-tempo fusion of big-band swing and blues geared for dancing; features horn sections and rough, high-pitched vocals.

Rhythm and Blues (R&B)

Smoother, less aggressive cousin of jump blues with boogie-woogie piano, horns, and swing or straight rhythms.

Boogie-Woogie Piano

Energetic piano style featuring driving left-hand bass patterns and syncopated right-hand riffs; central in R&B and early rock.

Country (genre)

Southern U.S. music rooted in folk and bluegrass; uses string instruments, clean twangy vocals, and 12-bar or 32-bar song forms.

32-Bar Pop Song Format

AABA structure totaling 32 measures; widely used in country and popular music.

Fiddle

A violin played in a country style, providing melodic leads in country music.

Pedal Steel

Console steel guitar with foot pedals that enable smooth pitch bends; signature sound in country music.

Alan Freed

Cleveland DJ who popularized “race” music with white teens, coined the term “rock and roll,” and hosted integrated concerts.

Payola

Illegal practice of record labels bribing DJs or stations for heavy airplay; focus of 1950s FBI investigations.

Antoine “Fats” Domino Jr.

New Orleans pianist-singer whose catchy R&B hits like “Blueberry Hill” crossed over to mainstream audiences.

Little Richard

Flamboyant Georgia singer-pianist who fused boogie-woogie and blues with over-the-top vocals; hits include “Tutti Frutti.”

Bo Diddley

Chicago blues guitarist-vocalist who created the rhythmic “Bo Diddley Beat” and used percussive guitar styles and female band members.

Bo Diddley Beat

Syncopated, clave-like rhythm (bom-ba-bom-bom, bom-bom) that influenced countless rock songs.

Chuck Berry

Guitarist-songwriter who wrote teen-oriented lyrics and pioneered rock guitar riffs; classics include “Johnny B. Goode.”

Elvis Presley

Mississippi-born singer dubbed the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll”; blended blues, gospel, and country, achieving massive crossover success.

Chess Records

Chicago label founded by Leonard and Phil Chess that recorded electric blues and early rock artists such as Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry.

Sun Studios

Memphis studio run by Sam Phillips that recorded southern Black artists and birthed rockabilly with artists like Elvis and Johnny Cash.

Rockabilly

Hybrid of 12-bar blues and country featuring twangy vocals and slap upright bass.

“Rocket 88”

1951 Ike Turner-written song (credited to Jackie Brenston) that combined boogie-woogie piano with teen-focused lyrics; often called the first rock record.

“Rock Around the Clock”

1955 Bill Haley hit that fused blues, R&B, and country swing; first rock song to achieve major commercial success.

The Day the Music Died

February 3, 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, symbolizing the end of rock’s first era.

Buddy Holly

Texas singer-songwriter who pioneered “Tex-Mex” rock, produced his own recordings, and wrote hits like “That’ll Be the Day.”

Ritchie Valens

Teenage Mexican-American rocker who had crossover hits like “La Bamba” sung partly in Spanish.

The Big Bopper

DJ-turned-singer J.P. Richardson, known for the novelty rock hit “Chantilly Lace.”

Colonel Tom Parker

Elvis Presley’s manager, known for his aggressive marketing and control over Elvis’s career, shaping his commercial success.

Sam Phillips

Founder of Sun Studios in Memphis, crucial in discovering and recording early rock and roll and blues artists like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Crossover Success

The phenomenon of a musical artist or song achieving popularity across different demographic or genre categories, particularly prominent in early rock and roll.

Gospel Music

American Christian music tradition with strong vocal harmonies and energetic performances; heavily influenced blues, R&B, and rock and roll, especially their vocal styles.