History of Rock and Roll – Topic 2: By Hillary Torres

Vocabulary flashcards covering key styles, artists, producers, songs, studios, and labels from Topic 2 of History of Rock and Roll.

Gospel

Church-based vocal style, sacred rather than secular, that evolved from the Negro Spiritual and strongly influenced early rock forms.

Negro Spiritual

African-American sacred folk songs that provided the roots for Gospel music.

Doo Wop

1940s–1964 vocal style featuring four-part harmonies and vocal imitation of instruments; lyrics usually about teenage love.

The Penguins

Doo Wop group famous for the 1954 hit “Earth Angel.”

The Chords

Doo Wop group known for “Sh-Boom” (1954).

The Drifters

R&B/Doo Wop group whose hits include “There Goes My Baby” (1959).

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

Youthful Doo Wop act behind the 1956 hit “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”

The Coasters

Leiber & Stoller-written theatrical R&B group; scored with “Yakety-Yak” (1958).

The Five Satins

Doo Wop group celebrated for “In the Still of the Night” (1956).

The Marcels

Doo Wop quintet best known for the 1961 remake of “Blue Moon.”

Teen Idol

Late-1950s marketing category in which white artists covered R&B songs to court mainstream teenage buyers.

Fabian

Philadelphia teen idol who scored with “Turn Me Loose” (1959).

Ricky Nelson

TV-friendly teen idol who sang “Travelin’ Man” (1961).

Dion and the Belmonts

Bronx vocal group famous for “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer” (1961).

Leiber and Stoller

White Jewish songwriting/producing duo who crafted theatrical, teen-oriented R&B hits like “Hound Dog,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Stand by Me.”

“Hound Dog”

1952 Leiber & Stoller song first recorded by Big Mama Thornton and later popularized by Elvis Presley.

“There Goes My Baby”

1959 Drifters hit that introduced strings and lush production to R&B.

Brill Building

NYC office building that housed songwriters, publishers, and studios; 1950s-60s hub for factory-style pop production.

Girl Group

Brill Building-era formula featuring young female vocal groups backed by producers and studio musicians.

Gerry Goffin & Carole King

Brill Building husband-wife team behind hits like “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “The Loco-Motion.”

Phil Spector

Producer who created the Wall of Sound and refined the girl-group style between 1960-1965.

Wall of Sound

Spector’s dense, echo-laden production technique using large ensembles doubled in unison.

The Wrecking Crew

Los Angeles session musicians (e.g., Carol Kaye, Tommy Tedesco) who played on Spector’s recordings.

Gold Star Studios

Hollywood studio where Spector crafted many Wall of Sound hits.

The Ronettes

Spector-produced girl group famous for “Be My Baby” (1963).

The Righteous Brothers

Blue-eyed soul duo whose Spector-produced “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1965) became a classic.

Sam Cooke

Ex-Soul Stirrers singer who fused Gospel with Pop/R&B to launch Soul; civil-rights advocate with hits like “You Send Me.”

Ray Charles

Pianist-singer who blended Gospel, Blues, and R&B to help create Soul; wrote “Georgia on My Mind” and crossed into country with “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”

Motown

Detroit label (est. 1959) that achieved pop crossover with polished Soul songs aimed at black and white audiences.

Berry Gordy

Motown founder, songwriter, and producer who molded hits and image of the label’s artists.

Holland-Dozier-Holland

Motown’s primary songwriting/production trio behind many Supremes, Four Tops, and Marvin Gaye hits.

Motown Sound

Pop-styled Soul characterized by strong backbeat, upfront rhythm section, melodic bass, call-and-response vocals, and orchestral strings/horns.

The Funk Brothers

Jazz-trained Motown house band that played on the label’s classic recordings.

Charm School

Motown finishing program that coached artists in stage presence, etiquette, and choreography.

Stax Records

Memphis label (f. 1957) specializing in gritty Southern Soul; founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton.

Booker T. & the MG’s

Integrated Stax house band that backed artists like Otis Redding and Sam & Dave.

Southern Soul

Rawer, gospel-infused Soul style associated with Stax and FAME Studios.

FAME Studios

Muscle Shoals, Alabama studio (Florence Alabama Music Enterprise) run by Rick Hall, noted for Southern Soul hits.

Muscle Shoals

Alabama town whose studios and musicians produced classics for Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, and Wilson Pickett.

Rick Hall

Owner/engineer of FAME Studios; key figure in Muscle Shoals sound.

Aretha Franklin

“Queen of Soul” who recorded “Respect” and “Chain of Fools” at Muscle Shoals.

Percy Sledge

Soul singer best known for “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966), cut at FAME.

Wilson Pickett

Soul shouter who recorded “In the Midnight Hour” (Stax) and “Mustang Sally” (FAME).

Vocal Surf

California pop style with harmonized vocals about surfing culture; acts include The Surfaris (“Surfer Joe”) and Jan & Dean.

Instrumental Surf Rock

Reverb-drenched guitar music by groups like The Ventures, The Surfaris, and Dick Dale.

The Beach Boys

Family-based California band that fused Surf lyrics with sophisticated harmonies and production.

Brian Wilson

Beach Boys leader, songwriter, and producer influenced by Phil Spector; architect of the band’s sound.

The California Sound

Sun-drenched vocal harmony style typified by The Beach Boys’ early 1960s records.

Pet Sounds

Innovative 1966 Beach Boys album often cited among the greatest in rock history.