| It Will Stand | |
| The History of Rock And Roll | |
 Alan Freed's original Moondog Party, 21 March 1952, which many historians now classify as the birthplace of the rock and roll culture. From AlanFreed.com. Photo credit unknown.
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Charting the rise (and some say, fall) of rock and roll is a daunting task: we're talking about nothing less than the American Renaissance, a cultural explosion that changed the face of world culture forever. Just music? Not to judge by some of the reactions to it. It's worth remembering that 50s rock was an agent for real social change, crossing racial and class barriers, exploding myths about culture, and kicking down the walls the tastemakers of the elite had erected long ago. What's best about it, however, is that it accomplished those things completely unselfconsciously, not as a reaction to the status quo but out of sheer boredom. The same thing most cultural revolutions are borne of, really. Contrast that with the Sixties rock culture, which was far too aware of itself, or even the reactionary beatnik underground of the Fifties themselves.
Rock and roll is a unifying force, a love of good music that, like all real and pure love, transcends the world around it and asks nothing of the recipient. Change the world? Yeah, but without an agenda other than what's in the groove: We're gonna have some fun tonight, as Little Richard once said. If you think a concept like "fun" is a little too inconsequential, then you don't understand what rock and roll is all about, and worse, the sheer size of the gaping hole it fills in your daily life. Time to go back to the beginning, then, and discover why (and how) it all came about in the first place.
Here's a collection of links to the best oldies history sites on the web. As time goes on, this page will expand into loads of categories, all dealing with rock and roll and its historical origins.
Rock Before Elvis
The World Of Marion-Net E-zines
History Of Rock And Roll
The History Of Rock And Roll
Oldies Music Calendar
1950s Rock And Roll Trivia
Rock N' Roll Timeline
ReelRadio.com
Beaches, Bars, and B-3s
Alan Freed.com
Deals exclusively with R&B from 1949-1953, with loads of RealAudio clips and artist bios so that you can see and HEAR for yourself how the music developed!
Three of these e-zine archives chronicle the history and development of rock and roll. Assembled more or less chronologically. Pick the category you like best (doo wop, R&B, pop) and go.
From Harry Hepcat comes this concise look at exactly how the rock and roll movement first materialized, both as a music and a culture.
The best of the Oldies history sites, chronicling what it calls "The Golden Decade" of 1954-1963 with a basic page-by-page primer that's detailed enough for the amateur music historian yet simple enough for the casual fan. Covers everything from payola to teen culture to Brill Building to the development of the electric guitar.
A great resource that chronicles this week in oldies music history. Changes weekly. From the wonderful Oldies Music site.
Another great "this day in rock history" resource from Bill Griggs. Gets more in-depth than most, explaining just how these events transformed the world around them.
A solid chronology of the most important rock and roll developments, from the Fifties to the present day. From Rock And Roll Never Forgets.
A massive repository of real radio broadcasts from the Golden Age of Rock and Roll, with lots of specials and new clips being added constantly! Hear actual 50s and 60s radio broadcasts in RealAudio... history as it was made!
Subtitled "A history of rock and roll on Long Island," this site offers a geographically situated overview of just that, along with rare photos and exclusive interviews.
An excellent site chroncling the life and career of the man who popularized the term "rock and roll" and changed the culture in many other ways as well.
