General Music Chat

Cuz it wasn't Elvis!

ok, I was gonna say elvis... so... little richard then?
don't you dare say james hetfield or something silly like that.

Tiny Tim?

Rock and Roll was mostly recognized when referring to Elvis Presley, simply because the true meaning of Rock and Roll when that genre was coined was rythmic/funky music that could be classified as "obscene" by those who weren't used to the new styles, such as elvis's "hip gyrations" and whatnot. So yeah, Elvis was definitely king of Rock and Roll, but now, we have Rock & Roll, Rock, Hard Rock, "Classic" Rock, Rockabilly, Electrorock, Glam Rock, Goth Rock, Alternative Rock, Christian Rock, and not to meantion others related as Metal, Death metal, grunge, etc. So who's kings of all those genres? Well, I don't really wanna make a forum about that, lol.

AustinTatious- well spoken.

Johnny Rotten.

The only real rock and roll takes place from the waist down.

Rock and Roll was mostly recognized when referring to Elvis Presley, simply because the true meaning of Rock and Roll when that genre was coined was rythmic/funky music that could be classified as "obscene" by those who weren't used to the new styles, such as elvis's "hip gyrations" and whatnot. So yeah, Elvis was definitely king of Rock and Roll, but now, we have Rock & Roll, Rock, Hard Rock, "Classic" Rock, Rockabilly, Electrorock, Glam Rock, Goth Rock, Alternative Rock, Christian Rock, and not to meantion others related as Metal, Death metal, grunge, etc. So who's kings of all those genres? Well, I don't really wanna make a forum about that, lol.

Nice try but nope. Its understood how you came up with that though.

If we could take todays society and go back in time not knowing of elvis , and put him up against any of numerous black artists of the same time, Elvis would be voted out. elvis and co, simply took advantage of a style of music that blacks had already developed, And sold it where blacks were having a hard time being accepted simply do to the times. Let's face it , He could hardly play guitar. YA he was good looking , shook his butt and had a unique voice and was. key word "white" And promoters could sell him like sweet candy to the girls. But king of rock and roll? I dont see it.

I agree with everyone that its not Elvis. I do know that a DJ from Cleveland ,Ohio labled the phrase "Rock & Roll". I to would think that the true King might be a black artist. Really dont know if Motown Records were in buisness before the 60s or not? Myself, I always liked Buddy Holly & Jerry Lee Lewis over Elvis anyway. Will admit though, Elvis did shift R & R to a higher gear, As to say. Always thought he had a great voice. We may never know the true answer, Just opinions. I would think that it might be a record label, instead of one artist only.....Peace.

Rock and Roll was mostly recognized when referring to Elvis Presley, simply because the true meaning of Rock and Roll when that genre was coined was rythmic/funky music that could be classified as "obscene" by those who weren't used to the new styles, such as elvis's "hip gyrations" and whatnot. So yeah, Elvis was definitely king of Rock and Roll, but now, we have Rock & Roll, Rock, Hard Rock, "Classic" Rock, Rockabilly, Electrorock, Glam Rock, Goth Rock, Alternative Rock, Christian Rock, and not to meantion others related as Metal, Death metal, grunge, etc. So who's kings of all those genres? Well, I don't really wanna make a forum about that, lol.

The term rock and roll can be found in really old blues songs from the '10s, '20s, etc. Like someone else in this string said, Elvis was huge because he was white. He played rhythm and blues, a style of music born out of black culture; but the mainstream weren't going to put him in the same category as blacks... so it was called rock and roll. The music was already very sexual, but it was unheard of for a mainstream white musician to perform that way.

Elvis' two records from '56 are amazing early rock and roll albums. But if I had to name anyone as the true king of rock and roll it would be Little Richard.

Johnny Rotten.

The only real rock and roll takes place from the waist down.

Yeah, that's what 'rock and roll' is referring to... But Johnny Rotten? Seriously?

I'VE GOT IT!!!! HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED IT BEFORE. WHEN I TELL YOU YOU ARE GOING TO SLAP YOURSELF FOR MISSING IT. ARE YOU READY? HERE IT IS...
al gore
first he invented rock and roll and then the internet. it all makes sense now.

"They call him the Fat Man. With his easy-rolling boogie-woogie piano and smooth rhythm & blues vocals, Antoine “Fats” Domino put a New Orleans-style spin on what came to be known as rock and roll. A pianist, singer, and songwriter who was born in the Crescent City in 1928, Domino sold more records (65 million) than any Fifties-era rocker except Elvis Presley. Between 1950 and 1963, he cracked the pop Top Forty thirty-seven times and the R&B singles chart fifty-nine times. Domino’s biggest songs are as winning as his broad smile. They include “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill,” “I’m Walkin’,” “Blue Monday” and “Walking to New Orleans.” Domino was born into a musical family and, like such New Orleans piano greats as Professor Longhair and Amos Milburn, began performing for small change in local honky-tonks while working odd jobs to make ends meet. By 1949, Domino had become a fixture at the Hideaway Club. That same year he met Dave Bartholomew, who became his longtime producer, bandleader and collaborator. It proved to be a fortuitous partnership that yielded a bounty of durable, straight-ahead New Orleans rhythm & blues records. While less of an outgoing personality than some of his extroverted rock and roll contemporaries, Domino exhibited staying power based on the solid musicality of his recordings and live performances. In short, he all but dominated the Fifties, insofar as rock and roll was concerned. "

an article from www.rockhall.com

Nope. I'm pretty sure it was al gore.

Yeah, that's what 'rock and roll' is referring to... But Johnny Rotten? Seriously?

Seriously. The Sex Pistols were the greatest rock n roll band that ever existed.