Music in the 1950s was dominated by the birth of rock and roll. Rock and roll was a powerful new form of music that combined elements of rhythm and blues (R&B), pop, blues, and hillbilly music to create a sound that truly shook America. Musician Ray Charles (1930–) described the music this way: "When they get a couple of guitars together with a backbeat, that's rock and roll." Rock and roll was raw, powerful, and compelling; it drew young people on to dance floors and into record stores in a way that no music had done before.

The undisputed king of rock and roll in the 1950s was Elvis Presley (1935–1977). Presley's hip-shaking stage performances made teenage girls swoon. Other rock stars of the day included Fats Domino (1928–), Chuck Berry (1926–), Little Richard (1932–), Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–), Buddy Holly (1936–1959), and Johnny Ray (1927–1990).

Rock and roll was a...