You could see the change coming. It’s the mid-50s, and the charts have long been dominated by “middle of the road” ballads. They speak primarily to middle-class suburbanites who drive DeSotos  (like Mr. C. on Happy Days). Youngsters have more time and money than ever before, which translates to restless and bored. Hey man, they could sure dig that charged, upbeat music that “makes you want to go out and beat somebody up” (–A. Fonzarelli). The Big Beat. Rock ‘n’ Roll!

     By 1954 Alan Freed had parlayed black rhythm & blues into the phenomenon he coined “rock ‘n’ roll” that captivated white teens. By post-Elvis standards it was still increasingly suped-up r&b that had long been the domain of urban blacks, provided at this juncture by such performers as the Drifters, Midnighters, Clovers, Crows, Spaniels, Moonglows, Five Keys and Johnny Ace. I think the first r&b record that jumped out into the realm of all-time rock ‘n’ roll is “Sh-boom” by The Chords. That would soon be followed by the first white rhythm & blues hit, laying the interracial foundation of rock ‘n’ roll: Bill Haley & The Comets’ version of “Shake, Rattle And Roll.”

     But it was in Ol’ ’55 that rock started to roll. It was the year that 45 rpm record sales first surpassed sales of 78s. Fats Domino, who had been around since the 45 was introduced in 1949, broke through with “Ain’t It A Shame,” around the same time Bo Diddley immortalized himself with “Bo Diddley.” Soon the skies would light up with the return of Haley’s Comets, as their overlooked rocker from the year before was featured as the opening theme to the sensationalistic “teen terror” flick The Blackboard Jungle. The timeless “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock” made rock ‘n’ roll a household word; the record’s revolutionary impact on popular culture would be equaled only once by the Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Tailing the Comets’ success were Chuck Berry with “Maybellene,” a foursome of hits that forged the “doo-wop” sub-genre: “Only You” by The Platters, “At My Front Door” by The El Dorados, “When You Dance” by The Turbans and “Speedo” by The Cadillacs; and there was Little Richard with “Tutti Frutti.”

     Late in the year the “new music” received prime time network TV exposure on The Ed Sullivan Show when New York deejay Tommy “Dr. Jive” Smalls emceed a fifteen-minute segment featuring Bo Diddley, the Five Keys and Lavern Baker. The burgeoning rock ‘n’ roll music scene would continue to gain momentum in ’56 with “The Great Pretender” by the Platters, “See You Later Alligator” by Bill Haley, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins and “Church Bells May Ring” by the Willows….and then the King would ascend to the throne with “Heartbreak Hotel” and after that it was glorious chaos. Since the economically prosperous aftermath of World War II the youth of America had adopted their own styles of dress, language and music; they had the first promoter of their own new culture in “Moondog” Freed and now they had a major star to rival Sinatra in Elvis Presley.

     It’s funny how the “sophisticates” of swing/popular standards attacked rock ‘n’ roll as junk music the same way their music had been attacked by the classical snobs. But of course it was that funny money, honey, that was at stake as their exclusive publishing empire ASCAP faced a new threat from BMI, now that BMI was gaining strength from the upstart rock ‘n’ roll.