Welcome to the website for The Emergence of Rock and Roll !

Rock and roll music evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and 1950s, as a combination of blues, country, jazz, and gospel music emerged into a new musical genre. The music intertwined with the social, political, and economic changes reshaping America and contributed to the rise of the youth culture that remains a potent cultural force today. A comprehensive understanding of post-World War II U.S. history would be incomplete without knowledge of this cultural phenomenon and its widespread impact.

In this short book, bolstered by primary sources, Mitchell K. Hall explores the change in musical style represented by rock and roll, changes in technology and business practices, regional and racial implications of this new music, and its global influences.

The Emergence of Rock and Roll explains the huge influence that one cultural moment can have in the history of a nation.

This companion website provides additional resources to support the book, including primary documents, an image gallery, a timeline, and links to online resources.