Where would classic rock music be without the 1950s? That was the decade when the genre was forming, when it was just beginning to understand the power of what it could do and what it could be. Thankfully, there were artists around at the time who dove into the sounds feverishly and helped to create the music we know and love today.
Here below, we wanted to explore the careers of three in particular. This trio of rockers helped shape and define rock music in its nascent days. Indeed, these are three classic rock songwriters and performers who helped to personify the decade of the 1950s.
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Elvis Presley
When you’re known as The King, you’ve certainly achieved something in your professional field. And while rock and roll music was born from the blues and black musicians, it was Elvis who was the genre’s first real mainstream star. The Southern Boy from Tupelo, Mississippi was charming, handsome, and he knew how to shake his hips as he sang songs like “Jailhouse Rock” and “Don’t Be Cruel”. Without Elvis to promulgate the sounds early on, who knows where rock would be today?
Little Richard
Without Little Richard, there might not be a Beatles, Elton John, Ray Charles, or any number of your favorite performers today. Richard, who is known as the Architect of Rock and Roll, was charismatic, lively, and innovative. He could turn a piano into a party. His dynamic voice helped inspire the sounds of many in his wake, including the former Mop Tops from Liverpool who loved his high-pitched Ooooosss. Richard’s 1956 song “Tutti Frutti” remains essential listening when it comes to rock’s salad days.
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly might be rock and roll’s biggest what if. The Lubbock, Texas-born songwriter and performer created the archetype of a four-piece rock group with drums, bass, guitar, and vocals. And his early hits like “That’ll Be The Day” helped shape rock music. Sadly, Holly died at just 22 years old when he passed away in a plane crash that killed others like Latin rocker Ritchie Valens.
Elvis never had a musical rival. But if Holly had lived, the two of them would have battled for the top of the charts for years. Still, Holly managed to inspire many, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
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