Who is the Father of Rock and Roll?

Rock and roll has been the most influential genre of music in the past half century. It has changed society in many ways and developed a following that not many other types of music can claim. But who was the one who created rock and roll? Sure we can say that no one person should be thanked for the creation of it, since musical styles are usually created by taking bits and pieces of other genres. For instance, rock has evolved from mainly blues, folk, jazz, and country. There still must be a single person who we can thank for modern rock and roll. When considering this, two names come to mind: Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. Presley surfaced in the mid 1950’s when he sang advanced forms of blues and country. Many would consider his work the blue prints of rock and roll music. He sang in a deep, raspy voice and backed it up with dance moves that had never been seen before. Presley was an entertainer at heart; he acted in movies and cared greatly about putting on a show for the audience at his live performances. Something that Elvis brought to rock and roll that no other performer has is the attitude. His music and dancing brought rebelliousness to the genre at a time when teenagers were beginning to claim independence from their parents across the nation. Like Presley, Chuck Berry also appealed greatly to the youth of the nation in the 1950’s. He sang about struggles in the classroom and liberation from the tyranny of authority. Berry’s music was a combination of western, country, and blues that emphasized the guitar. As a black musician, Berry had strong ties to blues roots and brought that with him to the rock and roll genre. Even though both men have outstanding credentials to be named the father of rock and roll, there can only be one of them.

And the winner is…

Elvis Presley is the father of rock and roll. Although Chuck Berry had strong roots in the blues like Presley, his form of rock and roll can be seen more in country music. Presley epitomized the rebellious attitude that would become the backbone of rock and roll music. Elvis is the predecessor to all of the rock music that came after him. When looking at bands like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, one can see traces of Elvis’ roots in the blues and pop.