Who Invented Rock and Roll? | The Breakdown with Dara Starr Tucker 

This is the best, most succinct explanation of the history of Rock and Roll I have ever heard, Dara..loved it. Hat's off to you!👍👍

I’m a upcoming rock player I appreciate you teaching everyone how it’s supposed to be

Thank you for always including subtitles in your videos. Every effort you take, from the great editing to the accessibility measure are very appreciated by me and your other viewers. Love all that you do :)

As a jazz musician this has to be the best summary of the subject that I ever heard! Thank You

Thank you so much for this video! My school puts on a Black History Program every year and I’m a black person who really enjoys rock/alternative music, and I knew that it was created by us. I wanted to Pat homage to and honor that since it’s so important to me. This video is so helpful for my research!

This channel deserves more subscribers! Dara really knows what she's talking about.

THIS THE BEST VIDEO I'VE SEEN ON RU-vid IN A LONG TIME.THANKS FOR ALL THIS INFO.

Fantastic video. Informative, interesting, and important. Thank you so much for making it, and sharing it!

WOW Sis, you did your thing with this. I’ve been studying and collecting this music since the early 2000’s and have been a Louis Jordan fan since the late 80’s. You taught me something because I never heard the term “Fast Western”. You even picked out all the songs I love and would pick like “Rock Awhile” and “Rock the Joint”. This was amazing. Thank you!

im a young punk getting into a lot of rock associated and derived genres and i loved this!! i really like how you line it all out and gave both intellectual(explaining the emphasis on beats two and four) and musical(than playing the clips showing that) examples for a lot of the points you make! im a huge nerd, so if anyone has any recommendations for music education videos like this please throw them at me. i also really like that i didn’t have to unlearn a lot of this and was able to learn with mostly-fresh eyes(unlike a lot of history) about Black music(and how white music owes much of its beauty to Black and other POC music). If you read this, thank you so much! i enjoyed learning from you(the subtitles help a lot).

As a Salvadorian American Metalhead, I appreciate this. Thanks to the African Americans that brought rock n roll to the world

Kudos to a great video, and even more for the considerable amount of research that went in to it! Thank you.

Good video other than Elvis never claimed or would have ever claimed he invented rock n roll. He gave credit to many people that were not white. It’s on record and many videos of him saying so. Not cool to portray him as a someone who would claim to invent rock.

Good, complete, succinct piece! Love them all!🎶👏

You really did an excellent job with this. Very thorough & educational!

I think rock music wouldn't exist without Elmore James and Louis Jordan.

These videos are so well made and well researched its astounding!

Best breakdown on the subject I've seen. Thanks, Dara.

A very well put together documentary of the growth of various musical genres.

I'm an amateur Rock 'n' Roll historian and absolutely loved your video. It was well-documented, well-written, and presented the material respectfully.

I love being educated by you. You missed one genre that many people don’t know about. It’s called Skiffle. African Americans need to learn more about Skiffle. It’s their heritage. 🖤

I loved this video so much! Thanks for sharing your research and knowledge. ❤

Great treatment of this topic. Love it. That Elmore James guitar sound, that's my favorite in blues.

That video of Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing Didn't It Rain gets used a lot but it's from 1964.

Woo! SO happy to see some appreciation for Jimmy Preston.

Thanks for telling these stories about the history of modern music Dara! I think it's amazing just how much of popular music we owe to African American artists everything from, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Funk, Gospel, Disco, Hip Hop, Rap, House and Techno and everything that came from those... There must be something very powerful about the Black American experience good and bad that inspired so much creativity. It's a shame that many of these artist never got the credit but at least they Inspired so many. We would live in a poorer world without their contribution to music...

This is a great outtake on Rock & Roll. I am sharing this my Mass Communication students. I am lecturing on Sound Recording in America.

Rock & Rolls origins are from BLACK musicians... period!

Awesome video! Thank you!

This is amazing info. Thank you so much for digging this up for us all. When I say all, you know who I mean.

This was phenomenal; please keep up the great work! You helped me so much for this final I have to take tomorrow!

This is the best analysis of the birth of rock and roll I have ever seen.

Thank you so much Dara . For breaking down how the Evolution of RocknRoll in such detail & allowing us to hear the music that your speaking about . Thank you for your hard work and detailed information .

Styles of music are not invented. They develop with contributions from various sources.

Holy cow --- your intellect blows me away. I wish I had the historical and musical knowledge and understanding you have regarding how these genres evolved over time to eventually become rock 'n roll. I began casually self-studying this stuff a couple of years ago, but I have a long way to go to get even close to your level of knowledge. I have a few comments/reactions to your video. I'd love to hear any reaction you might have to what I write. First, I just want to mention this --- I watched some video a couple of years ago of Cab Calloway when he was a very young man, and it struck me that he MOVED like Elvis. Just physically --- his posture, the way he walked, surrendered his physical body to the music --- his very specific physical mannerisms. I began to wonder if Elvis might have either studied him, or, passively absorbed his physical style. Second, in the course of this self-study, I just in the last month was exploring some old spirituals, and one of the songs I listened to was a very old recording of the Fisk Jubilee Singers singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". They have a female lead, with the beautiful, high voice. And they sing the song very slowly --- much more slowly than I've ever heard the song played. And with that female lead and the slow tempo --- it just elevates the to a sublime level. Have you heard it? (link at the bottom of my comments). Third, I spent a lot of time studying many of the rhythm and blues songs that Elvis covered early in his career. I compared some of the ones you mention in your "Why Many Black People Don't Like Elvis" video. So, Junior Parker's "Mystery Train", Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog", Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man" (which Elvis recorded in the '60s), and a few others. And I have analyzed and compared Elvis' versions with the original artist's, and I have figured out a basic formula that Elvis consistently applied to each song to remake it in his personal style. He did the following 3 things: (1) he sped up the tempo a lot (2) he sang with legato, whereas the black artist tended to sing more staccato (3) and he either eliminated the syncopated back-beat rhythm that dominated the black artist's version, OR, he kept the syncopation, but toned it down substantially so it almost became subtext, and then layered over it a much stronger, more dominant even rhythm. So that even rhythm dominates the song, and the backbeat becomes just sort of a delicate ornamentation. I'd appreciate any comments, insights, criticisms you have of this analysis. Again, I REALLY appreciate your videos, and I will be subscribing. Thanks very much. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LlrzonAXEW8.html

Lady, thank you so much for your input. You are saying everything I’ve been saying since at least 1976.

Very good exposition. Some of the inferences are tenuous though. While the influence of African American experience on Rock music must not be understated, it almost seems as though the presenter would like to suggest that without African American exposure, music would never have evolved in America?

Doing some research on Rock and Roll and electric sound for a character design course I'm in. this video, with how well is explains the influence of the music through other genres and time, really helped me understand what makes Rock and Roll what it is. Thank you!

Thank you!❤

I teach rock and roll and guitar. This is probably the best rock and roll history video I've ever seen. I DO have to take one issue though. When you first talk about the earliest country and western taking from slave music, that's actually backwards. Slaves started blues and other similar music by listening to Irish and Scottish folk and adding an African rhythm to it, as well as their own feelings. The 1-4-5 stuff came from white folk music. That's where we get the first country. The idea of making it groove, comes from slaves. Otherwise, I think you nailed it better than anyone. And if you think I'm saying that black folks appropriated music first, no. They just made the best of what they had and what they were allowed to be exposed to. White musicians stole way more and still do. Personally, I like American music and that will always be a mish-mash of black and white styles. That's the good stuff.

I think you agree with me that a guy by the name of Bill Haley brought it into mainstream. Louis Jordan is one of the pioneers of early rock and roll. Thanks a lot for your video. Great!! What would be rock and roll without black artists?

Outstanding review and analysis. Western swing is often forgotten in these pieces because it's a branch that comes out of left field and is hard to fit in the narrative. You weave it in perfectly.

Do your research. Hound Dog was written by Lieber and Stoller wrote it. Even Stoller says it wasnt hers. Elvis didnt steal any more than Eminem. Many songs were based off the 12 barre blues, which was a chord progression passed around by blacks in the south. No one knows who wrote it .

This is AMAZING work, Dara! Thank you so very much for pouring time and energy into this teaching. I’m so excited about this and can’t wait to share with others. Hopping over to Instagram now to look for posts of yours I can share right now! 🎉🎉🎉

An hour ago I had an idea "What if I made a video detailing how rock was invented?" I look up if anyone had the same idea and here it is. Done in a quick and coherent ways. The theme that genres are a combination of what came before.

I'll tell you what I like about this video, she said something that a lot of people forget. I was born and raised in Southeastern Kentucky and she's exactly right. Back in those days, you got treated like absolute crap regardless of color unless you were wealthy and good looking and marketable. The same things coal corporations were doing to black and white miners in Kentucky and Virginia, it's the same thing that they were doing to sharecroppers in Mississippi. My family migrated from Ireland and Scotland and a lot of them were coal miners that didn't even get paid real money. It was modern day slavery back in those days for all the poor people regardless of color. Even in today's world, it's not about color it's what you can do for somebody else to make them money.

For me Robert Johnson laid the roots of Rock & Roll. 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤

Thanks I really never knew the history behind that type of music.

Brilliant. And important.

I love it how you phrase it at the end, that rock is the earth child of the black experience. So eloquent and accurate!

Great introduction. It's understandable that he wouldn't merit a mention here, but an interesting figure that connects Louis Jordan with the rock n roll era was his producer, Milt Gabler, who also produced Bill Haley & the Comets' first album, Rock Around the Clock, reorchestrating Tympany Five arrangements and adding a backbeat to turn a western swing aggregation into a rock n roll band.

Elvis Presley would say he was just entertainer not the king . He always be the king of rock and roll! When you hear the king of rock and roll we think of Elvis Presley but the true king of rock and roll is all of them to me little Richard Jerry Lee Lewis chunk berry buddy Holly Haley comet band Dion and we got one queen of rock and roll Tina ! All was the greatest of those era of the 20 century and don't forget Jackie Wilson is one of the king of rock and roll and chubby checker and he is still alive Paul anchor we had manys of the great days . Guess who created the Beatles the kings created the Gods of rock and roll John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr and everything else follow after that. Rock and roll created the Beatles!! Enough said! Thank you very much!! Love you all ! 😂❤❤❤ rock and roll nevers dies !!

Thank you so much for this. You ate.

Thanks for pointing so strongly to Louis Jordan. To me "Saturday Night Fish Fry" is his most rocking (maybe because of the chorus lyric). His music was very light-hearted and fun, another important part of rock. Johnny Otis (no slouch himself) had a great radio show in the 90s that celebrated this birth-of-rock period.

Authoritative breakdown of who created Rock and Roll. And why. Excellent! Excellent production.

Brilliant information! Thank youuuu

Music is magic with the power to heal , unite , inspire , all people. Who was the first to bring joy to humanity ? If we can share the joy of music and share its composers gift I’m happy.

Swapping the shuffle beat for a hard 2-4 backbeat is the thing that got everyone's attention in "Maybellene" and changed music. "Rock Around the Clock" came out the year before, but it didn't get big until it was used as main theme of _Blackboard Jungle;_ and that's because it's a retread of Hank Williams' "Move It on Over" and hardly has drums at all. Retroactively classing Turner's "Shake, Rattle, & Roll" or Willliams' "Move It on Over", or Crudup's "That's All Right Mama" as rock & roll discounts the reality of people at the time hearing "Maybellene" and saying "this is different from what we've been hearing and needs a new name."

YOU ARE ON IT BABY GIRL. I PLAYED WITH TYRONE DAVIS JACKIE WILSON AL GREEN AND THE EMOTIONS AND I HAVE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE THAT LOUIS JORDAN WAS THE REAL CREATOR.

Brilliant Dara!

I will never argue that Chuck Berry is the King of Rock And Roll. He changed the fact that you didn't need a bunch of people with you'

You certainly did your research. I'm very impressed. Personally, I think Goree Carter's "Rock Awhile" is the first rock and roll song. It was released in April 1949, while Jimmy Preston didn't release his song until August. Big Joe Turner's and Louie Jordan's jump blues definitely fathered in the genre, and I'd say their biggest influence was Cab Calloway.

Probably the best accurate, succinct description that I’ve heard so far…yes, Rock’n Roll is just a label.

The very first rock ‘n’ roll song ever was made by Ike turner the song was called rocket 88 in 1951 that was the first rock song.

BLUES HAD A BABY AND IT IS ROCK&ROLL

Dara offers a thoughtful overview of the history of rock & roll and Great Black American music, about as good as the best ones available, and better than most. If you're not going to read several books about the subject and listen to 200+ hours worth of blues, jazz, and early rock & roll, this video is a good 12-min education. Some minor factual errors, but mostly solid, and it comes with an educated Black perspective usually missing in most rock & roll scholarship. Good pacing and production values.

Thank you for this awesome and informative video-much appreciated!

You're neglecting the influence of "hillbilly" artists like Hank Williams, especially numbers like "Move It On Over."

First Rock’n’roll, Stephen Foster in the 1840s, you also neglected the influence of Hank Williams to the genre

young lady you did a great job and i know that took a lot of time so i wil say thanks because it opened my eyes to the different people that contributed to rock and roll. i grew up in the 50's and Elvis fan also Chuck Berry but my favorite is Fats Domino i agree with Elvis i always felt Fats was the king of rock and roll mainly his songs were great to dance to and i was descent dancer. Also regarding Elvis you actually did a lot of homework on him and did a great job of squashing a lot of those rumors regarding racism that unfortunately a lot of people still believe. anyways keep up the great work

For me it`s not about who invented what, but that a generation of artists regardless of color who were responsible for taking risks in laying the foundations of popular music, will never get the credit they deserve without people like yourself taking the time to research and articulate accurately a timeline when Rock & Roll was being formulated. Louis Jordon, Big Joe Turner, Sister Rosetta Thorpe and Jimmy Preston are all corner stones in the world of Rock & Roll along with many others no doubt. The question is that without an Elvis, Jerry Lee, Chuck, Little Richard and so on who brought and popularized the genre world wide would we be even having a discussion like this. Excellent video well done.

Despite the racist bias it’s a good explanation. Congrats!

If you listen to the intro of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, that is rock and roll.

Great video. Love.

Brilliant!

WELL done

Thank you so much for making this! It’s fucking incredible.

I am a South African 🇿🇦 and 27 years old but I have heard most of these classics. 😂 it’s insane.

Just found this video. Wow, it's extremely well done and thoughtful; I learned a lot. (About a topic that is very difficult to define and tends to attract gatekeepers, no less.) Thanks for the hard work of actually defining the relevant genres, digging up the audio clips, and comparing them. Also, I love that fact that you don't cop out on the question of where rock & roll can really be considered to have started. You suggest an artist and then a song, and back that up with musical evidence, yet still allow viewers to make their own judgments. Well done!!

Excellent job! Would probably take a whole series to cover the topic, love how you gave mention to stride pianno and boogie woogie as setting the stage. In my opinion the true architects of r&r would have been BB King, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ike Turner review , Howlin Wolf & Bo Diddley, Elvis and Bill were ambasadors.First rock band and sound was actually the underated Granville Stix Mcgee imho, really great exposition, kudos

Louie Jordan is as good as anyone. But there is no real "1 person" that started Rock and roll. It's really an amalgam, but a mostly Black amalgam.

I know where this is going, but honestly I prefer to see Rock n Roll as a unifying art form of a multiplicity of races. It really shows the humanity of it. I just heard Aretha sing Satisfaction by the Stones and it just shows how we’re all one and connected.

We’ll done, concise, and accurate!! Thank you!!

I just Googled "Which musical genres did black people create?" and I got this list: Genres include spiritual, gospel, rumba, blues, bomba, country, rock and roll, rock, jazz, pop, salsa, R&B, samba, calypso, soca, soul, disco, kwaito, funk, ska, reggae, dub reggae, house, Detroit techno, amapiano, hip hop, pop, gqom, afrobeat, bluegrass, and others. WHAT???!!! ❤

Nobody has mentioned "Big Joe Turner" truly a blues king and one of the fathers of early rock.

Great video! Thanks for making this. Boogie woogie (piano) is my favourite one!

Buddy Jones 1939 “Rockin’ Rollin’ Mama” - bluegrass singer and yes he was white.

Great video while having info to back it up. History cannot be ignored

Thank you for this informative video. I remember having a similar revelation when I was a teenager who grew up watching older "classic" movies and noticed a steady progression from big band to swing to boogie woogie. Rock-n-roll as a new genre was already mentioned in a few films from the late 1940's, not the 1950's as I had previously assumed. I think music had a lot to do with cultural integration in the United States and later Europe (where I happen to be living since 2022 thanks to my Hungarian wife : )

Great documentary! TY!

This is great. Thank you very much!

Thank you for an informative, succinct and well delivered , constructed presentation on the subject of Rock and Roll. As an Englishman I would add that for me the subtitles were not necessary.

Lennon said,"Back b4 Elvis there was nothing" But there wldnt no Elvis Without all that Nothing😢

No one can strictly define what R&R is which is why its so difficult to define who was the first.

Appreciate it, tbh, never hear of Luis jordan prior to this video! blessings! much respect!

Let's honor the passionate talent and intrepid courage of Tina Turner, who passed May 24, 2023. And as part of our honor for her, let's put Tina, and Ike Turner, and the iconic "first ever Rock recording", Rocket 88 in their true context. Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings' "Rocket 88" is truly iconic. A declaration of teen freedom and especially of African American freedom, empowered by the hot car, the torn amp speaker, and Sam Phillips' manic genius, "Rocket 88" can be revered as "the first rock recording" by everyone forever. And just as important is our reverence for the long list of Rock ' Roll musicians who preceded The Rhythm Kings: Ruth Brown, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Maybelle (Mabel Smith), Roy Brown, Little Miss Sharecropper (LaVern Baker), Amos Milburn, Wynonie Harris, Ivory Joe Hunter, Little Esther, Johnny Otis (drums on Hound Dog! and The Johnny Otis Show KTLA TV), Big Joe Turner, Wild Bill Moore, Billy Wright (mentor to Little Richard), Earl Bostic, Percy Mayfield, Gatemouth Brown, Doc Pomus. And so many more, most of 'em workin' The Chitlin' Circuit between the Depression's destruction of Big Bands and the cross-over of Jump Blues & Rock to the white teen market... enter Ike and Tina Turner... Check this out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2_6uwMIoG6g.html -Doug Pratt, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Thank you for this educational video!

Thank you for educating me😃 I knew a bit of this but nowhere near as much as you

Black musicians in the 30s: "life is tough, it was a long hard day working the fields, let me go to church pray for good fortune, get drunk, and maybe even get laid." Robert Johnson: "i got hell hounds on my trail and the devil at my door!" As a young person who loves the delta blues this video was eye opening and informative seeing the thru line of all these genres. Amazing job!

This was outstanding