Taylor Rice
History of Rock and Roll
Mixtape Project
February 25, 2016

Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard
Unforgettable by Nat King Cole Miserlou by Dick Dale & the Del Tones
Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & the Comets Surfin’ USA by Beach Boys
Maybellene by Chuck Berry The Times They Are A-Changin by Bob Dylan

Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” (Crossroads) released in 1937. Robert Johnson is a legend, known as a figure in defining the foundation of the birth of Blues. His blues style was also very influential in the shaping of Rock and Roll. Before his young death at the young age of 27, …show more content…

His voice was liquid and soothing, he was one of the single biggest record-sellers of his generation, and his music was a major force for his genre for over thirty years.
Bill Haley and the Comets “Rock Around the Clock” released in 1954. Bill Haley and the Comets fall under the genre of Northern Band Rock n Roll. Their hit song, “Rock Around The Clock” relied heavily on brass instruments in the band (mostly the saxophone). This is a song that nearly everyone knows the words too and sings along to when they hear it. The combination of great vocals that were easy to sing along to and an upbeat swing rhythm and feel, this song was an instant hit. The song was party-type song at the time, but it wasn’t quite as raw and edgy as the party songs of the blues genre in this era. Bill Haley was separated in age from the rest of the rockers, as he was a middle aged man when he began his rise to fame. Unlike other artists, he changed the music that he wrote during performances, including subtle lyric changes, different melodies and rhythms, etc.
Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” released in 1955. “Maybellene” was Chuck Berry’s first single release and his first hit (with both black and white audiences), and the song is considered to be one of the pioneering rock n roll singles. This song was a mix of