The History of Rock
Rock Timeline
The 50's
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1951 - "Rocket 88," considered the first Rock record, is released. |
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1952 - Little Richard's first records are released. |
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1953 - Elvis Presley makes his first (private) recordings. |
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1954 - Ray Charles forms his own band. |
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1955 - The movie Blackboard Jungle is released featuring Bill Haley & The Comets' "Rock Around The Clock." RCA signs Elvis Presley. The Everly Bros. make their first studio recordings. |
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1956 - Elvis' first film, Love Me Tender. An impromptu recording session at Sun Studios for Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, the million dollar quartet. |
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1957 - Chuck Berry releases the hits "School Day" and "Rock And Roll Music" |
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1958 - Elvis is drafted into the U.S. Army |
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1959 - Buddy Holly is killed in a plane crash. |
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1960 - Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show following his Army stint. |
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1961 - Big soul hits for groups like The Shirelles, The Marvelettes. Dion splits from The Belmonts. |
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1962 - The Supremes have their first record released by Motown. The Twist takes off. |
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1963 - Surf music rules the airwaves. |
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1964 - The Beatles hit America leading the British Invasion. |
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1965 - Bob Dylan plugs in at the Newport Folk Festival spawning Folk-Rock. |
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1966 - The Monkees TV series begins. The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album arrives. |
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1967 - Monterey Pop Festival begins the open air Rock festival concept. The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper is unleashed. Cream issues their first two albums. |
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1968 - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention release We're Only In It For The Money. |
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1969 - Woodstock Music & Arts Festival draws half a million fans to Max Yasgar's farm in New York. The Who's rock opera Tommy is introduced. |
The 70's
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1970 - Deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin within a month of each other. The Grateful Dead release both Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. The Beatles break up. |
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1971 - Deaths of Jim Morrison (The Doors) and Duane Allman (Allman Bros. Band). Songwriter Carole King releases her Tapesty album. |
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1972 - Smokey Robinson leaves The Miracles to go solo. |
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1973 - Led Zeppelin's tour is a record breaker. Pink Floyd release Dark Side Of The Moon. |
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1974 - Bob Dylan & The Band tour together. |
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1975 - Rod Stewart officially quits The Faces. Bruce Springsteen releases Born To Run. |
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1976 - Stevie Wonder's album release Songs In The Key Of Life would win five Grammy awards. Frampton Comes Alive is released. |
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1977 - The Disco influence is felt as Saturday Night Fever becomes a best selling album. Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell is released. Elvis Presley dies. |
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1978 - Van Halen release their first album. |
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1979 - The Who release two movies, go on tour, and eleven fans are trampled to death at their Cincinnati concert. |
The 80's
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1980 - John Lennon is murdered in front of his New York apartment. |
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1981 - Paul McCartney's Wings disbands after over 20 hits. |
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1982 - The Eagles disband until hell freezes over. Michael Jackson's Thriller album is released late in the year. |
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1983 - David Bowie's "Let's Dance" hits Number One with Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar. |
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1984 - Jackie Wilson succumbs to a long illness. |
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1985 - "We Are The World" is recorded by 46 U.S. artists in support of suffering people in the USA and Africa. |
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1986 - The Rolling Stones are awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. |
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1987 - Billy Joel tours and records an album in Russia. |
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1988 - Whitney Houston earns her seventh consecutive Number One single. Superstar ensemble The Traveling Wilburys release an album, just before Roy Orbison's passing. |
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1989 - Milli Vanilli wins 1989 Best New Artist Grammy, only to have the award taken back when it is revealed that they did not sing on their own debut album. |
The 90's
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1990 - Curtis Mayfield (The Impressions) is paralyzed preparing for a stage concert. Stevie Ray Vaughan is killed in a helicopter crash. |
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1991- Cardinal O'Connor asks The Pope to excommunicate Madonna. Guns N' Roses release Use Your Illusion I and II. Queen's Freddy Mercury dies from complications related to AIDS. |
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1992 - Seattle becomes the core of Grunge Rock with groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Prince changes his name. |
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1993 - U2 finishes up a two year Zoo/Zooropa '93 world tour. |
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1994 - Kurt Cobain's death is shared by a new generation of rock fans. Sheryl Crow flies with her Tuesday Night Music Club, and a tour opening for the reunited Eagles. Hootie & The Blowfish debut Cracked Rear View Mirror. |
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1995 - The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum opens in Cleveland. Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill is a multi-million seller. Neil Young and Pearl Jam perform and record together. |
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1996 - Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men team up for "One Sweet Day," which tops the charts for an unprecedented 16 consecutive weeks. |
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1997 -Lillith Tour spotlights female headliners. |
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1998 - "Ginger Spice" Geri Halliwell exits the popular Spice Girls. The Rolling Stones give concerts in Russia, followed shortly by Ringo Starr's Fourth All-Starr Band. |