Rock 'n' Roll America

In mid-1950s America, out of the Deep South came a rhythm-driven fusion of blues, boogie woogie and vocal harmony played by young black pioneers.

Rock 'n' roll took off in 1955, and the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis scandalised America with their gyrations, leading to Pat Boone's cleaned-up version.

In the years bookended by Buddy Holly's death in 1959 and The Beatles landing at JFK in 1964, rock 'n' roll calmed down, went uptown and got spun into teen pop.