What was the first rock and roll song?

 Rock and roll is a genre of music that started in the 1950s. The first rock and roll song is all over the place — different people will give you different answers. Some people use this question as a way to discuss what rock and roll actually is, while others just want to argue about it with their friends. Here are some possible candidates for "first" or "best," along with some arguments for why they might not be right:

What is rock and roll?

Rock and roll is a genre of music that was developed in the 1940s. It combines rhythm and blues, country music and gospel music, which are all American musical styles. Rock and roll was influenced by jazz, a type of music from New Orleans that also originated in the late 19th century.

Rock and roll began as an offshoot from rhythm and blues (R&B), a style of black popular music created by African Americans in the mid-1940s. The first rock 'n' roll records were released between 1949-50 on small record labels owned or distributed by local radio stations. They featured performers such as Chuck Berry singing upbeat tunes about cars, teenage love affairs and getting good grades at school!

What about the blues?

Blues is a style of music and singing, but it's also a way of playing guitar and harmonica, which are two major instruments in rock.

So what exactly is the blues? The simplest explanation is that it's a combination of African-American folk music with European classical and folk influences.

Was "Rocket 88" the first rock and roll song?

"Rocket 88" was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1948. It was the first song to use the word "rock" in its title. The record label was Chess Records, which later became famous for recording artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.

The song was credited to a band called Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, but it's believed that Ike Turner played piano on the track (he also played guitar). In fact, Ike did most of the work on this record—he wrote it and produced it; he even used his own name as producer instead of giving credit to Brenston or any other musicians who might have helped him make it happen (remember: no unions!).

Regardless of who did what exactly when they made "Rocket 88," we can all agree that this is an awesome way to start off our list:

What about "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"?

“Shake Rattle and Roll” was first recorded in 1954 by Bill Haley and the Comets. The song, written by Big Joe Turner, has been covered many times since then. It has also been used in several movies including “Blue Hawaii” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

Is there a better candidate for "first rock song"?

It's hard to say exactly when the first rock song was released, but there are many candidates. The term "rock and roll" is an umbrella term that refers to many styles of music. It wasn't until after 1950 that the term "rock and roll" took on its current meaning, so it's not useful to use this phrase as a way of saying "this is the first rock song."

The first chart-topping rock and roll song.

So what was the first rock and roll song?

The answer depends on how you define rock and roll. Some say that it began with blues, while others claim that it's more of a style than a genre.

Officially, it's hard to say when the first rock and roll song was released.

So, how can we answer the question of what was the first rock and roll song? The problem is that there's never been a clear definition of what rock and roll actually is. On one hand, some people think it's a genre of music that emerged from blues and country in the 1950s and then eventually merged with R&B to create soul, funk and disco. Others believe it's all about style rather than genre: certain instruments like electric guitars or drum sets are essential to the sound; but beyond that you could mix together any influences from world music or punk rock without breaking any rules (or making anyone "un-rock-and-roll").

In either case—genre or style—it's hard to pin down an objective answer because there aren't really any standards for who gets to decide which songs count as part of the canon (the larger body of work). Everyone has their own opinion on this matter: here are some examples from various sources across history:

Conclusion

So, when is the first rock and roll song? It’s hard to say. There are some great candidates that could have been the first, such as "Rocket 88" or "Shake, Rattle and Roll". But it really depends on what you mean by rock and roll and who you consider part of this movement. So if we had to pick one song out of all these contenders, I think it would be Chuck Berry's "Maybellene", because it was released in 1955—right at the beginning of rock music's explosion onto the scene!