What's the etymology of Rock & Roll? What defines the musical genre, and where did it come from? What was the first rock & roll song? We try to answer these questions and more in this exploration of the roots of rock.

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My music channel -- with my covers of some of these songs and other early rock and roll:    / @rockinpneumoniamark  

Videos mentioned:
Johnny Boker Sea Shanty    • Did Sea Shanties Give Us Rock 'n Roll?  
Gospel    • Good News: Exploring the Roots of Gos...  
12Tone's "12 Bar Blues"    • The World's Most Important Chord Prog...  
Manhattan    • The Scandalous History of the Manhatt...  
Guitar    • Where does the Guitar come from?  
Soul Food    • Soul Food & Early Black Women's Writi...  

Links to the songs mentioned as candidates for the first rock & roll song (and some additional songs):

Playlist:    • The First Rock and Roll Songs?  

My Man Rocks Me (with One Steady Roll)
Trixie Smith (1922) –    • My Daddy Rocks Me  

Rock Me
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1938) –    • Rock Me  

Roll ‘em Pete
Big Joe Turner (1939) –    • Roll 'Em Pete  

Good Rockin’ Tonight
Roy Brown (1947) –    • Good Rockin' Tonight - Original (Mono)  
Wynonie Harris (1948) –    • Good Rockin' Tonight  
Elvis Presley (1954) –    • Good Rockin' Tonight  

Rock Awhile
Goree Carter (1949) –    • Rock Awhile  

Rock the Joint
Jimmy Preston (1949) –    • Rock the Joint  
Bill Haley and his Saddlemen (1952) –    • New Rock The Joint  

The Fat Man
Fats Domino (1949) –    • The Fat Man (Original)  

Rocket 88
Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (1951) –    • Rocket 88  
Bill Haley and his Saddlemen (1951) –    • Rocket '88  

Crazy Man, Crazy
Bill Haley and his Comets (1953) –    • Crazy Man, Crazy  

Shake, Rattle and Roll
Big Joe Turner (1954) –    • Shake, Rattle and Roll  
Bill Haley and his Comets (1954) –    • Shake, Rattle And Roll  

That’s All Right
Big Boy Crudup (1947) –    • That's All Right  
Elvis Presley (1954) –    • Elvis Presley - That's All Right (Off...  

Blue Moon of Kentucky
Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (1947) –    • Blue Moon of Kentucky  
Elvis Presley (1954) –    • Blue Moon of Kentucky  

Tutti Frutti
Little Richard (1955) –    • Tutti Frutti  
Pat Boone (1956) –    • Tutti Frutti  

Maybellene
Chuck Berry (1955) –    • Maybellene  

Other Songs Mentioned:

Ida Red
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys (1939) –    • Ida Red  

Strange Things Happening Every Day
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1944) –    • Strange Things Happening Every Day  

Hound Dog
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (1953) –    • Hound Dog  
Elvis Presley (1956) –    • Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (Official A...  

Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley and his Comets (1954) –    • [We're Gonna] Rock Around The Clock  

Wee Wee Hours
Chuck Berry (1955) –    • Wee Wee Hours  

Ain’t That a Shame
Fats Domino (1955) –    • Ain’t That a Shame  
Pat Boone (1955) –    • Ain't That A Shame  

Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (1956) –    • Why Do Fools Fall In Love  

I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (1956) –    • I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent  

Jailhouse Rock
Elvis Presley (1957) –    • Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock (Offic...  

Johnny B. Goode
Chuck Berry (1958) –    • Johnny B. Goode  

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