rock music

rock music, type of music originating in the United States in the mid-1950s and increasingly popular throughout much of the world.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Late 1970s to the Present—Punk Rock, the Music Video, and Middle-aged Rockers
• Rock Comes of Age
• Protest Songs and the Drug Culture
• Folk Rock
• The Late 1950s and Early 60s—Elvis, Motown, and the British Invasion
• The 1950s—Bill Haley and Rock 'n' Roll
• Origins of Rock
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2025, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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