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Rock 'n Roll Timeline
The
Fifties | The Sixties | The Seventies | The
Eighties | The Nineties
 | 1951 - "Rocket
88," considered the first Rock record, is
released. |
| 1952 - Little
Richard's first records are released. |
| 1953 - Elvis Presley
makes his first (private) recordings. |
| 1954 - Ray Charles
forms his own band. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 1957 - Chuck Berry
releases the hits "School Day" and
"Rock And Roll Music" |
| 1958 - Elvis is
drafted into the U.S. Army |
| 1959 - Buddy Holly
is killed in a plane crash. |
| 1960 - Elvis Presley
appears on The Ed Sullivan Show following his
Army stint. |
| 1961 - Big soul hits
for groups like The Shirelles, The Marvelettes.
Dion splits from The Belmonts. |
| 1962 - The Supremes
have their first record released by Motown. The
Twist takes off. |
| 1963 - Surf music
rules the airwaves. |
| 1964 - The Beatles
hit America leading the British Invasion. |
| 1965 - Bob Dylan
plugs in at the Newport Folk Festival spawning
Folk-Rock. |
| 1966 - The Monkees
TV series begins. The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds
album arrives. |
| 1967 - Monterey Pop
Festival begins the open air Rock festival
concept. The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper is unleashed.
Cream issues their first two albums. |
| 1968 - Frank Zappa
& The Mothers of Invention release We're Only
In It For The Money. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 1971 - Deaths of Jim
Morrison (The Doors) and Duane Allman (Allman
Bros. Band). Songwriter Carole King releases her
Tapesty album. |
| 1972 - Smokey
Robinson leaves The Miracles to go solo. |
| 1973 - Led
Zeppelin's tour is a record breaker. Pink Floyd
release Dark Side Of The Moon. |
| 1974 - Bob Dylan
& The Band tour together. |
| 1975 - Rod Stewart
officially quits The Faces. Bruce Springsteen
releases Born To Run. |
| 1976 - Stevie
Wonder's album release Songs In The Key Of Life
would win five Grammy awards. Frampton Comes
Alive is released. |
| 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. |
| 1978 - Van Halen
release their first album. |
| 1979 - The Who
release two movies, go on tour, and eleven fans
are trampled to death at their Cincinnati
concert. |
| 1980 - John Lennon
is murdered in front of his New York apartment. |
| 1981 - Paul
McCartney's Wings disbands after over 20 hits. |
| 1982 - The Eagles
disband until hell freezes over. Michael
Jackson's Thriller album is released late in the
year. |
| 1983 - David Bowie's
"Let's Dance" hits Number One with
Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar. |
| 1984 - Jackie Wilson
succumbs to a long illness. |
| 1985 - "We Are
The World" is recorded by 46 U.S. artists in
support of suffering people in the USA and
Africa. |
| 1986 - The Rolling
Stones are awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. |
| 1987 - Billy Joel
tours and records an album in Russia. |
| 1988 - Whitney
Houston earns her seventh consecutive Number One
single. Superstar ensemble The Traveling Wilburys
release an album, just before Roy Orbison's
passing. |
| 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. |
| 1990 - Curtis
Mayfield (The Impressions) is paralyzed preparing
for a stage concert. Stevie Ray Vaughan is killed
in a helicopter crash. |
| 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. |
| 1992 - Seattle
becomes the core of Grunge Rock with groups like
Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Prince changes his name. |
| 1993 - U2 finishes
up a two year Zoo/Zooropa '93 world tour. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 1996 - Mariah Carey
and Boyz II Men team up for "One Sweet
Day," which tops the charts for an
unprecedented 16 consecutive weeks. |
| 1997
-Lillith Tour spotlights female headliners. |
| 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. |
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