ARTIST

Elvis Presley

Although he may not have invented rock 'n' roll in the purest sense of the term--though the truth is he did begin recording his Sun singles nearly a year before Chuck Berry recorded "Maybelline" for Chess Records in Chicago--there is no question that rock 'n' roll would have been a totally different concept without Elvis Presley. What he did invent was the style, the themes, and the naturally rebellious spirit that became central to the form--and via Presley, the world saw the birth of the baby-boomer youth culture and subsequent counterculture. What's more, much has been made of Elvis blending black music (gospel, blues, R&B) with Country & Western forms. The element that historians sometimes forget to mention, however, is the pop spirit he blended into the...
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