Time Line of the Years 1954-1957

1954

1. Boom of Doo Wop
2. Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" is the first rock song used in a movie soundtrack
3. The record companies switch from 78 RPMs to 45 RPMs
4. Japanese electronic company TTK (later Sony) introduces the world's first transistor radio
5. Ray Charles forms his band
6. In 1954, Big Joe Turner recorded the original version of the 1950s hit, Shake, Rattle and Roll.
7. Johnny Cash forms the Tennessee Two with Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant,

1955

1. Chuck Berry cuts his first rock and roll records, the first ones to have the guitar as the main
instrument, and invents the descending pentatonic double-stops (the essence of rock guitar)
2. Bo Diddley invents the "hambone" rhythm
3. The Chordettes and the Chantels are the first girl-groups
4. Ray Charles creates "soul" music with "I Got A Woman," a secular adaptation of an old
gospel
5. Ace Records is formed by Johnny Vincent in New Orleans, specializing in black music
6. The Blackboard Jungle is released featuring Bill Haley and His Comets "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock"
7. RCA signs Elvis Presley
8. The Everly Brothers make their first studio recordings
9. Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Ball" draws huge, half-white audience
10. Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes"
11. Sales of 45 rpm records finally outsold 78s.

1956

1. Colonel Tom Parker signed on as Elvis Presley’s manager
2. Heartbreak Hotel starts Presley-mania
3. Presley's first film, Love Me Tender
4. The rock 'n' roll music of white rockers is called "rockabilly" (rock + hillbilly)
5. Screamin Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You" introduces voodoo into rock'n'roll
6. Wanda Jackson is the "Queen of Rockabilly"
7. The popularity of rock and roll causes the record industry to boom and allows independent
labels to flourish
8. In impromptu recording session occurs at Sun Studios with the million dollar quartet consisting of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash
9. Elektra pioneers the "compilation" record, containing songs by different musicians
10. Buddy Holly had his first official recording session in 1956. It was held in Nashville at producer
Owen Bradley’s, Barn Studio.
11. Brenda Lee signs a recording contract at the age of 11, after five years of singing professionally
12. Gene Vincent made his first appearance on national TV by performing on The Perry Como Show
13. American Bandstand first aired on nationwide TV

1957

1. Chuck Berry releases "School Day" and "Rock and Roll Music"
2. Golden Age of the teen-idols
3. Link Wray's Rumble invents the "fuzz-tone" guitar sound
4. Buddy Holly recorded, That’ll Be the Day, at a Norman Petty's New Mexico studio.
5. Billboard begins the Hot 100 singles chart
6. Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke made their first appearances on the same The Ed Sullivan Show