In 1954 I learned about a new music form named “rock and roll.” I heard “Rock Around The Clock,” followed by “Shake Rattle and Roll,” recorded by Bill Haley and The Comets. I've always assumed that the term derived from the word “rock”, from the first song's name, and ending with the word “roll” extracted from the other title. For a mainstream treatise of the origin, see Wikipedia's Rock and Roll: Origins of the Phrase Rock and Roll: Origins of the Phrase.
I took scant notice of rock-and-roll until Elvis recorded Hound Dog in 1956, just as we entered John Rogers High School. He followed it with Heartbreak Hotel that January. Until 1956, the airwaves were loaded with the waning sound of the Big Band Era, but more so with ballads from Your Hit Parade. Remember How Much is that Doggy in the Window? Even 1956, and beyond, gave rise to more ballads (e.g.. Que Sera Sera), but they now had to share airtime with rock and roll.
Thus, in my freshman year, rock-and-roll was everywhere. We shortened the name to “rock.” We called aficionados “rockers.” A rocker was said to be “rockin.” Something excellent always “rocked.” Bob Salter of KNEW, 790 AM, worked the AM night shift. He called his audience “Sleep Rockers.” He said they were “rockin' when they should be sleepin'.”
I was only 14-ish, but I previously noticed fads come and go. I wondered when the next big music craze would replace rock-and-roll. I watched for it. Almost immediately, still in 1956, The Banana Boat Song hit KNEW. That's the song that begins with “Day-O!” This song, popularized by Harry Belafonte, preceded other Calypso songs, such as “Let's Go Calypso.” I figured rock-and-roll would disappear, Calypso would reign for a while, and then something else would supplant Calypso. I was wrong ... sort of.
Rock-and-roll kept rollin' along. Calypso pretty much flashed and died. I listened to songs rise on the charts, sink, and disappear. I knew I'd never hear any of them again. Once more, I was dead-wrong.
Today, oldies stations and satellite radio play our rock-and-roll every minute of the day. Seventies, eighties, nineties, and hit stations continue to play something called rock-and-roll. So rock has never died? Well, I claim that it only exists on the oldie format. Later music, called rock music, is something else. I think that rock music has come to mean popular, somewhat fast music that features drums and electric guitars. For example, U2 is a rock band. I like U2, but I cannot equate their music to that of Elvis. My church uses U2 in some services. No way would they use Elvis.
As for Calypso? The Banana Boat Song lives on. Rent the movie, Beetlejuice.
Eddie Mauget