Between the 1950s and the 1970s, the American music landscape went through a period of intense and unmatched creativity, cultural impact, and genre-defining change. Innovation was at a peak during this period, and musicians came from all over the world to be part of the music scene and gain inspiration from the unmatched growth and range. For these reasons, the music from this era remains well-known and fondly recognized today as it set the stage for all that was to come after.

Gospel, country, and rhythm and blues (R&B) music created the foundation for rock and roll in the 1950s. Musicians like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley sparked a cultural revolution by combining pop with African American musical traditions. Folk and protest music became widely popular in the 1960s as musicians like Bob Dylan and Sam Cooke helped make music one of the primary platforms through which political discourse and protest occurred. The Beatles and Rolling Stones led the British Invasion, which further changed the American soundscape by fusing pop with blues roots music.

The soul, jazz, and blues genres dramatically influenced the sound and vibrant, dynamic energy of rock music in this era.