rock and roll music began as a melting of the rhythm and blues and country western genres of the 1940s - the beat of rock and roll music comes mainly from a rhythm and blues boogie beat.

the history of rock and roll can be traced back to the rhythm and blues, soul, and jazz era of 1940s and 1950s black america, first originating as a blend of these african-american traditions, that also included gospel and western swing and country music - the difference is made by the addition of an accented backbeat, which is one of the essential elements of rock and roll music.