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Rock music is a group of related music styles that have dominated Western popular music since the mid-1950s. Rock music began in the United States, but has been influenced and been shaped by many different cultures.
During the 1950s, the term "rock and roll" was actually a synonym for black rhythm and blues music. Rock and roll was first released by small, independent record companies and promoted by radio disc jockeys like Alan Freed, who used the term rock 'n' roll to help attract white audiences unfamiliar with black R&B. ndeed, the appeal of rock and roll to white middle-class teenagers was immediate and caught the major record companies by surprise. The most successful rock-and-roll artists wrote and performed songs about love, sexuality, identity crises, personal freedom, and other issues that were of particular interest to teenagers.
The term rock is often used to describe music after 1959 predominantly influenced by white musicians. Other terms used include rock and roll (also called rock'n'roll), the earliest incarnation of the genre, and rhythm and blues (R&B), influenced mainly by black American musicians. Each of these major genres encompasses several sub-genres, such as heavy metal, punk, alternative, and grunge.
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