Rock-n-roll gained popularity in the early to mid 1950s due, in large part, to the development of the electric guitar, jukeboxes, television, and the 45 rpm record. Key figures such as Alan Freed, Sam Phillips, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and others took advantage of this technology, captivating musicians and audiences alike with this new sound.

Sam Phillips's record label, Sun Records, had a major impact on the rise of rock-n-roll by signing Elvis Presley and assembling what would later be known as the Million Dollar Quartet, featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Presley himself. In 1954, Presley's “That's Alright Mama” scored well with audiences and 1956's “Heartbreak Hotel” became a number-one hit. Presley would become one of rock's most celebrated entertainers. He was eventually dubbed “the King of Rock-n-Roll.”

In the 1950s, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis quickly became the kings of rock piano. These stylists were all influenced by boogie-woogie and earlier piano blues traditions. However, they all had different musical upbringings, which accounts for their signature sounds. For example, Fats Domino was influenced by stride stylists and Dixieland jazz, Little Richard was enamored of gospel, and Jerry Lee Lewis drew heavily from country and western. Fats Domino was also fun-loving on stage. Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were animated, even raucous, performers.

In 1964, the Beatles would land on American shores and leave an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of popular culture. Their influence is still powerful today. Even Elvis Presley's contributions would be overshadowed by the Fab Four. In the early days, the Beatles were inspired by 1950s rock-n-roll, specifically by the work of Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers, and Presley himself.

The Beatles would eventually dominate the 1960s with revolutionary albums such as Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. Even though they continued to find insight in the works of Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys, it was the Beatles who were clearly influencing others. Without a doubt, Beatlemania changed the course of pop history and the Fab Four have become something of an institution.