History of Rock Music in the UK

Since the British Invasion in the 60s, rock music in the UK has been influencing rock music in America and all over the world. The term "rock music" categorizes many genres and sounds in the UK unlike American rock were the term is specific to a certain type of music.

During the popular rock craze of the 50s, UK rock tried to emulate the sound but it wasn't popular with the youth of the time. UK rock usually refers to the blues-rock that became popular in the 60s. In the UK, rock is also the term that describes pop music that is played frequently on the radio.

When big name American bands such as Bill Haley & His Comets, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly made it big in the United States, those songs began to soar on the UK rock charts. UK bands tried to change up their sound to recreate that sound in England with huge success. The initial attempt of many bands in the UK was to copy American records with teen idols and session musicians. Because everything was being copied, American rock remained dominant in England for years. England did not have its first real rock and roll hit until 1958 when Cliff Richard reached number two on the charts with his song, Move It. From there, other British rockers started to create their own sound, and the popularity of such bands as The Beatles, The Kinks, The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones gained quickly and soon moved to America where they became a huge success as well.