10 Best Rock Songs by Black Musicians and a Little Rock Music History

10 Best Rock Songs by Black Musicians anda Little Rock Music HistoryWith few black rock musicians making waves today, we sometimes forget that some of the best rock songs of all time were by black musicians, and that they were the innovators behind what would become known as rock and roll. This is a look at ten of the best rock songs by black musicians, starting with what are often considered some of the first true rock songs and ending with a man that forever changed the way we view the guitar and one of the few modern black rock stars. So from the originators to the innovators, don't forget rock's roots with the best rock songs by black musicians on this list.'Rocket 88' by Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm (but credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, a band that didn't exist) - It's open for debate over whether or not this 1951 hit is truly one of the first rock songs, after its distinctive faster rhythm and blues sound started to break away from the all-out blues songs that many black musicians were making popular. But whether it's one of the true rock songs on this list or not, it was the start of a few rock partnerships, including that of black musicians with exciting up-tempo rock music and classic cars with rock songs. It created a new distinctive sound with Jackie Brenston's enthusiastic vocals, some swingin' and upbeat piano music, a sax solo, and the first use of fuzz guitar (a type of rough distortion that would be used in may rock songs to come, which came about when the amplifier the band's guitarist was using became damaged). Whether it's truly one of the first rock songs or not, it is one of the most influential, with artists like Little Richard definitely taking a page or two from Ike's playbook (Little Richard even used the piano intro to the song for his 'Good Golly Miss Molly').'Shake, Rattle, and Roll' by Big Joe Turner - This is one of the many rock songs on this list that feels like a blend of R&B, rock, and blues, and Big Joe Turner is one of the many black musicians on this list to have his song covered by a white musician, with the version of 'Shake, Rattle, and Roll' done by Billy Haley & His Comets becoming a much bigger hit. But it's Big Joe's 1954 version of one of the best rock songs of all time by a black musician that really shakes things up and hints at how sex and rock would become an inseperable couple in the future. His risque lyrics ("shake, rattle, and roll" is a euphemism for sexual intercourse) which include lines like "I've been holdin' it in way down underneath; you make me roll my eyes, baby, make me grit my teeth" were way too much for audiences of the 50's, so Bill Haley's version was definitely watered down a lotfor the masses. But with the direction rock took in the 60's and 70's, it's obvious that Big Joe was a man ahead of his time, and will always be known as not just one of the best black musicians of all time, but as a man responsible for one of the best rock songs of all time and an inspiration for many more to come.'Ain't That a Shame' by Fats Domino - 1955 was a big year for black musicians and rock songs, with the genre going multiple different directions and many of rock's greatest legends coming into their own. As early as 1949, Fats Domino was making waves with his up-tempo hit 'The Fat Man', but one of his best songs has to be his 1955 jazzy and bluesy hit, 'Ain't That a Shame'. It has a slower tempo than some of the songs on this list, but as many rock bands have proved (especially Led Zeppelin and Queen), not all rock songs have to be fast to be rock. And like many of the best rock songs by black musicians, it definitely has strong R&B roots, but is another of the many great songs on this list that shows the wonderful variety of rock songs by black artists springing up in the 50's.'Bo Diddley' by 'Bo Diddley' - This is one of the black musicians on this list whose songs definitely feel like real rock, and he can be considered one of the early bad boys of the genre. His up-tempo song that makes sure that you know who he is seamlessly makes the transition from R&B to true rock n' roll with some added African rhythms to make his sound truly unique, and he became one of the first rock musicians to get in trouble on'The Ed Sullivan Show' for his choice of song (The Doors would also infamously get in trouble for their lyrics later on). Apparently he had been requested to sing 'Sixteen Tons' on the show, but sang 'Bo Diddley' instead, angering the host and getting himself banned from future performances there. But this didn't put a damper on his success, and his rebellious act wouldn't be the last in the world of rock.'Tutti Frutti' by Little Richard - And here's another of the black musicians on this list that really knew how to rock the ivories, a legendary rock pianist who added some funk to his rock/R&B music. His spoken drum solo at the beginning of this 1955 song ("A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!") would be a big influence on many artists to come, as they, too, incorporated spoken sounds into their rock music. Apparently the early version of 'Tutti Frutti' was pretty risque, an underground favorite with lyrics refering to gay sex. However, it was cleaned up for mainstream music fans and made a big hit. Unfortunately, Little Richard was one of the many black muscians of the day whose songs were hijacked and turned into hits for white artists, in this instance, Pat Boone, whose watered-down version topped Richard's on the charts. Still, we all know that Little Richard's version is a one-of-a-kind original, and his is the one we all love most today.'The Great Pretender' by The Platters - This is yet another of the great songs by black musicians released in 1955, this one representing the beginning of a new kind ofrock popular in the 50's, doo-wop. This new sound consisted of not just one singer with amazing vocals, but a group harmonizing together. And this is definitely one of the best doo-wop rock songs of all time, with a smooth and soulful sound and lyrics about tryingto get over a lost love, a subject that would be very popular in the genre. It's also another of the rock songs by black musicians that a white rock group would cover later on, but in this case, Freddie Mercury of the rock band Queen's version wouldn't be popular until decades later in 1987. It's definitely one of the most beautiful songs you'll ever hear about lost love, and one that we hear and immediately know is from the 50's.'Johnny B. Goode' by Chuck Berry - This incredibly infectious song from 1958 about a poor boy dreaming of having his name in lights someday may be semi-autobiographical for musician Chuck Berry, who definitely achieved his dream and then some. The opening riff is one of the most recognizable in rock, and audiences of the time probably truly never heard anything like it (something that would be touched upon famously in the 80's movie 'Back to the Future', which reminded audiences about what a game-changer the song was). It's hard to find rock songs that are better, and it's one of the many great rock songs by black musicians on this list that audiences still love today (although it now doesn't get any deserved radio play).'Purple Haze' by Jimi Hendrix - This is just one of the many great rock songs by a man that could be called the greatest black rock musician of all time, and the best guitarist of all time. Jimi Hendrix (who did a popular cover of 'Johnny B. Goode' that was released post-humously) was one of the musical icons of the 60's that represented notjust a shift in the world of rock music, but a whole movement of social change. This 1967 song is supposedly about a dream Hendrix had about walking under the sea, and it's famous for a mondegreen; "'scuse me, while I kiss the sky" was often misheard as "'scuse me, while I kiss this guy", something Hendrix would playful note on stage, actually singing the wrong lyric and even occassionally giving a guy a peck on the cheek. No one has come along to top Hendrix's guitar work, white, black, or otherwise, so he'll forever remain not just one of the most revered black musicians of all time, but an ultimate rock icon responsible for some of the greatest songs in rock history.'The Star-Spangled Banner' by Jimi Hendrix - And in 1969 at Woodstock, Hendrix would play something before 'Purple Haze' that would capture the imagination of generations to come. There had never been anything like his guitar version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner', a surreal performance that truly represented the youth of America's change in thinking. His take on our national anthem has since become one of the most legendary moments in rock and roll history, a performance that is impossible to duplicate.'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz - And here's one of the few modern rock musicians to make it big in a world where white rock musicians have taken over the genre. In 1998, Kravitz showed America that black rock musicians could still make it big with his high-octane hit, one of the most popular songs of the 90's. It was obvious that Kravitz was heavily influenced by Hendrix (especially with his later cover of The Guess Who's song,'American Woman'), and his brand of rock definitely stood out from the rest in the 90's. And so he remains one of the few great modern black rock musicians, with only a handful of others following.Modern black musicians seem to be focusing mostly on R&B and hip-hop, but I've got to point out that there are a few modern black musicians still trying to rock, including Lajon Witherspoon, the lead singer of the band Sevendust. Sevendust's brand of rock is the modern alternative variety, and while they haven't achieved the notoriety of some modern rock bands, they still can bring it hard. Then there's modern band 'Living Colour', a funk metal band most well-known for one of the most popular songs of the late 80's,'Cult of Personality'.Then of course you've got the great black musicians of the past that weren't considered rock artists, but heavily influenced the genre, including Big Mama Thornton, whose blues song 'Hound Dog' Elvis would later hijack and make a hit (Janis Joplin also covered one of her songs); Muddy Waters, who sang a blues song called 'Rock Me' and was one of the first musicians to use the electric guitar; Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who blended an early rock style with gospel music; and Booker T and the MG's, one of the first racially integrated bands.So from the greatest black rock musicians of all time and their best songs to those that were a great influence on the birth of rock and roll, be sure to catch up on your history of black musicians and their influence on rock by listening to the amazing songs on this list.。