<Ul> <Li> Beat music </Li> <Li> blues rock </Li> </Ul> <P> British rock and roll, or sometimes British rock' n' roll, is a style of popular music based on American rock and roll, which emerged in the late 1950s and was popular until the arrival of beat music in 1962 . It has generally been considered inferior to the American version of the genre, and made little international or lasting impact . However, it was important in establishing British youth and popular music culture and was a key factor in subsequent developments that led to the British Invasion of the mid-1960s . Since the 1960s, some stars of the genre, most notably Cliff Richard, have managed to sustain successful careers and there have been periodic revivals of this form of music . </P> <P> In the 1950s, Britain was well placed to receive American rock and roll music and culture . It shared a common language, had been exposed to American culture through the stationing of American troops in the country, and, although not enjoying the same economic prosperity as the US, had many similar social developments, not least of which was the emergence of distinct youth leisure activities and sub-cultures . This was most evident in the rise of the Teddy Boys among working - class youths in London from about 1953, who adopted a version of the Edwardian styles of their grandfathers' generation . British audiences were accustomed to American popular music and British musicians had already been influenced by American musical styles, particularly in trad jazz, which also exposed some to the precursors of rock and roll, including boogie - woogie and the blues . From this emerged the skiffle craze in 1955, led by Lonnie Donegan, whose version of "Rock Island Line" reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart . Skiffle produced an Anglicised and largely amateur form of American folk song, chiefly notable for inspiring many individuals to take up music . These included many of the subsequent generation of rock and roll, folk, R&B and beat performers, among them John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who first performed together in the Quarrymen skiffle group in 1957 . </P> <P> At the same time, British audiences were beginning to encounter American rock and roll . For many, this was initially through American films, including Blackboard Jungle (1955) and Rock Around the Clock (1955). Both films contained the Bill Haley & His Comets hit "Rock Around the Clock" and helped it to top the UK chart in 1955 and again in 1956 . It also set off a moral panic as young cinema goers ripped up seats to dance, which helped identify rock and roll with delinquency . This led to it being almost banned by TV and radio stations, making it something of an underground youth movement, which was widely adopted by the Teddy Boy sub-culture . In the 1950s, radio in the UK was almost exclusively in the hands of the BBC . Popular music was only played on the Light Programme, and the playing of records was heavily restricted by "needle time" arrangements . Nevertheless, American rock and roll acts became a major force in the UK chart . Elvis Presley reached number 2 in the UK chart with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956 and had nine more singles in the Top 30 that year . His first number 1 was "All Shook Up" in 1957 and there would be more chart - toppers for him and for Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Jerry Lee Lewis in the next two years . </P>

When did rock and roll start in britain