The greater the scale of a phenomenon, the harder it is to trace where it originated. This is also true of rock 'n' roll. However, fans of this genre have their own legitimate holiday. World Rock 'n' Roll Day is celebrated annually on April 13, although the event to which it is timed occurred a day earlier – on April 12, 1954. On this day, American musician Bill Haley, who is considered one of the pioneers of rock, recorded the single ‘Rock Around The Clock’. The song was a colossal success and was one of the first compositions in a new genre, which very soon won the hearts of music lovers all over the world. Rock and roll for many people is not just music, but something more. It is a way of life, a way of thinking.

At first, rock ‘n’ roll had no name; many Americans did not even want to accept it, considering it a kind of black rhythm and blues. The term rock ‘n’ roll was put into practice by the popular Cleveland DJ Alan Freed. The word comes from the seafarers' vocabulary: rock – to rock and roll – to roll over. This was the name given to the movements of a boat steered out to sea. Later the phrase changed meanings more than once, until it came in handy for a new musical style.

Spectacular and diverse juke-boxes are the proven predictor of the rock and roll era. In the 1940-1960s those items could be found in almost every American bar, restaurant or pub. With the help of buttons on the control panel, a visitor chose his favourite song, which was played by the slot machine, it was only necessary to drop a coin into a special hole. Juke-boxes are considered a significant component of the 20^th century musical culture.

As early as 1927, the National Automatic Music Co (later AMI) introduced the first juke-box, which started operating when a coin was dropped into the coin selector. The device of selecting a metal disk to play a melody, originally used in mechanical pianos, was successfully adapted to play vinyl records. With the improvement of recording quality and rapid development of electronics, which allowed amplify the sound, the demand for juke-boxes was constantly growing, naturally giving birth to the increasing supply. By the end of the 40s, up to 3/4 of all records produced in America appeared in juke-boxes. As soon as a new product appeared, it was immediately in the juke-boxes that were considered a special sign of the rock 'n' roll era. These machines were incredibly colourful and glossy. Glittering and flashing lights, majestic design and rich sound leave no one indifferent.

Disk music boxes, made in the 19^th century by the “big three” manufacturers “Regina”, “Polyphon” and “Symphonion”, had replaceable music records, were activated by a coin, and provided the listener with a choice of several current songs. In fact, these were juke-boxes; even visually they had common features with juke-boxes, which inherited from large wooden cases a magnetic mechanism for moving a music record. However, the very definition of a juke-box was originally applied to coin-operated phonographs. They were located in the best entertainment venues and were a multi-million dollar business.

The sales of sheet music, pined wooden barrels and metal cylinders, songs played by juke-boxes were used to compile charts of America's most popular songs. In most establishments, from bars to restaurants, coin-operated juke-boxes were installed for visitors that wanted to dance. The widespread demand for juke-boxes can be judged by the number of machines produced – about 2 million. The companies that produced them – “Wurlitzer”, “AMI”, “Seeburg” – created advertising campaigns to convince that juke-boxes offered legitimate and high-class pleasure.

By the way, it was the “Wurlitzer” company, whose beautiful posters were created by American illustrator Albert Dorne (1906-1965), that gave the world the most recognizable juke-box “Bubble” – “Wurlitzer 1015”. The tastes of the public changed over time, but this model remained in demand. It was so successful that the “Wurlitzer 1015” is still being produced today, though no longer with records, but with CDs or an Ipod slot.

On the cover: Juke-box "Wurlitzer 1015". Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. USA, North Tonawanda (NY). 1947

There are no established traditions for Rock and Roll Day. We suggest you just enjoy listening to your favourite tunes from the museum Sound Library.

The museum collection section “Juke-Boxes” features a variety of juke-boxes that share a common historical foundation of cutting-edge engineering, thoughtful business project, and rich aesthetic experience.