One theory is that the term "rock" comes from the African-American slang phrase "rocking the house", which was used to describe a performance that was so energetic that it made people feel like they were being rocked. Another theory is that "rock" is derived from the word "rock-a-billy", a genre of music that was popular in the 1950s and that featured a heavy backbeat. Still another theory is that "rock" refers to the hard, driving sound of rock music, which is often characterized by the use of electric guitars, drums, and bass guitar.
The term "rock and roll" was first used in the 1950s to describe the new genre of music, but the origin of this phrase is also uncertain. Some believe it comes from the African-American slang term "rock and roll", which was used to refer to dancing, while others think it is derived from the phrase "rock 'n' rye", which was used in the 19th century to describe a drink made with whiskey and rye whiskey.
Ultimately, the origin of the name of rock music is unknown. However, the term has become widely used to describe a wide variety of genres of music that are characterized by their use of electric guitars, drums, and bass guitar.