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Rock n' roll as a cultural phenomenon has had more social impact than any other kind of music in the world. It has been credited with ending wars, spreading peace and blamed for corrupting youths and encouraging delinquency. Nearly all of today's musical styles and their subcultures can be traced back to Rock n' roll from punk and heavy metal to R&B and hip hop. Although musicians like Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Little Richard have been credited as the pioneers of Rock n' roll, The real breakthrough was with Elvis. Before Elvis parents and children generally listened to the same music. But the music Elvis played was a blend of black music like Blues, R&B and Country music and was fast, catchy and danceable. The controversy he brought about at the time cannot be understated. For example, although Elvis was white, Southern radio stations refused to play Elvis because he sounded 'too black'. His early concerts were also very controversial. His on-stage rebellious manner included using suggestive sexual movements in his performance.

In a Conservative and restricted era, teenagers latched onto rock n' roll with gusto, while most of the adults around were offended. This was the birth of the social phenomenon called the "Generation gap". Although Rock n' roll had started a cultural revolution in America, there were no distinct subcultures that could be identified. But across the Atlantic in Britain Rock n' roll had precipitated the rise of the Mods and Rockers. These were two of the most prolific musical subcultures of the 60s and were the product of working-class British youth, they were the first youth subcultures to have a uniform and a code of conduct.Although the Beatles were hugely popular in mainstream at the time, The Mods were a counter culture of sorts and listened to Blues, Soul and R&B, dressed in suits, narrow trousers and pointed shoes and rode scooters which were seen as status symbols of the Mod subculture.

The Rockers on the other hand, as the name suggests listened to Rock n' Roll and cultivated an anti-authoritarian, rebellious 'bad boy' image. They dressed like a British version of the Hell's Angels in jeans, boots and studded leather jackets and rode motorcycles.
The Rivalry which grew between these two factions and media hype spread a moral panic and turned the gangs in 'folk devils'. These tensions came to a head in May 1964 where violence between the Mods and Rockers turned the Southern seaside resorts of Margate, Clacton and Brighton into battlefields.

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