Cleveland, Ohio stands out in most people’s minds as the birth of rock and roll due to the city’s address as home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and because of the metropolitan area’s willingness to embrace a new kind of music that launched in the fifties and lives on in present day.

Forward thinking deejay Alan Freed, a.k.a. Moondog, (1921 to 1965) backed bands he claimed were going to rise as the next big thing in music. He gets credit for labeling the tunes “rock and roll” along with setting up the first ever concert for rock and roll enthusiasts titled “The Moondog Coronation Ball.’ Tickets sold for less than 2, according to reporter Vivian Goodman for WSKU radio station out of Cleveland, Ohio. The concert never took place that year because of overcrowding. The location could handle only so many music goers. The next year saw the performance happen. However, the concert that never was gained the title as the first rock and roll performance in Cleveland’s history.

Famous acts that call Cleveland home, both past and present, include the Raspberries, Nine Inch Nails, James Gang, Marilyn Manson, Amazing Pink Holes and Tracy Chapman.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened in 1995 in downtown Cleveland. The foundation dates back to its inception in New York city during the eighties. Many famous rock and roll performers received a prestigious induction into the hall of fame. Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley were among the first rock stars to get induced, leading a trend that continues on each year in present day.You thought this was good? Brace yourself: The Rock Hall Needs Your Help Getting To SXSW