Britain's postwar music scene got a shot of adrenalin from the new American rock 'n' roll phenomenon. Both skiffle and rockabilly had captured the minds of British teens, but the rebellious cool of American exports like James Dean, Marlon Brando, and especially Elvis Presley inspired those teens to pick up electric guitars and practice sneering at the mirror. Far and away the most popular was Cliff Richard and the Shadows, whose pre-Beatles pop may sound restrained to modern ears but was explosive at the time. British artists suffered from the stifling production techniques of the older generation and a non-indigenous blues influence, but a desperate sincerity often shone through. The Shadows eventually split from Cliff to become a top instrumental combo, buoyed by the instrumental genius of Hank Marvin, Tony Meeham, and Jet Harris. Meanwhile, producer-savant Joe Meek was quietly revolutionizing audio-recording techniques, and the introduction of television was beaming the rockabilly sounds of Adam Faith and Billy Fury into British households with teen-targeted shows like Oh Boy! Eventually, the Beatles revolutionized British pop, and with the exception of Cliff Richard the entire first school of British pop idols was composted for the new British Invasion sound.

Notable artists: Heinz, the Tornadoes, Cliff Richard