In the 1953 London suburbs, four young boys were growing up within a 200-mile radius of one another. Little did they know they were honing their skills to one day meet and become one of the most iconic rock bands in history.

As the auditorium quieted, Calvin began playing a new gospel hymn on the piano. His biggest fan winked at him from the front pew of Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church where he honed his musical talent as a choir boy and pianist.

One of Jewel’s best hits came to her while she was homeless. Her memoir is a reminder of the places you can go in spite of where you came from.

Jewel grew up in a remote cabin off the grid in Alaska without running water. She yodeled her way into perfect pitch and an incredible singing range. By the 4th grade, she began performing in lumberjack bars with her father, singing 5 hour sets to the scent of stale beer and cigarette smoke.

You know that instantly recognizable power ballad by that one heavy metal band that was released in 1990 – after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and conveniently, right as the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse? “Wind of Change” by The Scorpions is not only one of the most successful rock singles ever released, it was also the soundtrack to a revolution during a pivotal moment in European history. 

For some fans, it was the song that ended the Cold War. AND… maybe, possibly written and promoted by the CIA.

It's 1997 and your Pop-Tarts are burning in the toaster oven but you're in a trance. MMMBop is playing on MTV and … hello Hanson brothers. During an interview about the meaning behind their lyrics, the Hansons once explained: "MMMBop is a word that represents time. It represents the fact that time passes very quickly. It means, go for it."

Did you know that Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson wrote the chorus to their worldwide number one hit "MMMBop" when they were only 13, 11, and 9 years old?

Carly Simon developed a severe stutter around the age of six. It followed no laws or patterns. She spent years with psychiatrists and speech therapists who tried to cure her stammer with little progress. Desperate to give her daughter a bit of relief, Carly’s mother turned to music. One night at the dinner table, Carly became frantic when couldn’t successfully ask her family to “pass the butter.” Her mother made a simple suggestion that changed the course of her entire life.

“Carly, darling — try singing it.”

Check out this collaboration between RRHOF & Chuckles + Bleu. This illustrated timeline is a celebration of progress and youth culture, depicting pivotal genres of rock over a period of six decades. Peep the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum along the timeline.  Exclusively available in The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum shop and their online apparel store!

Born into a family of twelve children who shared a one-room dirt-floor cabin, Dolly Parton's story is a true rags-to-riches tale. When Dolly's father could not afford to pay the medical bills for her birth, the doctor accepted a sack of oatmeal in exchange for the delivery. In her bio and interviews, Dolly recalls an impoverished but loving childhood full of hardship and— the freedom to dream of a better life.

After landing in the U.S. with less than $230 in her bank account, Mercury Records balked at Helen’s recording contract, with an excuse that the deal was never guaranteed. They offered to buy her lunch and sent her on her way, explaining, “we just don’t need another female artist.” Helen was stuck in a new country with no job, no home, and a little girl who looked up to her. So she repeated a mantra that would someday become a #1 hit song, and the anthem to the women’s liberation movement.

A girl named Eleanora was born into poverty in Philadelphia, starting her first job at the age of 6. She dropped out of school in the 5th grade and became an errand girl at a brothel. She needed to find legal work to support herself and her mother, so she tried to become a dancer at a Harlem speakeasy. They told her there were no openings for dancers. They needed a singer. So Little Eleanora taught herself to sing. Her secret? Pouring all of her biggest feelings into song.

I turned a year older on the first of this month. The soundtrack to most of my birthdays is always the same— a timeless song with a powerful message that will outlive us all—

Time makes you bolder.

By the age of 10, Neil wanted to become a musician. He saved the money he made from a paper route and selling eggs and bought a plastic ukulele that changed the course of his life.

In elementary school, Roberta was a “C” student. She and her schoolmates were classified by their seating row. “A” students were Bluebirds and the bluebirds sat in the first row. “B” students were Robins who sat in the second row. The “C” students were last. They were the Wrens.

18 year old “Skipper” saved his pennies to create a demo of song he had written. He played 17 different instruments by himself to record the track. After sending his demo out, multiple record labels wanted to sign him. He has gone by the name Skipper, Alexander Nevermind, Peter Bravestrong, Jamie Starr, Joey Coco and one that’s known around the world…

Debbie began waitressing at Max’s Kansas City to meet bands in the 60’s. She didn’t mind serving steak and cocktails to the rich and famous— she knew that one day, she would become them.

One day in 1966, the founder, guitarist and lead vocalist of The Beatles walked in to an interactive art exhibition at the Indica Gallery in London. John Lennon was spell bound by the artwork and by the artist. He learned her Name was Yoko Ono. She had no idea know who he was. Yoko was never a part of the Beatlemania because she was so focused on her own work. Yoko said hello and invited John to try one of her interactive pieces. He climbed a ladder and looked through a magnifying glass to find a single word on the ceiling– Yes.

Before Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke and The Man Who Fell To Earth— he was little David Jones of suburban South London. David had big ideas and an alter-ego named Ziggy. He dreamed of things that were out of this world.

Have you heard about the shy boy named Farrokh who loved glitter, cats and playing the piano? As a child, he taught himself to play instruments by listening to songs on the radio. This is a story about how a quiet refugee from East Africa felt brave enough to get on stage, sing falsetto, wear satin, and compose hits like:

Bohemian Rhapsody, We are the Champions, Under Pressure and We Will Rock You.

Born prematurely, Stevie spent the first several weeks of his life in an incubator. Too much oxygen in the incubator damaged his vision, leaving him permanently blind at six weeks old. But he did not live in darkness and never let his blindness stop him from pursuing his dreams. Stevie wonder saw his blindness as a gift of higher consciousness and landed his first recording contract by the age of 12.