Music can be traced back throughout human history to prehistoric times. Even today, archaeologists discover fragments of ancient tools and tablets with carved texts buried alongside prominent leaders and highly influential people. This serves to testify to the importance and power of music, as well as its influence in society. Over its many years of existence, music's powerful invocation of feelings has allowed it to evolve and serve many purposes, one of which is to inspire change. American journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson once said: “Music has always been about energy for me, about fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. This fuel is precisely what powers Rock 'n' Roll's influence on American society, which author Glenn C. Altschuler writes about in his book "All Shook Up - How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America." Between 1945 and 1965 Rock 'n' Roll transformed American society and culture by helping to facilitate racial integration and launching a sexual revolution and, above all, developing an intergenerational identity. The development of Rock 'n' Roll in the late 1940s and early 1950s by young African Americans coincided with a delicate moment in America. Civil rights movements were underway across the country as African Americans fought to gain equal treatment and the same access to resources as their white neighbors. As courts began voting in favor of integration, tensions between blacks and whites increased. When the catchy rhythm of Rock 'n' Roll began to cross racial lines, many whites began to feel threatened by the music, claiming its role in promoting integration. This became particularly problematic as their young people were particularly drawn to… middle of paper… ions, conformity, authority, and norms. In closing, the undoubted influence of music, more specifically Rock 'n' Roll on American society is responsible for a number of changes to the status quo. These range from sexual liberation to racial desegregation, culminating with other influences to create an intergenerational identity. Despite the older generations' desperate attempts to stifle these influences, these changes ultimately shaped the years that followed, shaping the country into what it is today. Along the way these changes, as well as individual involvement in them, have also made the lives of many easier through empowerment and a feeling of community and purpose. Despite the hiatus and renewal, Rock 'n' Roll continues to serve as an agent of influence and change in today's youth culture and continues to burn in the hearts of past generations of loyal fans..