This work is about how we can use audio to tell a story, but in an unexpected way. We created a musical DNA test which, through a web app that listens to and analyzes music, shows the public just how much of the influence of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Mother of Rock, there is in music to this day.

Rock has a stereotype: long-haired white dudes. And when it comes to "who invented rock," a few names tend to come to mind. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. All men. But what if we told you that the real father of rock is a mother? A queer black woman who, back in the ‘30s, long before any of those names took the stage, was turning up the distortion on her electric guitar and making everyone get up and dance to the sound of her rock’n’roll. But her pioneering importance has been erased. And while she might be unknown to the public at large, Billboard has been talking about her in our editions for at least 80 years. Therefore, there’s no better brand than us to create this DNA test and correct this injustice in the history of music.

This campaign definitely has audio as a central element. We created a web app with an algorithm that listens to and analyzes music, showing how much of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's influence, or “DNA,” there is in each song.

The process begins with the user bringing their device close to a sound source that is playing music. With just one click, the web app starts listening and analyzing the song, showing the percentage of the Mother of Rock's influence on it.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who influenced the birth of rock and roll.

Billboard has written about her time and time again. But as people increasingly forget her importance…

the time has come for them to see it for themselves.

Billboard presents: Rock DNA

The first-ever DNA test of a song.

We dissected her songs and those of musicians who said she inspired them.

Spoke to musicians and interviewed Sister Rosetta's biographer.

Using all that data, we designed an algorithm and then an app that can examine a song and determine how much Sister Rosetta is present in it.

Test one: Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song

Sixty-seven percent.

Test two: Alabama Shakes - Always Alright

Result ready: ninety-three percent.

Test three: Taylor Swift - Blank Space

Result ready: ten percent

More than just an informative article in the magazine, this app allowed people to use data to analyze their favorite songs and see for themselves that rock and roll has a mother.

And that this mother continues to influence music to this day.

Who is the father of rock? Names like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash probably crossed your mind. But the father of Rock is actually a mother: Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Years before them, Rosetta was already cranking up the distortion on her guitar, shredding solos, and presenting her rock’n’roll on stage. Though she was recognized as a major influence on many of the men said to be the inventors of rock, including Johnny Cash himself, who name-checked her in his induction speech at the Hall of Fame, Rosetta Tharpe never received the recognition she deserved. Her story was practically erased, and is virtually unknown to the general public. This injustice must be corrected. Our goal is to set the record straight and show the world the true importance of this incredible woman in the history of rock and music.

We had a 91.86% engagement rate on the web app, showing that we delivered Sister Rosetta Tharpe's story in an interactive way that captured people's attention. Test results were shared on users' social media, including by major Brazilian artists, making searches for Sister Rosetta Tharpe shoot up 93x during the week of the launch. But our web app went beyond borders, recording musical DNA tests taken in 23 countries, generating a result of 181% more interactions than Billboard’s benchmark.

Historically, rock has been a boy’s club. Mostly white boys. Names like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash are known as the fathers of rock. But what if we told you that, in fact, the father of rock is a mother? Sister Rosetta Tharpe. A queer black woman who, back in the ‘30s, long before any of those names took the stage, was turning up the distortion on her electric guitar and making everyone get up and dance to the sound of her rock’n’roll. Her importance has long been erased. Until now.