Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band that was formed in 1952 and is considered to be one of the earliest groups of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of white America and the rest of the world. Led by Bill Haley, they were best known for their influential hits such as "Rock Around the Clock" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll." The band's unique style combined elements of country music and rhythm and blues, which helped to define the emerging genre of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. Their significance in music history lies in their role in establishing rock and roll as a mainstream genre.