Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called the 1979 debut competition "nine nights of exhilarating grass-roots rock."
Since then, the competition's venue has changed several times but remains a popular showcase for New England bands to gain visibility.
The Rumble in its current form begins in April with six preliminary rounds of 24 total bands, as selected by Anngelle Wood.
Each night, four bands play a 30-minute set and are judged by a rotating selection of representatives from the Boston music industry.
Prizes include cash, studio time, legal services, album production, bragging rights, and more.
As a courtesy to the music community, Rock & Roll Rumble host and organizer, Anngelle Wood, does provide a way for bands to submit for consideration.
2010: There was no Rock 'n' Roll Rumble this year, due to the reorganization of CBS Radio's Boston stations and the loss of WBCN's FM broadcast.
2011: Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents made Rumble history by becoming the first band to drop out of the competition, due to a scheduling conflict, after winning their preliminary night.
This allowed a previously eliminated band, OldJack, to re-enter the competition in the semifinal round, having been the runner-up on the night that Jenny Dee won.
2012: The Grownup Noise withdrew from the Rumble (prior to performing) due to an injury sustained by one of its members; they were invited back as the non-competing guest band to play at the finals.
2013: Night two of the semifinals was postponed due to the lockdown of the city during the April 19 manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.
2018: In November 2017, Boston Emissions host station WZLX was sold to iHeartMedia, and the transition and reorganization forced a postponement of the 2018 Rumble.
2020: The Coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of the 2020 Rumble; two bands, OroborO and The Only Things, withdrew from the competition, as they were unable to play the rescheduled July dates.