Subgenre Southern Rock

When asked to name the first rock song that pops into his head, my boyfriend instantly replied with, “’Simple Man is rock, right?’”. What he did not know was that the song he named was from one of the greatest bands of all time within the genre of southern rock. A subgenre of rock, southern rock was a combination of blues, country, jazz, and R&B (Stack et al., 2014). The background that shaped southern rock, the characteristics as well as instruments and technology used in the music, and the artists/songs important to the subgenre would forever become a staple in the music industry. The newest subgenre of rock was not born overnight. Southern rock developed in the late 1960’s and into the early 1970’s down in the southern United States. Lonnie

The first is The Allman Brothers Band. Created by brothers Gregg and Duane Allman, the band grew in popularity and laid the foundation for bands to come. With songs like “Ramblin’ Man” and “Midnight Rider”, the influence The Allman Brothers Band had on future bands and artists was incredibly significant (Simon et al., 2001). Lynyrd Skynyrd is quoted as the “quintessential Southern rock band” by Rolling Stone magazine. Their most commonly known songs of “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” remain hits amongst people not only living in the south, but everywhere else in the United States (Simon et al., 2001). Lastly, The Charlie Daniels Band bent the rules and crossed over between country and rock. With this combination, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “The South’s Gonna Do It Again” touted southern pride while creating a new sound (Erlewine). These three bands influenced many others and were the epitome of southern pride. Like all things, the southern rock era came to an end in 1977 when Ronnie Van Zant—the lead vocalist for Lynyrd Skynyrd—died (Stack et al., 2014). It did not fade out completely as many songs from the subgenre still grace the airwaves and speakers of the country. The background of southern rock, its characteristics as well as the instruments and technology used, and the artists/songs important to the subgenre are still prevalent even in the ever-changing music industry of