The History of Rock
As one of the most popular music genres, rock music has grown and expanded to incorporate many styles throughout the years. A rock band usually consists of a vocalist, an acoustic drum kit played with a strong beat, usually a back beat, and features electric and acoustic guitars. From its beginnings in the late 1950s and early 1960s until the present day, rock has changed styles seemingly every decade as new bands become popular because of their unique style of music. Throughout the years rock has influenced our culture and helped shape the world we live in today.
Rock and roll was born in the late 1950s. Primary influenced from southern artists like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley, this new genre of music though admonished by many became popular among the younger listeners. During this time period, rock was primarily played in jukeboxes and clubs, but when introduced to the radio, became popular amongst the listeners and became an enormous success.
The success continued throughout the 1960s when the main genres of rock were established. Bands like The Rolling Stones,The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin changed the music scene in Britain. Their influences worked their way to the United States. Bob Dylan led the way playing the same style but was met with disappointment from his fans. Then the hits from Byrds and Simon and Garfunkel gave folk-rock a foothold in the US.
On the West Coast the cities of San Francisco and Las Angeles felt the affects of the boom in rock music. San Francisco became a center for hippies and “acid-rock”. Las Angeles produced misfits like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart who had a lasting influence on rock.
The beginning of the 1970s saw a decline in interest for rock music...
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... by the rock of the 1980s and 1990s. Today bands like Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, and others combine many aspects of the rock played during the past two decades. This is a trend that will continue into the future as more and more bands express their style of rock to the future generations.
Today many radio stations throughout the United States play every type of rock. From its beginnings in the 1950s until the present day rock has become a popular genre with many styles that appeal to every person young and old. People can still enjoy listening to the music of their time whether from the 1960s or the 1990s. Rock is a composition of many genres. There is always room for more styles and new trends. Rock’s success is due to its ability to change but remain the same.
Sources:
http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/rnr1.htm
http://www.scaruffi.com/history/
What emerged after the explosion of rock and roll in the 1950s abandoned the roll and has now come to be known just as classic rock. This rock that was created following the decade of The King became a completely unique and different sound that changed the musical landscape and what was once a single, unified genre gave way for multitudes of variation in its sounds. These new sounds, that came mostly from abroad, had been notably influenced by the American rock of the 1950s, such as Elvis, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. These pioneers of rock came to be the essential reason for the arrival of the British Invasion and other sounds that defined the decade of the 1960s.
Our entire lives have been shaped by the events happening around us. Along with us many factors in our day to day lives have evolved too, including musical genre. One such genre is rock. Rock is a genre for the youth, by the youth, it has evolved to stay with the times and stand up for what’s right. In this essay I will prove why rock is a good example to show how genre has been defined, maintained, constructed and negotiated through the past 60-70 years since the very first Proto Rock song came out.
Although considered the day Rock ‘n’ Roll was born, many other events in American history have given foundation to this much loved idea. Rock ‘n’ Roll is much more than just music, rather it is the movement which underlines cultural imperialism. Rock had been promoting a culture of comfort and freedom from social constraints as well. Although the style of ‘Rock music’ is easily adaptable into many different sounds, it is still thoroughly identified by its definingly amplified rhythm. The sudden worldwide popularity of rock and roll resulted in an unparalleled social impact. Rock ‘n’ Roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language in a way few other social developments have equaled. The social impact is so large that rock stars are worshipped worldwide. In its early years, many adults condemned the style of music, placing a stigma on its name, and forbid their children from listening and following its ways. Many considered Rock ‘n’ Roll culture as a bad influence to all people, but as the genre aged and the now not-so-young crowds had matured, Rock was respected and
I believe that the history of rock and roll demonstrates a link between culture and social class race, and age; by the way a genre brings all the people in these different categories into one big group. When rock and roll began to emerge people from different cultures and social classes started to come together as a group by the way they dressed. It was not only the music but also the fashion it brought along with it. People from this era changed the way they dressed, styled their hair and their means of transportation. This brought together people from different cultures and social class, race and age all together.
Before we explore The Birth of rock ‘n’ Roll, we must first reflect on other sounds that influence this genre of music. Sounds from blues, country, jazz, and gospel music all played a huge role in the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. The creation of different genres of music mixed together created a loud, fast, liberating sound that primarily a...
I. First I will start by discussing the various genres that created rock music in the 50’s and 60’s.
Music tends to follow the trends of its listeners; genres come and go with popularity. Rock and roll was considered to have its golden era in the 1960s (Rock and Roll). It stood out with unforgettable performances by Sly and the Family Stone, The Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead, Santana, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin (Rock and Roll). The Beatles were one of the top rock and roll bands. It is said that their music “combined the distinct sounds of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and others which shaped a sound that dominated the sixties with its creativity and style” (Holland 105). Jimi Hendrix brought a new style of music called “acid rock”. He changed the way music was played by experimenting with different melodies, different chord...
Rock ‘n’ roll and 20th Century Culture According to Philip Ennis, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the convergence of social transformations which resulted from World War II (Ryan 927). Despite its pop culture origins, rock music is arguably one of the strongest cultural factors to develop in this century. Artists such as Lennon, McCartney and Dylan defined the emotions of a generation and, in the last decade, it as even been acknowledged by members of the establishment which it hoped to change as a major influence in the country. In order to understand how rock went from a sign of rebellion to a cultural icon, it is necessary to understand where it came from.
The 1960s was a time of Rock, Rock and Roll, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, etc. Rock was established in the 50s but took off in the 60s. One of the most popular bands at that time was The Beatles. The Beatles, in my opinion and many others, was the most influential band of the decade, not only changing rock but music in general forever. The Beatles were a rock band formed in Liverpool, but eventually
Rock and Roll has the most incredible history. Before there was rock and roll, there was blues. Most people think rock music started with Elvis Presley, but he didn’t record his first single until 1953. The first recorded song described as “Genuine Rock-and-Roll” was “Rocket ’88” by pianist Ike Turner and singer Jackie Brenston in 1951. Rock-and-Roll music in the 1950’s was described as a mixture of jazz, blues, country, and has a stronger guitar, bass, and drums. (A&E Biography Channel UK “SAM PHILLIPS The man who Invented Rock & Roll”. 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2013) Over time what was first described as “Rock and Roll” has changed drastically, and will continue to change over time. Even though some people feel Pop has the best history, Rock and Roll really does. It has actually impacted more people’s lives than any other genre, it unites people from all over the world in a positive way, and influenced media culture by breaking down walls no one else had.
Rock music is a term that should be familiar. Originally dubbed “rock and roll” in the 1940’s and 1950’s, rock and roll is almost always fronted by an electrical guitar and heavily influenced by blues, R&B, and even country music. By the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rock and roll began to be shortened to just “rock music”, and the entire style starting branching out into other sub-genres such as punk rock, heavy metal, garage rock, hard rock, among others. The sub-genre in question however is Alternative Rock, which is generally defined as despite following the fundamentals of rock music, it strays away from what is considered “mainstream” at the time by using concepts such as extensive underground music association, muddied or distorted guitars, more prominent use of power chords, and even a sort of rebellious or defiant attitude in lyrics and sound.
The rise of rock and roll into the limelight is to a large extent attributed to the teenagers of the 1950’s. Early rock music listened to by teenagers during the 1950’s was formed by blending together Rhythm and blues with country music. This kind of ...
Rock and Roll was the start of a new revolution in America. It introduced the world to many of the famous artists that continue to be a part of our lives today. "Artists who became popular in the 1950s such as Elvis, began to pave the way for others such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly" (The History of Rock 'n' Roll until 1960). With the introduction of rock 'n' roll, there came many new changes to the lives of many Americans. Rock and Roll was a major contributor for the change in teens' behavior in the 1950s because it encouraged new freedoms for teenagers, encouraged new fads among teenagers, and caused a generation gap.
The British Invasion of 1964 brought America's music - reinvented and revitalized - home, a new generation of rock fans was born. Rock now entered what is now known as its Classic Era.
Rock and Roll has good rhythm to it and a backbeat which sounds different from other earlier genres of music. It also has the blues influence which I like. Earlier genres of music in my opinion didn’t have the same type of rhythm, speed, syncopation or the strong back beat, the riffs and the hooks that rock & roll has. I also like the vocal ranges that some of the rock & roll musicians have and their ability to make them sound so unique. From the early 60’s and on, the music in general just sounded a lot better. Rock and roll during these times also became more rhythmically better.