We explain what rock is, the origin and history of this famous musical genre. Also, its subgenres and the instruments it uses.
What is Rock?
It is known as Rock to a set of varied genres of popular music, descended more or less from the Rock n' Roll original born in the United States in the 1950s, as a result of a fusion between music country and the Rhythm and blues.
Typically, Rock is a genre recognized by the predominance of the electric guitar with songs in 4/4 time and a verse-chorus structure. But in its particular evolution it is difficult today to find truly common characteristics.
In general terms, the themes of their songs point to the social, the political, and also love and emotion, placing emphasis above all on aspects such as composition, live performance, and originality.
The various styles of Rock have served throughout the decades to represent and spirit to various urban groups or “tribes” and even to social movements of a different nature, becoming at the same time a countercultural and anti-system flag, a vehicle for social denunciation and the claims of minorities, and also a representative of American culture and its economic, political and of the world during decades of imperialist behavior.
See also: Popular art
Origin and history of Rock
The Rock originated in the 1950s in the United States and that of 1960 in the United Kingdom. The first was known as the “golden era” or also the period of “Classic Rock”, in which Rock n' Roll emerged, whose first song in history was That's allrightMother by Elvis Presley (according to other researchers it was “Fat man” by Fats Domino), considered the King of the genre.
During the 1950s, rock would become popular on a large scale in the United States and the West, thanks to artists such as Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison, if not the great musicians of “black” Rock: Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard.
The success would be such that in Detroit, United States, Rock and Rhythm and Blues would begin a joint path, from which a soloist and famous dancer would emerge in the following decade: Michael Jackson, who would later be the “King of Pop.”
The 60s began with the “British Invasion” whose first agents were The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Who, among others. Shortly after, a true explosion of rock variants would occur, nourished by the countercultural movement and the hippie spirit of the time.
Psychedelia, free love and the Sexual Revolution deeply marked Rock adding artists of the enormous stature of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and bands such as Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, of an experimental nature.
In the 70s bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Queen took elements from other musical genres, such as opera or Soul, to give birth to numerous styles of Rock: melodic and artistic, or fast and noisy.
Punk Rock stands out, born in the United Kingdom at the end of the decade and clearly oriented towards political content. In this decade, bands such as Génesis (with Peter Gabriel), Ramones, Yes, Alice Cooper, Van Halen and colossal artists such as David Bowie stand out.
The 80s marked the return of Rock to more commercial aspects eventually giving birth to Pop, with bands like Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, INXS, Billy Idol or, even more so, Michael Jackson and Madonna. On the other hand, Alternative Rock is present with The Cure, U2, REM, Pixies and many more, along with the remnants of Punk.
The 90s brought a new British invasion, as well as the appearance of more disenchanted and sad trends such as Grunge or Britpop, or more mechanizing ones such as Industrial Rock, which took sounds from factories and factories, and which would later give rise to electronic music. Legendary bands like Guns n' Roses, Metallica, Nirvana, Radiohead, Oasis, Blur and Placebo made their entry onto the scene.
Rock Subgenres
The subgenres of Rock are very numerous. However, a list of the main ones would include:
- Surf Rock. Born in the USA, it takes beach life as its theme.
- Folk Rock Fusion music of blues, rock and folk music.
- Psychedelic rock Experimental variant and close to the experience of hallucinogenic drugs (especially LSD).
- Blues Rock With the solo electric guitar taking center stage, it combines Blues and Rock.
- Heavy Metal Betting on speed and intensity of sounds, it is the strident variant of rock.
- Progressive rock Approaching jazz and classical music, he valued the symphonic and complex aspect of Rock, even aspiring to philosophical-esoteric content.
- Glam Rock Its name comes from “glamour” (glamorous) and was a return to a certain simplicity compared to the more complex rock, during the 70s and 80s.
- Punk Rock Under the motto “There is no future” this genre took on the discontent and anger of the lower sectors of the United Kingdom under a countercultural and violent message.
- Industrial Rock Using sounds of machines and metals, taken from factories, it is a Rock of capitalism: the machines, the noise, the regularity.
Rock Instruments
The electric guitar is the great protagonist of Rock, to the point that its sound has become typical of the genre and is directly associated with it, especially in solos or riffs. Other typical instruments are bass and drums but also the electric keyboard or piano, and in more contemporary cases, the synthesizer is also included, an electronic device capable of producing novel and particular sounds.
Pop
Pop was born alongside Rock, and would become its more commercial and conventional brother, which gives more attention to fashion rhythms to dance and to more ephemeral but popular values. However, along its path it has varied as much as Rock, at times coming to merge: Pop-rock.
