A history of the Rock music genre.

1. ROCK
A HISTORY OF THE GENRE.

2. ORIGIN
• It is considered that the Rock genre originated in the late 1940’s
when electric guitars and steady drum beats changed the sound
of conventional country and blues songs that most people were
accustomed to.
• The Rock genre was primarily influenced by other genres
including rhythm/electric and blues, jazz and classical.
• Though it took a few years to have an effect on listeners, the
Rock genre was profoundly popular as it created a fresh sound
that dared to break the safe, slow-paced song conventions
previously. Furthermore, advanced technology meant that new,
electric sounds could be implemented.
• The last few years of the 1960’s saw a mixture of traditionalist
sounds within the separate genres of Rock. After the renowned
‘British Invasion’ many artists produced records with sounds
rooting back to the Rock n’ Roll days.

3. ‘BRITISH INVASION’
The term for a phenomenon which happened in the mid 1960’s - a
wave of British Rock and Pop stars arrived in America taking the
international music industry by storm. Their increasing popularity
meant that British culture was creeping into the states and this was
reflected in the charts:
• The Beatles landed a total of 20 number 1 hit records in America
and are the only band to be featured in America’s Hot 100’s top
five simultaneously. So in the week of April 4th, 1964, they
ranked at numbers 1 - 5 with the hits ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Twist
and Shout’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ and
‘Please Please Me’.
• Herman’s Hermits accumulated 4 Top 3 hits in the US in 1965 with
‘Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter’ (No. 1), ‘I’m Henry
the Eighth, I Am’ (No. 1), ‘Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat’ (No. 2)
and ‘Listen People’ (No. 3).
• Though their records only brought them one US number 1 hit, The
Animals nevertheless proved that British artists were dominating
the charts overseas, especially bands with young, male members
that attracted the female audience.

4. KEY ARTISTS
• Buddy Holly – American musician and singer/songwriter. He was a
central, poignant figure of 1950’s rock and roll who is renowned to have
“produced some of the most distinctive and influential work in rock
music” according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Holly inspired later hit
artists such as Paul McCartney, John Lennon and The Rolling Stones
• Tommy Steele – Regarded as Britain’s first teen idol and Rock and Roll
star. Steele was often dubbed as ‘Britain’s Elvis Presley’ and he reached
number 1 with “Singing the Blues” in 1957.
• Elvis Presley – The “king” of Rock and Roll; not only one of the most
significant cultural icons of the 20th century, but his fresh, unique style
influenced teenagers and adults alike, one that included daring clothes
and an instantly recognisable quiff – the new Rock and Roll movement
had officially taken off.
• The Beatles – Once known as ‘The Quarrymen’, they were influenced
by Holly and Presley’s Rock and Roll style which already proved
successful. The Beatles are arguably the most famous band in the world,
changing the rock genre to fit into new, accessible boundaries for
listeners. The Beatles’ Rock music, primarily conceived from 1962 –
1966, originated in Skiffle, beat and Rock and Roll. 16 records from this
period were number 1 hits.

5. KEY ARTISTS
• Bruce Springsteen – Known largely for ‘Born in the USA’ and ‘Born to
Run’, Springsteen produces commercially accessible Rock albums,
whilst having his origins in more sombre-folk orientated works, evoking
the genre itself.
• The Beach Boys – Leading the wave of the emerging ‘California
Sound’, the band’s early music gained popularity for distinct vocal
harmonies and lyrics that evoked the free-spirited nature of youth
culture at the time. They were influenced by Jazz-based vocal groups
and 1950’s Rock and Roll. Also, similar to The Beatles, The Beach
Boys, headed by Brian Wilson, suggested they should experiment with
psychedelia – thus proving the group to be figureheads in the changing
music industry, especially considering that they created different, artistic
approaches to arranging music production.
• Eagles – Famed for being the most successful Country Rock band as a
result of the ‘British Invasion’ in the 1960’s. For a week in May, 1977,
‘Hotel California’ topped the Hot 100 singles chart.
• Eric Clapton – The only member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to
have been inducted three times, Clapton is most famous for his Number
4 1992 hit single ‘Layla’. He has presently received 18 Grammy awards.
• REM – Similar to The Lemonheads REM were one of the first, popular
Alternative Rock bands famed for their ‘ringing, arpeggiated guitar style’
alongside Michael Stipe's indistinct vocals.

6. AWARDS
The Grammy Awards are the most prestigious music awards
ceremony. There have been 57 ceremonies since 1959 and
currently the category awards for the Rock genre are:
• Best Rock Performance – Jack White, ‘Lazretto’ (2015)
• Best Metal Performance – Tenacious D, ‘The Last in Line’
(2015)
• Best Rock Song – Hayley Williams and Taylor York, ‘Ain’t It
Fun’ (2015)
• Best Rock Album – Beck, ‘Morning Phase’ (2015)
Current winners:

7. KEY FEATURES
• In the Rock genre, music videos can vary. Generally they conform to the
performance category where the band are shown to be performing their
instruments and miming along to the song, for example in ‘American Idiot’
by Green Day (pictured above Foo Fighters) and ‘The Pretender’ by the
Foo Fighters (pictured below Green Day). As a result, both bands conform
to typical performance conventions, and are starkly similar to each other
in terms of location and composition of the camera shots. There are often
close-ups of the lead vocalist to clearly portray their identity to the
audience, thus increasing sales because the star image is carried through
the video. Generally, the camera in both videos films the band at low
angles. As a result, this represents the band as dominating figures,
conveying the hard attitude of the Rock genre to the audience.
‘The Pretender’, Foo Fighters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBjQ9tuuTJQ
‘American Idiot’, Green Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee_uujKuJMI

8. KEY FEATURES CONTINUED
• In the modern era, music videos in the Rock genre have become
noticeably more filmic, with directors incorporating solid storylines that go
beyond conventions of the narrative video because actors are now
speaking dialogue to try and convey the director’s message. The
composition conveys this too, with widescreen formats being used instead
of the traditional 16:9 format aswell as compelling camera angles.
In ‘I Always Knew’ by The Vaccines (2012),
the actors act out the emotions conveyed by
the song through their facial expressions and
we are left to interpret the complex feelings
that they have through their acting.
‘Wake me up When September Ends’ (2004)
by Green Day has a cinematic widescreen
format. A total of 2 minutes 52 seconds of the
video is taken up by lines of dialogue
delivered by the actors, thus challenging
typical narrative conventions.

9. STYLE/CLOTHING/ATTITUDE
-PRE CONTEMPORARY
• The primary, more sophisticated figures of the early half of the Rock genre tended to
wear smart jackets, denim jackets or casual shirts, such as the artists below. Performers
at first presented themselves as respectable figures to the audience because the genre
was finding its feet in the industry and with its fans. This ensured their records would sell
as it ultimately gave them a professional edge to their style. This was also largely before
the ‘British invasion’ phenomenon when bands became more rebellious within their dress
code and attitude, such as the lyrics containing more dark themes like in ‘Paint it Black’
by The Rolling Stones. “I see a line of cars and they are painted black” relates to the
scenario of his girlfriend’s funeral after which he painted his “door” black, symbolising his
heart.
Chubby
Checker
The
Beatles
Eric
Clapton
• ‘Surf music’, a division of the Rock genre, was key in allowing a more
mainstream audience to appreciate the sounds of conventional Rock
music, with the implementation of a bass, drummer, vocalist and guitarist
setup. Bands such as The Beach Boys, influenced by The Beatles, truly
broke conventions with their 1966 album ‘Pet Sounds’ which established
the possibilities of new sounds to intensify the listeners experience of
listening to a more smooth Rock song. Furthermore, part of the
popularity of the ‘British Invasion’ was bands, such as The Rolling
Stones, being noted for their long hair and sense of rebellion, bringing a
fresh, youthful look

10. STYLE/CLOTHING/ATTITUDE
CONTINUED
• However, From around the late 1980’s onwards, the look and attitude of Rock
performers began to change.
• Instead of the generic, sophisticated look, artists became more flamboyant and
generally adopted a more casual, even ‘slack’ look, such as Coldplay (above
right). The fashion included leather jackets, open shirts and wristbands to
convey a more care-free attitude. Perhaps this marked the official era when
‘Rock n’ Roll’ became a thing of the past as it gave way to edgy, risqué looks,
often reflected in the artist’s imprecise vocals, such as ‘I’m Shipping up to
Boston’ (2005) by Celtic Punk Rock band Dropkick Murphys. The line: ‘I’m
shipping up to Boston whoa’ is performed in a loud, aggressive manner by
lead vocalist Mike McColgan which represents the contrast in attitude as
opposed to artists such as The Beatles with Paul’s often light-hearted tones,
such as in ‘Penny Lane’ (1967).
Pavement Coldplay
Bruce Springsteen