Names in Rock Music: Whizzle Search Answers

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

We all know that many famous musicians go by stage names. But where do these names come from? In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the most famous musicians in rock music and the stories behind their names.

Rock music history

Rock music history can be traced back to the 1950s, when a new style of music called rock and roll emerged. The term “rock” referred to the type of music, while “roll” referred to the dancing that was associated with it. The first rock and roll song is generally considered to be “Rocket 88” by Ike Turner.

During the 1960s, a new type of rock music began to develop, which was influenced by both blues and country music. This new style came to be known as “blues rock.” Some of the most famous blues rock bands include the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Cream.

In the 1970s, a number of different subgenres of rock music emerged, including hard rock, soft rock, glam rock, and punk rock. Hard rock bands like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin became extremely popular during this decade. Punk rock was a particularly underground genre of music that developed in response to the commercialism of mainstreamrock bands. Some of the most famous punk rock bands include the Ramones and Sex Pistols.

The 1980s saw the rise of hair metal bands like Poison and Motley Crue. These bands were known for their flamboyant stage shows, which often included pyrotechnics and heavily made-up band members. Glam metal bands enjoyed enormous popularity during this decade but fell out of favor in the early 1990s due to changing musical tastes.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions.

Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became their manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood stepped into the breach until 1986 when he too was replaced by Darryl Jones.

With over 200 million records sold worldwide, the Rolling Stones are considered to be one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all time. They have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations; they have had multiple charted singles including 27 number-ones on Billboard Hot 100 chart singles; their estimated album sales are above 250 million. They have played more than 2,000 concerts over fifty years music careers; their concert tour of North America set what were then industry records for concert attendance and gross revenue ($50 million); this tour is considered to be one of largestbox office draws of all time; they continue to attract large concert audiences worldwide.[19][20] By 2007 they had four of the top five highest grossing concert tours of all time: Voodoo Lounge Tour (1994), Bridges to Babylon Tour (1997–98), Licks Tour
(2002–03) and A Bigger Bang Tour (2005–07).[21] In 2012–13 their 50 & Counting world tour became one of only two rock bands—the other being U2—to earn more than $1 billion from tours.[22] Individually against this achievement lead singer Jagger has been inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice as a solo artist as well as with members of The Rolling Stones; lead guitarist Richards has once been inducted as a solo artist and three times with members of The Rolling Stones; Watts and Wood have each been inducted with members of The Rolling Stones

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. They are also considered one of the most successful, innovative, and influential rock groups in history.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is a rock band that formed in London, England in 1965. The band consisted of Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason. The band achieved international success with their concept albums, including The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Pink Floyd are one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated global sales of over 200 million albums.

The Who

The Who is a British rock band formed in London in 1964. The group performed a style of mod-influenced pop music that came to be known as “power pop.” They achieved success with their debut album, My Generation (1965), which contained the hit singles “I Can’t Explain” and “My Generation.” The group’s next album, A Quick One (1966), was also successful, reaching number five in the UK charts. It included the single “Substitute,” which reached number six on the UK singles chart.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was an American musician whose career spanned from 1962 to 1970. According to one biographer, his “conceptual Contributions to rock ‘n’ roll” were as influential as his actual songs. Although his mainstream career lasted only four years, he is considered one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. Hendrix was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005

David Bowie

David Bowie was an English rock musician who was born in London on January 8, 1947. He is best known for his work in the glam rock genre, but he also experimented with a wide range of other musical styles throughout his career. Bowie’s first release was the 1966 album “David Bowie”, which he followed up with a number of other successful albums including “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” (1972), “Aladdin Sane” (1973), and “Station to Station” (1976). He also had a number of hit singles, such as “Space Oddity” (1969), “Fame” (1975), and “Let’s Dance” (1983). Bowie passed away on January 10, 2016, two days after his 69th birthday.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987. The band consisted of singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl. Nirvana achieved massive success with their second album, Nevermind (1991), which signaled the start of the grunge movement.

Queen

Queen is a British rock band formed in London in 1970. The band members were Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). Queen’s early works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.

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