Conventions of Rock Music

Get an inside look at the conventions of rock music and how they have changed over the years.

The Roots of Rock

The music that we now call rock and roll developed from a number of sources in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. African American musical traditions, particularly the blues, combined with the sounds of country music, gospel music, and R&B to create a unique new genre. The first rock and roll songs were recorded in the 1950s, and the style quickly gained popularity among young people across the country.

The Beatles and the British Invasion

In the early 1960s, a “British Invasion” of rock musicians led by the Beatles ushered in a new era of American pop music. The British Invasion began in early 1964 with the arrival of the Beatles on American shores. The group’s appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February of that year was watched by an estimated 73 million people and is widely considered to be one of the defining moments of the 20th century. The excitement generated by the Beatles’ success helped to launch the careers of other British bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Animals, and Herman’s Hermits. British Invasion bands differed from their American counterparts in both their style and their approach to music. They favored a more polished and sophisticated sound that was heavily influenced by traditional pop music and classically-trained musicianship. British Invasion bands also had a strong visual identity, often dressing in suits and smart clothing onstage and in publicity photos. In contrast with the rough-and-tumble image of many American rock bands, British groups presented themselves as clean-cut and well-groomed. The British Invasion had a major impact on American culture and helped to shape the sound and style of rock music for years to come.

The Rolling Stones and Glam Rock

The Rolling Stones are a British rock band formed in London in 1962. The band members included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman. The Rolling Stones rose to prominence during the so-called British Invasion of the United States in 1964 and have been one of the world’s most popular and influential rock bands ever since.

The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of America in 1964. They were thuggish bad boys compared to the squeaky clean image of The Beatles. They wrote their own material, unlike most other British Invasion bands who were content to play American hits. They were also one of the first bands to experiment with amplified blues music. With songs like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Paint It Black,” The Rolling Stones pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in popular music.

In the early 1970s, The Rolling Stones moved away from their blues roots and began experimenting with other genres like country and glam rock. This period saw the release of some of their most iconic albums, including “Exile on Main St.” and “Sticky Fingers.” The Stones’ newfound experimentation continued throughout the rest of the decade and beyond, leading to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Punk Rock

Punk rock is a music genre that developed in the mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s garage rock and other forms of what is now known as “proto-punk” music, punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent record labels.

The first wave of punk rock was “hardcore” punk, which arose in reaction to the overblown and socially alienating conventions of mainstream 1970s stadium arena rock. Hardcore punk generally eschews artistic embellishment and sets a fiercely fast pace. In the original punk ethos, some groups followed a straightedge lifestyle, which advocated For Straight Edge Punk Rockers – no meat, no drugs, no alcohol – nothing but pure energy!

Heavy Metal

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

In 1970, four British rock bands released debut albums that defined early heavy metal. Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV featured “Stairway to Heaven”, which made heavy use of the electric guitar solo combined with effects pedals such as Jimi Hendrix’s wah-wah pedal. Black Sabbath’s Supernaut (1972) included parts of “Paranoid” that featured wah-wah pedal usage boosts the song’s intensity level. Deep Purple’s Machine Head (1972) featured “Smoke on the Water”, a song whose composition included an overdriven Hammond organ part justified by its recorded distorted guitars and dual lead guitars in unison. Judas Priest’s Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) is considered one of the first heavy metal albums highlighting dual lead guitars supported by a rumbling bass sound followed by powerful drumming that created an ominous atmosphere.

During the 1980s, glam metal became popular with groups such as Mötley Crüe and Whitesnake. Plenty of hair bands followed them in this new genre which was characterized by catchy hooks, outrageous clothing style, and heavy use of makeup and keyboard instruments such as synthesizers to create a sense of excess. Glam metal lost much of its appeal during the grunge movement of the early 1990s but experienced something of a revival later in the decade with bands such as Poison and Warrant achieving success once again. In 1997 Garth Brooks’ cover version of Dee Snider’s “Ready to Fall” helped to renew interest in hair metal resulting in Snider’ reforming Twisted Sister for live performances starting in 2003 followed by full studio recordings beginning in 2006 with A Twisted Christmas (2006).

Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Grunge music is typically characterized by a heavy, distorted guitar sound, grungy vocals, and a pared-down aesthetic.

The earliest known use of the term “grunge” was in a review of the 1985 album Out of Touch by the band Touched, published in Seattle weekly The Rocket. The Reviewer, Jeff Stryker, used the term to describe the sound of the guitar on the album, which he described as “heavy” and “dirty”.

The term “grunge” soon came to be associated with a number of other bands from the Seattle area who were making similar music, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. Grunge became a national phenomenon in 1991 with the release of Nirvana’s album Nevermind. The album’s single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became an anthem for teenage rebellion and helped to make Nirvana one of the most successful rock bands of all time.

In the years that followed, grunge music fell out of favor with mainstream audiences, but it remains an important part of rock history.

Indie Rock

Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as “rock and roll” in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily on the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew attention to electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards.

The term “rock” was originally used to describe a specific type of music, but it has since come to be used as a general term for all types of popular music. There are many different subgenres of rock music, including indie rock.

Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. Indie rock was originally used to describe independent record labels, but it has since come to be used as a general term for all types of guitar-based rock music. Indie rock is characterized by its DIY ethic, independent record label status, and student/bohemian following.

Alternative Rock

Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated in the 1950s. It is generally characterized by a heavy emphasis on guitars, drums, and bass, as well as vocal harmonies and sometimes unconventional song structures. The term “rock” can refer to both the musical style and the performers who create it.

Alternative rock is a category of rock music that includes a wide range of styles, including punk rock, indie rock, and hard rock. Alternative rock is generally less commercially successful than other types of rock music, such as classic rock or metal.

Some well-known alternative rock bands include Radiohead, Nirvana, and the Pixies.

Pop Rock

Pop rock is a genre of popular music that combines elements of rock and pop music. It typically has a strong melody and is easy to listen to. The Beatles and the Beach Boys are two well-known pop rock bands.

Experimental Rock

Experimental rock, also called avant-garde rock, experimental pop, post-rock or art rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. Experimental rock rose to prominence in the early 1960s, primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The style is characterized by the extensive use of innovative studio techniques, instruments and songwriting methods. It often features elements of other genres such as jazz, classical or folk music. Experimental rock bands often eschew conventional pop influences and structures in favor of formal experimentation.

Led by artists such as the Beatles, Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd, experimental rock reached its commercial peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s with albums such as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie. However, many experimental rock artists were commercially unsuccessful and overlooked by critics at the time. These artists have since been reappraised by commentators and historians who have recognised their influence on subsequent generations of musicians.