The Rock Music Family Tree

The Rock Music Family Tree is a blog dedicated to exploring the past, present, and future of rock music.

The Roots of Rock Music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated in the United States in the 1950s. The terms “rock and roll” and “rock” each have a long history, with both dating back to the early 20th century. In the 1930s, trade publications used the term “rhythm and blues” to describe African American popular music. By the 1940s, “rhythm and blues” had evolved into “jazz”. In the 1950s, both terms were used interchangeably to describe the new genre of music that was beginning to form on the margins of society. The term “rock and roll” was first used in print in 1951, in an article by Billboard magazine. By 1955, “rock and roll” had become a catch-all phrase that could be used to describe any number of African American-influenced musical styles.

The roots of rock music are often traced back to two sources: African American rhythm and blues and country music. Rhythm and blues was a style of music that was developed by African Americans in the 1940s and 1950s. It was a direct descendant of earlier African American musical styles, such as jazz and gospel, and it was heavily influenced by the blues. Country music, on the other hand, was a style of music that was developed by white Americans in the rural South in the early 20th century. It was influenced by several different genres of music, including folk music, gospel music, and bluegrass.

While both rhythm and blues and country music were important influences on rock music, there were also many other genres that contributed to its development. These include gospel, pop, classical, jazz, folk, and even some forms of world music. All of these genres fed into the ever-growing melting pot that was rock music in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Beatles and the British Invasion

In the early 1960s, a new type of music was being created in Britain that would soon take the world by storm. This new sound was called “rock” or “rock and roll” and it quickly became popular with teenagers all over the world. The Beatles were at the forefront of this new music movement and their popularity exploded in 1964 with the start of what is known as the “British Invasion.”

The British Invasion was a time when British rock bands became extremely popular in the United States. The Beatles were the most successful of all the British Invasion bands, but they were not alone. Other successful bands included The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Herman’s Hermits, and The Dave Clark Five. These bands brought a new sound to America that was fresh and exciting.

The British Invasion had a lasting impact on both Britain and America. In Britain, it sparked a whole new generation of musicians who would go on to create some of the most iconic rock songs of all time. In America, it introduced a new type of music that would quickly become wildly popular. The British Invasion was a true turning point in both British and American music history.

The Rolling Stones and the Glam Rock Revolution

The Rolling Stones and the Glam Rock Revolution
The roots of glam rock can be traced back to the early 1970s, when a number of British bands began to experiment with outrageous stage costumes and makeup. These bands included the likes of David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Queen. But it was the Rolling Stones who really took glam rock to the next level.

The Rolling Stones were already one of the biggest bands in the world by the time they released their 1972 album “Exile on Main Street”. But it was with their 1973 single “Angie” that they truly embraced the glam rock aesthetic. The song’s haunting melody and lyrics about loneliness and heartbreak struck a chord with listeners, and the accompanying music video featured the band members dressed in flamboyant outfits and heavy makeup.

From that point onward, the Rolling Stones became synonymous with glam rock, and their influence can still be felt in today’s music scene. So if you’re a fan of hard rock or metal, chances are you have the Rolling Stones to thank!

The Birth of Punk Rock

The roots of punk rock can be traced back to the early 1960s, when a group of young musicians in the United Kingdom started playing stripped-down, raw rock and roll. They were influenced by American rockers like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, as well as by British Invasion bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. These young musicians would go on to form some of the most influential punk bands of all time, including the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Damned.

The American Punk Rock Movement

The American punk rock movement was a response to the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock music. Punk rock bands focused on creating a raw, fast-paced, and often aggressive sound, as well as on producing short, anti-establishment songs with generally simplistic lyrics.

The first wave of punk rock in the United States was led by bands such as the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith Group, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids. The second wave of American punk rock was led by bands such as Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys, and Bad Religion.

The Hardcore Punk Movement

Hardcore punk is a subgenre of punk rock that began in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Hardcore punk often centers on social and political issues, particularly those related to the punk subculture, such as anarchism, anti-authoritarianism, and anti-corporate sentiments.

The Post-Punk Movement

The Post-Punk Movement was a rock music movement that developed in the late 1970s, principally in the United Kingdom. The exact origins of the movement are uncertain, but it is generally credited to the explosion of creativity that followed the punk rock revolution of 1977.

The Post-Punk Movement was characterized by a return to more experimental and avant-garde styles of rock music, as well as a willingness to incorporate elements from other genres such as funk, dub, and disco. This embrace of diversity was in contrast to the narrow Punk Rock aesthetic, which insisted on a stripped-down sound and look.

The Post-Punk Movement produced some of the most innovative and enduring bands of the late 20th century, including Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, The Fall, and Public Image Ltd. While most of these bands did not achieve commercial success in their home country, they were enormously influential on subsequent generations of musicians.

The Alternative Rock Movement

The alternative rock movement of the early 1990s spurred the reemergence of independent music and ushered in a new era of creativity and diversity. Characterized by its anti-commercialism and counter-cultural sensibility, alternative rock broke through the mainstream with artists such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Alternative Rock Movement built on the foundation of punk rock and brought a new level of energy and intensity to the music. Punk rock, for its part, had been a reaction to the blandness and conformity of 1970s popular music. Punk bands such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash eschewed the polished production values of mainstream pop in favor of a rawer sound that was more in keeping with their DIY ethic.

The Alternative Rock Movement took punk’s do-it-yourself attitude one step further, creating an even more underground sound that was at once less accessible and more experimental. This new wave of alternative bands found success on college radio and through word-of-mouth buzz, eventually crossover onto commercial stations. The breakthrough of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in 1991 signaled the arrival of alternative rock into the mainstream consciousness.

While there is no one defining sound of the Alternative Rock Movement, it is generally characterized by its rebellious spirit, DIY ethic, and intense musicality. From grunge to punk to indie rock, this period produced some of the most influential music of the last 30 years.

The Grunge Movement

The grunge movement was a musical genre and subculture that emerged in the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle. It was characterized by heavy guitars, distorted sounds, and dark or nihilistic lyrics. Grunge fashion often consisted of plaid shirts, ripped jeans, andDoc Martens boots.

Grunge music built upon the sounds and aesthetics of punk rock and heavy metal, while also incorporating elements of indie rock and hip hop. The term “grunge” was first used to describe the Seattle music scene in a 1971 article in The Rocket magazine. The word gained popularity when Mark Arm, frontman of the Seattle band Green River—one of the first grunge bands—used it to describe the sound of his band’s EP Dry As a Bone (1986), which was released on Sub Pop Records. By the early 1990s, grunge had come to define a specific music style, fashion sensibility, and cultural movement.

The grunge movement helped to shape alternative rock as a whole in the 1990s and had a lasting impact on popular culture; many major label acts such as Pearl Jam and Nirvana have been described as “grunge” bands, although they would later distance themselves from the label.

The Nu Metal Movement

The nu metal movement was a musical style that developed in the late 1990s. It was characterized by heavy, distorted guitars and a mix of styles including rap, hardcore punk, and industrial music. Nu metal bands often had a dark, aggressive sound and themes of resentment and social outcasts.

The nu metal movement began in the United States with bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit. These bands helped to popularize the style and bring it to a mainstream audience. Other nu metal bands that achieved success in the early 2000s include Papa Roach, Linkin Park, and Staind.

The popularity of nu metal began to decline in the mid-2000s, as other musical styles like emo and indie rock became more popular. However, some nu metal bands have continued to find success, including Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, and Stone Sour.