Music genres > Rock Music

Rock Music

From the early 1950's until today, Rock'n'Roll, or as it is more commonly used today: Rock, had much to do with the attitude as it had with the music. Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States during the 1940's and 1950's. Its origins are in Rhythm and Blues and in Country music. Other musical influences include: Blues, Folk music, Jazz, and even Classical music.

The fuse of Country music with Rhythm and Blues became an explosive phenomenon that swept western civilization during the better part of the 20th century. Rock firmly placed the electric guitar as its main axe, using it, or abusing, it in every way possible. The drums, electric guitar and electric bass usually make up rock groups. Classic rock songs started out having a straight 4, 8 or 16 drum beat to a 4/4 time signature using a verse-chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse and common musical characteristics have become difficult to define. Similarly to pop music, the lyrics of rock songs often focus on romantic love but rock music has a bigger emphasis on the artistic creativity and live performance aspects and can also address a wide variety of other themes, including social and political ones.

Many different styles came out of Rock music, including: folk, garage, psychedelic, progressive, jazz rock, glam, Christian, soft rock, punk, new wave, heavy metal, grunge. That's the reason it comes as no surprise that the term 'Rock' has occasionally been used as a blanket term to include other genres that have been influenced by Rock, such as: Pop music, Reggae, Soul and even Hip hop.

Rock music can cover the delicate harmonies of the Beach Boys, or the speed metal of Metallica, and even the calculated solos of Pink Floyd. Classic rock songs that have become iconic in the western world include: Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, The Eagles' Hotel California, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer, ACDC's You Shook Me All Night Long, the Beatles' Let It Be and Aerosmith's Dream on, to name a few.