...Shosanna Spill Tricia Swoope ENG 112 03 July 2010 Rock Music Rock is a popular form of music that has evolved over the past couple of decades starting in the 1950s until present day. Rock music has been known to be used as a form of expression over the years. Despite its sometimes negative and defiant lyrics, rock is a form of art that allows one to release his/her feelings through singing in an expressive tone. Later styles of heavy rock music in the 1990s, such as grunge, the typical example being Seattle's Nirvana, show influences of heavy metal but are typically not labelled sub-genres of heavy metal, as opposed to thrash metal and glam metal. The general absence of virtuosic guitar solos is perhaps one reason grunge bands haven't been considered heavy metal bands. Another key artist during this time was Megadeth, which combined the relentless, speedy thrash metal riffs with the fancy guitar soloing of speed metal like Judas Priest. Rock-n-Roll has never just been music. Heavy metal, Rhythm & Blues, Art Rock, New Wave, and the rest may be primary styles or genres but as sub-categories of rock, or rockin’ roll they do not cumulatively add up to the whole. Rock n’ Roll is a movement, a lifestyle, in many ways a belief system and all that Rock n Roll is today it owes to history: two years, no more than three when the fabric of American popular culture was torn apart and rewoven, and a new era explosively began. Rock n Roll started with slavery. To understand we must understand...
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...melody, or harmony.” Rock music has been an escape for many people through the fascinating history, concerts, and the many different genres of rock. Many people credit Alan Freed with coining the term Rock ‘n’ Roll. At radio station WJW in Cleveland, Ohio, dj Alan Freed started out in 1951 playing classical music such as Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. Freed soon realized rock 'n' roll had took the hearts of young people throughout the U.S.. “I went to the station manager and talked him into permitting me to follow...
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...Americans’ will to dominate and conquer. Could this be a depiction of American military dominance and cultural imperialism? Or is it a testament to the unifying power of music – crossing racial and ethnic barriers to bind people of all cultures under one flag? Throughout this paper we will examine the painting, the band and the history behind it all to discover the message intended for us. The parallels between this image and the photo it emulates are made evident, not just by its stenciled letters, or even the soldiers themselves – but the painting’s background and overlay. Consisting of a faded, yellowish tint, the painting closely resembles the original photo of Iwo Jima. Yet, while the fading is nearly identical to that of the original photo, the yellow tinting is something more common amongst all historical photographs. This imagery may have been used to equate the painting to not just the flag-raising at Iwo Jima or even historical photographs in general – but, more specifically, to photographs of defining moments in American history. This could imply that American music is equally important and influential as any great moment in American history. Or,...
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..."Rock Around the Clock" "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song written in 1952. And the version that we have just listened to was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954. Compared with the first recording by another band and the various cover versions afterwards, Haley recording is considered as to be the best-known and most successful rendition of the song. When first released in the spring of 1954, it gained only limited sales. However, the song was popularized by its use in the social commentary film “Blackboard Jungle” in 1955 and became an anthem for the rebellious Fifties youth. Haley's recording of "Rock Around the Clock" is generally labeled to be the song that, more than any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture around the world. Popular music of the 1950s When the 1950s are mentioned, the first type of music to come to most people's minds is rock 'n roll. But music in the fifties was more than just rock 'n roll. The early 1950s era Pop music focusd on the song’s story and emotional delivery and was essentially a continuation of the crooner sound of the previous decade. Crooner sound refers to the sentimental songs, especially the love songs of the 1930s and 1940s It was not until the middle of the decade, Rock and roll entered the mainstream and became a major force in American record sales. And with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records, popular artists such as Bill Haley, Elvis Presley...
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...Elvis Presley: A Revolutionist Gage E. Trollinger Elvis Presley is the single most significant figure in rock and roll history. He completely changed music and he also changed entertainment through his influences. In the 1950’s Presley’s music broke past these racial barriers. He allowed Caucasian and African Americans listen to the same type of music. Elvis challenged the social and moral values because his music and his dance moves created a new generation. By 1955 Elvis had gone to a national sensation. People quickly fell in love with his style of music and dancing, Critics loved and hated him at the same time altho girls were in awe with him. The fact that Elvis shook his hips, thrust his pelvis, and danced passionately on stage, turned parents against his music. Elvis posed a threat to the values and morals of wight american cicity. Presly “set in motion a style of music that dominated the world for the rest of the century. It was the beginning of youth culture, the breakdown of sexual inhibition, and the end of racial segregation.”...
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...These racial issues introduced a new music genre called Rock ‘n’ Roll. A lot of this music was written by African-Americans. Many Caucasian adults did not agree with Rock ‘n’ Roll because of the lesson it was teaching, the music was the largest sold music genre of the decade. Caucasian adults believed the lyrics were sexual and rebellious. As an effect of these lyrics, many Caucasian teenagers started rebelling against their parents. African Americans wrote the songs the Caucasian’s singers performed them (Vaillancourt 5). Even politicians disagreed with the Rock ‘n’ Roll statement (Alvarez 10). Before Rock ‘n’ Roll, Jazz, and Blues were the main music genres. Even though Jazz and Blues still existed, Rock ‘n’ Roll was in the hearts of teenagers during the fifties (Alvarez...
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...Professor Lori Shipley Spirituals to Rock and Roll 23 April 2016 Joan Jett Pioneers Through Rock and Roll History America has been characterized by revolutionary people changing the aspects and perspectives of its citizens through innovative acts, movements, and even through word of mouth. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the outlook of millions of Americans on the racial division in the country by using peaceful protests and eloquently delivered speeches. Benjamin Franklin and the founding fathers pioneered an idea that a country could be run by the people, which was in direct opposition to the rule they were under in Britain. These two events have set forth a phenomenon in America that allows people to challenge prototypical roles and views. When it comes to music icons that have changed the normalcy of music during their time, one would have to be Joan Jett. She was faced with the overwhelming obstacle of battling sexism and gender inequality throughout her musical career, particularly in the Rock and Roll industry in the 1970s and 80s. The music industry was changing during the 1960s in part to what Americans were experiencing; the British Invasion, the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement. Rock and Roll quickly made its way into the mainstream being a powerful voice for the cultural revolution. Rock and Roll was a man’s world during the 70s and 80s, and women rockers were unwelcomed by both the musicians and fans. Joan...
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...Rock n Roll In the 1950’s rock n roll became a dividing and unifying force, the impact of rock music was felt by the masses. Rock and Roll pitted the government, parents and the mass media against teenagers. At the same time rock and roll helped erode some of the social and political issues in America. The emergence and growth of rock n roll could be attributed to the events that took place in the 1950’s and 60’s in America (Azzam, 2007). Study of the role of rock n roll by historians evidently shows that its role was to unite the blacks and the whites by creating a common culture as well addressing the political issues during this period of warfare. This paper addresses Bob Dylan’s song of 1962 bringing out its role on addressing political and social injustices of the 1960’s. In a New York café was first heard was Bob Dylan’s song, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ in 1962. At this time, there was a lot of anxiety in America following the events of the Cold War. A Cuba- Soviet Union alliance was getting cozy making the Pentagon and state department analysts nervous. At this summer period, there were reports that Russia had increased their military aide in Cuba. During the same time, Rob Dylan released a dozen of songs all which were politically influenced aiming at addressing the issues transpiring during this era. Historians and journalists have always treated Dylan as a quintessential protest singer. Historians and journalists have always treated Dylan’s songs as an emblematic...
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...Sam Cooke In a class titled History of Rock ‘n Roll, one would think that the course would cover almost every major artist who participated in or influenced the rise of the genre. However, due to time constraints and personal preferences, every artist cannot be given the credit they deserve in the proper way—at least not all in one semester! That is okay, though. In this paper I plan on introducing an artist whose career and influence on the creation of the rock n’ roll era both was tremendous in his own right. Sam Cooke was a revolutionary artist who in some instances set the precedent for many artists and movements that followed. His music, singing, and performance helped solidify Cooke as one of the all-time greats. As a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame charter member, the need for his presence on the syllabus and in this class is irrefutable. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 22, 1931, to the Reverend and Mrs. Charles Cook, Sr., Sam Cooke was one of eight Cook children. This son of a Baptist preacher and sibling to four brothers and three sisters was born into a lifestyle conducive to a musical career. The large family and church background provided for the perfect set-up for a gospel family group. That’s just what they did—together forming “The Singing Children”. (Wolff). Cooke’s musical talents and interests continued to thrive in the ensuing years as he moved from one musical group to another, working to make a name for himself and for the African-American...
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...The review written by Richard Aquila brings to light notable criticisms of Glen C. Altschuler’s book called All Shook Up. The comments undermine his argument and take away from emphasizing the cultural influences of Rock ‘n’ Roll. However, better fact checking and a familiar look at Motown would make him a more credible author. Aquila points out there are many errors in the facts stated throughout the book. Simple mistakes are made that could have been easily avoided with thorough fact checking. For example, Altschuler lists the wrong title of a famous Rock ‘n’ Roll song by Danny and the Juniors’ (Aquila 1). While the content of the book is still engaging, the inaccuracy of the details is distracting and gives less weight to the facts used...
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...Modern American music is one of the greatest contribution to the arts in the United States’ history, but it wasn’t developed overnight. The origin story of modern American music, and all of its genres, is a long one filled with tragedy, exploration, and a fusion of cultures. While many of people have a particular genre of music they like more than the others, it’s appalling that they don’t know how these pieces of art were constructed for their enjoyment. Before people can learn about the development of modern American music, they must first learn about the origin of music itself. It’s safe to assume that ever since human beings have been on this planet we’ve been humming a tune or tapping a beat. However, the first documented record of music came from ancient Mesopotamia in the form of religious chant. It is very...
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...Peter Clark Professor James Smethurst AFROAM 151 December 5, 2012 The History Of Rock and Roll: Copyright Not Included The history of black America is one filled with exploitation and abuse. Time and time again we see the “cultural rape” of the black community. Whether it be style, lingo, or music white culture has been “borrowing” from black culture since the early history of the United States. It is so obvious it almost passes unnoticed. For example the handshake has largely been replaced in youth culture by a dap or a fist pound, both remnant of black culture in the 60’s. Even hello has been replaced with “yo” an interjection made popular in the black vernacular. One cultural phenomena that has been largely covered up as African-American in origin. The history of rock and roll is long and intricate drawing its roots from early American R&B, among other places. While most of the true innovators of rock music have been widely overlooked, white musicians have been profiting greatly off of the innovations made in music by black recording artists, specifically in the arena of rock and roll. It is widely accepted that rock music has its roots in the american blues. The history of the blues dates all the way back to slave plantations. This genre comes specifically from African-American folk music. Julio Finn the author of The Bluesman stated that: [White blues performers] can never be bluespeople...because the blues is not something they live but something they...
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...Taylor Rice History of Rock and Roll Mixtape Project February 25, 2016 Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson Hound Dog by Elvis Presley This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard Unforgettable by Nat King Cole Miserlou by Dick Dale & the Del Tones Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & the Comets Surfin’ USA by Beach Boys Maybellene by Chuck Berry The Times They Are A-Changin by Bob Dylan Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” (Crossroads) released in 1937. Robert Johnson is a legend, known as a figure in defining the foundation of the birth of Blues. His blues style was also very influential in the shaping of Rock and Roll. Before his young death at the young age of 27, he only ever recorded 29 of his compositions, which is very little material in comparison to other legends. His songs were seen as remarkable and inspiring since his music had a shockingly raw feel for the era. “Cross Road Blues” is in the blues genre, more specifically the Delta blues style. The song gives life to the legend of Robert Johnson who supposedly met the Devil at a crossroads outside of town and sold his sole in return for the Devil to tune his guitar and give him the talent to become a great musician. The song represents the blues genre of the era from the spiritual and religious roots, however, rather than using the usual saxophone as the lead instrument in a jazz song, he played the acoustic guitar. Woody Guthrie’s “This Land...
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...History of The Beatles: An Annotated Bibliography "Beatles Bible." The Beatles Bible. N.p., 2008. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. The Beatles Bible brings up many aspects of the band that may have been hidden to the general public. While The Beatles are well known for their fantastic music over the decade in which they ruled the rock n’ roll world, few people truly know about what happened behind the scenes of these rock gods. The Beatles Bible has detailed accounts of how songs were developed as well as an entire “journal” of Beatles drug usage and how these drugs might have affected their music production. With detailed and dated accounts of interviews with the band their closest companions it is possible to trace back to the time of song creation in order to truly understand the meanings behind these timeless songs. Dock, Albert. "The Beatles Story, Liverpool." The Beatles Story, Liverpool. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. On The Beatles Story homepage there is an interactive timeline with a detailed events schedule, which is just a mere glimpse into the hectic life that The Beatles lived. This webpage allows the reader to understand the lives of the band members outside of the band. As each member of the band progressed in their own way their music changed and understanding how and why The Beatles music varied throughout the course of their existence is a key factor in uncovering their path from garage band in Liverpool to international music icons. Kozinn, Allan. "Details...
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...THE HISTORY OF ROCK AND POP "POP" is short for "popular" and there has always been popular music. But until the 1950s there wasn't a style of music just for young people. That all changed when rock and roll began. Since then, hundreds of styles and stars have come and gone. Musical technology has changed a lot too. Here, we look at the highlights of rock and pop's forty-year history. The '50s Rock and roll began in America. Some of its first big stars were black - for example Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard. They brought traditional "rhythm and blues" to a big new TV audience. Then, white singers began to copy them. One of the first was Bill Haley. He and his band, The Comets, recorded an early rock and roll classic, "Rock Around The Clock". There were other white "rockers", too, like Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly. But the most popular of them all was Elvis Aaron Presley. Elvis wasn't like the American singers of the '40s and early '50s. He wasn't neat, sweet and safe. He was rough, tough and dangerous. His music was dangerous, too. He called himself "The King of Rock and Roll" and played an electric guitar. Teenagers all over the world fell in love with this new style. They bought millions of his records. Suddenly the younger generation didn't just have money, cars and televisions - they had a hero, too. The '60s Pop exploded in the '60s. After Elvis, hundreds of new groups and singers appeared. In Britain, two groups quickly became more...
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