The Many Types of Rock n Roll

By Mrpen

(note I would like to blast out a article into each of the different types of generalized genres of rock. represented by color groups above, a real indepth article into each one with examples. Just another thing for me to put together in my evenings while I toil away at this site.)

Let’s start with the blues element, represented here by John Lee Hooker’s 1948 “Boogie Chillen" It’s the primal sound, the African sound, with guitar driving the rhythm. It’s the guitar riff that launched a million songs. Without Hooker, you don’t have ZZ Top.There’s still one very important ingredient in rock and roll: a distorted guitar. And that’s why its said that Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88” from 1951 should be considered the first rock and roll song.It’s not easy to determine what the first rock and roll song actually was but Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cars is often mentioned as a top candidate. So I will give to that one. However, Ike Turner, who actually played in "Rocket 88," refuted this thesis in no uncertain terms. Ike said: "The truth of the matter is, I don’t think that Rocket 88 is Rock-N-Roll. I think that Rocket 88 is R&B.

However it was Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock (1955) that topped the charts. With its popularity, rock and roll became widespread. This was followed by a string of hits as new artists emerged in the genre. Bo Diddley’s I’m a Man became a hit in 1955. Little Richard, meanwhile, became one of the first major stars in the history of rock and roll. Among his biggest hits were Long Tall Sally in 1956 and Good Golly Miss Molly (1958).

Chuck Berry also broke through with Maybellene in 1955 and also came out with Johnny B Goodie (1958). The biggest rock and roll star was Elvis Presley whose first hit was That’s All Right in 1954. Decline Fro a time rock and roll was the best selling genre in the US. However it declined in the late 1950s and 1960s. There were several factors that led to this. Among them were the deaths of Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly. Elvis Presley left to join the Army.

Little Richard became a preacher and other genres became popular. However this period in the history of rock and roll did not actually mean the genre was dead. The music simply assumed other forms.

While most of the 1960s music charts were dominated by the Beatles, rock and roll was changing. Around this time, the roll was dropped and the music came to be known as just rock.

By the late 1960s, rock music would emerge and produce new stars and sub genres. Folk rock was popularized by Bob Dylan with songs like Blowing in the Wind and Mr. Tambourine Man. Other popular folk artists were Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel and Joni Mitchell.

This period in the history of rock and roll is often referred to as the period of classic rock. Rock took on different forms and several pioneering artists came out. Psychedelic rock was popularized by Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and the Byrds. In Britain, psychedelic rock was being fused with progressive rock, with Pink Floyd as its main exponent.

(Here I just kinda jumped ahed or pass on by, need to do more in this era)

Then through the seventies and eighties it all got bigger. Masively bigger. More music, more lables and eveything was now worldwide as opposed to this side that side of the pond. This decade saw hard rock become more popular. Among the biggest bands of the era were Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and AC DC. Aerosmith, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper also produced several hits.

The 1980s saw the emergence of glam rock (also called hair metal). Popular bands included Guns n Roses, Poison, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. The 1990s witnessed the birth of grunge led by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. The history of rock and roll has come a long way. Today, rock music remains one of the most popular genres in the world, second only to county music. (interested fact: 67% of all US radio stations of of the country genre)

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