Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll or rock ‘n’ roll) is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in theUnited States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African-American genres such asblues, jump blues, jazz, and gospel music, together with Western swing and country music. Though elements of rock and roll can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until the 1950s. The term “rock and roll” now has at least two different meanings, both in common usage: referring to the first wave of music that originated in the US in the 1950s and would later develop into the more encompassing international style known as “rock music”, and as a term simply synonymous with the rock music and culture in the broad sense. For the
purpose of differentiation, this article deals with the first definition. In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced or supplemented by guitar in the middle to late 1950s. The beat is essentially a blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum. Classic rock and roll is usually played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or (after the mid-1950s) an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit.[9] Beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and on television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the initially characteristic backbeat, that are now more commonly called simply “rock music” or “rock”.
Rock Music Rock music has been a volatile, unpredictable creature that has constantly redefined and reinvented itself since its emergence in the late 1940s. Not surprisingly, then, it can be extremely difficult to apply a straightforward definition to such a restless musical format. But while people may quibble over specifics, rock music can generally be described as hardedged music performed with electric guitars, bass, and drums and usually accompanied by lyrics sung by a vocalist. That sounds simple enough, but a closer look at the evolution of rock music suggests how different styles and influences have shaped its development over the years. But first, let’s take a look back at its formations.
1960s The Beatles The Beach Boys The Zombies Pink Floyd
The Beatles
During the grim 1950’s when Britain was still recovering from post war blues - four cheeky, young lads from Liverpool, with an eye for the big time, took to busking and with a steely determination were convinced they had the talent to make records. In just a couple of years from producing their first demo record in 1963 they became the most famous musical men on the planet. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are still to this day part of a music legend that has transcended time and decades of changing fashions. Forty years on from their first appearances at the now famous Cavern Club in Liverpool their collective music continues to play around the world. Where other trends of music from artistes from the 70’s and 80’s have now dropped off the radar, Beatles songs still remain classics.
The Beach Boy The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Initially managed by the Wilsons’ father Murry, the Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962. The band’s early music gained popularity across the United States for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance. By the mid1960s, Brian Wilson’s growing creative ambition and songwriting ability would dominate the group’s musical direction. The primarily Wilson-composed Pet
Sounds album and “Good Vibrations” single (both released in 1966) featured a complex, intricate and multi-layered sound that represented a departure from the simple surf rock of the Beach Boys’ early years. The Beach Boys have often been called “America’s Band” and Allmusic has stated that their “unerring ability…made them America’s first, best rock band.” For the band’s 50th anniversary, they briefly reunited as the Beach Boys for a new studio album, world tour, and career-spanning retrospective box set.
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1962 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent (piano, organ and vocals) and Colin Blunstone (vocals). The group scored British and American hits in 1964 with “She’s Not There”. In the US, two further singles, “Tell Her No” and, in 1969, “Time of the Season”, were also successful. the Zombies, the sophisticated, surprisingly advanced group whose earliest hits—1964’s “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No”—were only the prelude to a glorious career that culminated with 1968’s classic album Odessey And Oracle, which bore not only the timeless hit “Time Of The Season” but an accompanying suite of songs that are among the very best ever in the pop era. The album is on more than a few critics’ lists as one of the best pop albums of all time. Though that hit came well after the Zombies had disbanded, and keyboardist vocalist Rod Argent had already formed the similarly stellar rock group that bore his last name—and Zombie vocalist Colin
Blunstone was working his way to his own successful solo career—the Zombies’ legacy only grew with time. Fortunately, popular demand and fortunate circumstances have paired Argent and Blunstone once again all these years later. Drawing considerable acclaim for a series of live performances during the last few years, the reconstituted Zombies released 2004’s As Far As I Can See, and, most recently Breathe Out, Breathe In, a superb new album just released in the States a few weeks ago. An admirable set that respectably carries on the band’s very solid legacy, the album is a remarkable testament to the fact that pure unadulterated talent—whatever decade it might be displayed—will always rise to the top.
Pink Floyd
With the release of 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd abruptly went from a moderately successful acid-rock band to one of rock music’s biggest acts. The recording emained on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart for 741 weeks, longer than any other album in history. Experimenting with concept albums and pot-friendly studio effects and breaking free of conventional pop-song formats, Pink Floyd prefigured the progressive rock of the Seventies and ambient music of the Eighties. After nearly two decades of acrimony, Pink Floyd reunited in 2005 for a performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006 and Wright in 2008. In 2011, Gilmour and Mason joined Waters at one of his The Wall Tour shows at The O2 Arena in London.
1970s Joan Jett The Cure Guns N’ Roses Green Day
Joan Jett
Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and occasional actress, best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, including their hit record “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”, which was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular recordings including “Crimson and Clover”, “I Hate Myself for Loving You”, “Do You Want to Touch Me”, “Light of Day”, “Love is All Around” and “Bad Reputation”. She has three albums that have been certified Platinum or Gold, and has been a feminist icon throughout her career.
The Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band first began releasing music in the late 1970s with its debut album Three Imaginary Boys; this, along with several early singles, placed the band as part of the post-punk and new wave movements that had sprung up in the wake of the punk rock revolution in the United Kingdom. During the early 1980s, the band’s increasingly dark and tormented music helped form the gothic rock genre. After the release of 1982’s Pornography, the band’s future was uncertain and Smith was keen to move past the gloomy reputation his band had acquired. With the single “Let’s Go to Bed” released the same year, Smith began to place a pop sensibility into the band’s music. The Cure’s popularity increased as the decade wore on, especially in the United States where the songs “Just Like Heaven”, “Lovesong” and “Friday I’m in Love” entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. By the start of the 1990s, The Cure were one of the most popular alternative rock bands in the world. The band is estimated to have sold 27 million albums as of 2004.
Guns N’ Roses
Think of stadium rock in the 1980s and one band instantly springs to mind: Guns N’ Roses. Spurred by an egotistical frontman - and three indisputably excellent albums - the band rocketed to stardom and a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. As with so many bright stars, the Gunners burnt out almost as quickly, enjoying only five years at the top. Their hedonistic lifestyle defined them, but, ultimately proved to be their undoing. A product of the Los Angeles rock scene, Guns N’ Roses was born in 1985 as the amalgam of two existing bands: Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. Hollywood Rose singer Axl Rose and
rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin teamed up with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, bassist Loe Beich and drummer Rob Gardner. A flyer advertising their first show at The Troubadour nightclub, on 26 March 1985, displayed the new name after reportedly rejecting the names Heads of Amazon and AIDS. The band played several shows around California with fluctuating line-ups. Beich was replaced on bass by Duff McKagan and after Guns and Gardner failed to show for several concerts, guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler replaced them.
Green day Part of the northern Californian underground punk rock scene, Green Day was formed by childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (lead guitar, lead vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass guitar, backing vocals). They built a cult following during the early 1990s and are credited, along with bands The Offspring and Rancid, for reviving mainstream interest in the punk rock scene. Green Day’s original drummer, John Kiffmeyer, had joined in 1989 but he left in late 1990 in order to attend college in California, soon after the band’s first nationwide tour. He was replaced by Tre Cool (drums, backing vocals).
1990s Good Charlotte Plain White T’s SImple Plan Kings of Leon
Good Charlotte
The East Coast post-grunge/ pop-punk outfit Good Charlotte was founded in 1996 by identical brothers Joel and Benji Madden. Inspired by a Beastie Boys performance on their 1995 Ill Communication tour, the Maddens enlisted the help of several high school classmates in assembling a band that combined the energetic elements spawned from ‘70s punk with the sentimental ballads of mainstream corporate rock. Good Charlotte was soon formed, with Joel Madden handling lead vocals and Benji Madden playing
lead guitar. Paul Thomas (bass) and Aaron Escolopio (drums) completed the early lineup, while Billy Martin later joined as a second guitarist. Although the band hailed from the suburban town of Waldorf, MD, Good Charlotte quickly made a name for itself in nearby Washington, D.C., playing the WHFS annual rock show HFSFestival in 1998 and 1999. A year later, the band issued its spunky self-titled debut on Epic, and the single “Little Things” made minor waves. The Madden
brothers scored a gig as MTV VJs and soon were all over the network’s late-night rock show All Things Rock, which gave their band’s profile a boost. The two spent time behind the scenes writing songs for their sophomore album, but Escolopio left the group to join his brother in Wakefield before recording could commence. Josh Freese was quickly enlisted as the band’s temporary drummer (Chris Wilson would later replace him permanently).
Plain White T’s Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, the punkpop outfit Plain White T’s began taking shape in 1997, a full ten years before the acoustic ballad “Hey There Delilah” made them Grammynominated stars. Lead singer Tom Higgenson was originally fascinated with the drums, having served as the percussionist for various rock bands during high school. One such band was Harvey’s Daughter, whose lineup also featured bass player Ken Fletcher. Although the group disbanded, the two remained friends and quickly launched a different band, with Higgenson taking over lead duties as songwriter and singer. Drummer Dave Tirio also joined the new lineup, bringing Plain White T’s to fruition during the fall of 1997.
Simple Plan
imple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band consisting of Pierre Bouvier (born May 9, 1979) on vocal, Charles ‘Chuck’ Comeau (born September 17, 1979) on drums, David Desrosiers (born August 29, 1980) on bass and backing vocals, Sebastien Lefebvre (born June 5, 1981) on guitar and backing vocals, and Jean-Francois Stinco (born August 22, 1978) on lead guitar. The band first formed as Reset in the late 90s by high-school friends
Bouvier and Chuck at the age of thirteen. Reset released their first record called “No Worries” and toured with some bands like Blink 182, MxPx, Face to Face, and Ten Foot Pole. Chuck, whose first job was a writer in a music magazine, was the first to leave the band after being uncomfortable with the music they played. Two years later, Chuck reunited with Lefebvre and Stinco and decided to start making music again. They unexpectedly met Bouvier, who was a cook in a barbecue chicken restaurant,
at Sugar Ray’s concert in late 1999, who later rejoined the band. They then asked another Reset’s personnel, Desrosiers, to join the new band, Simple Plan.
Kings of Leon Kings of Leon have a backstory so steeped in rock mythology that it almost sounds made up. The Followill brothers — Nathan, Caleb and Jared — are sons of a preacher man who were raised on the road throughout the South, traveling from one Pentecostal church to the next. After being shattered by a divorce, the brothers were transformed by illicit substances and the stoner music of Led Zeppelin. Soon, they were a rough and ready band, enjoying the pleasures of the road while playing grinding, garage-y jams tinged with Southern rock and gothic lyrics. By the end of the 2000s, they were famous.
2000s
The Killers There for Tomorrow Breathe Carolina Pierce the Veil
The Killers Considering that Brandon Flowers is a name-dropping disciple of Bono and Morrissey, it’s a wonder the Killers frontman didn’t reduce his stage name to a mono-moniker. But he and his Las Vegas-based bandmates have successfully emulated the sort of rising-action anthems that made U2 and the Smiths famous, albeit with more keyboards and fewer literary references.
There for Tomorrow Orlando, FL, pop-punk quartet There for Tomorrow formed in 2003, when the bandmembers were still in their early- to mid-teen years. Directly inspired by Jimmy Eat World, blink-182, Third Eye Blind, and the Hives, childhood friends Maika Maile (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and programming), Christian Climer (lead guitar and vocals), Jay Enriquez (bass and vocals), and Chris Kamrada (drums and samples) soon began playing local radio station showcase concerts, which led to stints on the southeastern leg of the Vans Warped Tour in 2006 and 2007. A 2007 self-released EP, Pages, attracted
the attention of the indie Hopeless Records, which led to the band remixing and re-recording the songs with producer James Paul Wisner (Underoath, Paramore) for the band’s self-titled 2008 EP, featuring the first single “No More Room to Breathe.” The song “Pages” also appeared on the 2008 edition of the Vans Warped Tour compilation double CD on Side One Dummy Records.
Breathe Carolina A blend of dizzying electro-pop with their roots in the rock scene, Denver, CO duo Breathe Carolina have their eyes on superstardom. Featuring their pulsating hit single “Blackout”, their third full-length Hell Is What You Make It sees the band at their best pushing their own limits, determined to bring their party to the masses. It’s been quite the year for the band, as “Blackout”’s steady ascension up the Top 40 single chart, embraced by fans across the nation as their new party anthem, has made them one of the only independent acts taking
on the pop goliaths at Top 40. Hell Is What You Make It debuted at #2 on the Billboard Electronic Chart, with The NY Times calling the album “one of the best pure pop albums of the year”. A performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, main playlist rotation across all MTV networks for video “Blackout” and an Artist Of The Week slot on MTV’s PUSH program fueled the genre-blending duo’s success story. Starting out in a bedroom in the suburbs of the Mile High City, Breathe Carolina was one of the
first bands to start making waves via social networks. They truly came into their own on Fearless Recordsreleased sophomore full-length Hello Fascination. A step to a brave next level, the album entered the Billboard Top 200 at #43, and went on to sell over 60,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Their juxtaposition of hardcore guts and pop glory found a happy niche between both rock and pop fans.
Pierce the Veil The heart of San Diego emo-inflected post-hardcore outfit Pierce the Veil lies in two brothers, vocalist/guitarist Victor Fuentes and drummer Mike Fuentes, who first started playing together as the band Before Today while students in high school. The two formed the group in December of 1998 and it was soon turned into a quintet by guitarist Joe Tancil and bassist Mitchell Ballatore. Before Today played as a unit for several years, and after signing to Equal Vision Records, released the album A Celebration of an Ending in September 2004. In time, Tancil and Ballatore quit the band, leaving Victor and Mike to start over and rebuild. In the fall of 2006, they switched their name
to Pierce the Veil, which was the name of a track on the previous Before Today album, and brought on board bassist Jaime Preciado and guitarist Tony Perry. The brothers wrote Pierce the Veil’s debut album, A Flair for the Dramatic, in their San Diego home studio, and later recorded it up in Seattle with producer Casey Bates (Gatsbys American Dream, Fear Before the March of Flames). Their original affiliation with Equal Vision continued, and in early summer 2007, A Flair for the Dramatic appeared via the Albany-based label. The fall was then spent on opening dates for rockers From First to Last.