New rock bands such as Pink Floyd and the Sex Pistols formed and helped the genre to evolve further. By the 1970s, rock music had become the dominant form of mainstream music. With lyrics that embraced sex and rebellion, the Rolling Stones appealed to that youthful generation as well. The popularity of rock grew when the Rolling Stones, one of Berry’s notable followers, expanded the genre by transitioning from singles to cohesive albums. Berry spent the next ten years recording rock songs to meet the needs of that group. Berry realized he had discovered an emerging market: white teenagers looking for music that spoke to their generation. Chuck Berry, father of rock and roll, released his first hit “Maybellene” in 1955 and it sold a million copies. Since its origin in the 1950s, rock music has endured as one of the most popular music genres. Folk Rock: This subgenre is derived from folk music but uses electric instruments and incorporates the stronger beat of rock music. It can be recognized by its bluesy improvisation, electric guitar emphasis, and heavier, riff-oriented sound. Blues Rock: This fusion music genre combines elements of blues with rock music. Punk Rock: This music is characterized by loud vocals and lyrics that are often purposefully offensive and feature social discontent and a sense of alienation. It tends to feature bold compositions and a psychedelic sound. Progressive Rock: Also known as classical rock or symphonic rock, progressive rock grew out of the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Heavy Metal: Heavy metal is highly amplified harsh-sounding rock music that features a strong beat and lyrics that usually feature violent or fantastic imagery. Yacht Rock: Don’t rock the boat! This style of rock music is smooth and melodic, and usually combines elements of jazz and rhythm and blues with rock. These songs often have a hypnotic sound thanks to distorted and reverberation-heavy guitars. Space Rock: This subgenre is characterized by long psychedelic instrumental sections and lyrics focused on science fiction or outer space. It tends to focus on songwriting, emphasizing the song form and hook. Some of these rock subgenres include: Pop Rock: This style combines catchy, light-hearted pop lyrics with a guitar-based rock sound. Rock is one of the most diverse genres out there. Other famous artists to build on what Berry created include Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly. He borrowed from an old country song and used his electric guitar to create the raw, wildly energetic sound of “Maybellene.” Between 19, Berry recorded a slew of songs that are now considered foundational to the genre of rock and roll. In 1955, Berry got his big break at a recording session at Chess Records in Chicago. He later learned boogie-woogie, swing, and blues from the radio. His father was a part-time preacher, and his mother sang in the church choir, so it is no surprise that gospel was one of Berry’s earliest musical influences. In her 1969 Rock Encyclopedia, critic Lillian Roxon wrote that Berry “may be the single most important name in the history of rock.” Similarly, John Lennon once said, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” Berry was born in 1926 and grew up in a middle-class African American neighborhood in St. He combined country guitar riffs, rhythm and blues beats, and lyrics that inspired a young generation. The Canadian government defines rock music as music that is characterized by its strong beat and use of blues forms, alongside the presence of electric rock instruments such as the electric piano, bass, or guitar.Ĭhuck Berry is largely considered the father of rock and roll music. In British usage, rock music is thought of as music with simple tunes and a strong beat that is usually played and sung loudly by musicians who are using electric guitars and drums. From there, differences in the definition arise depending on the culture at hand. The general definition of rock is that it is music with a strong beat and a fast tempo (140 beats per minute or faster). In 1990, the music industry wanted to highlight the sociological differences between pop and rock music, as pop music was based on instant singles aimed at teenagers and rock music was album-based music for adults. The term “rock” was originally developed to distinguish the genre from pop music. Rock music, also commonly referred to as rock & roll, is a popular musical genre that developed in the 1950s.

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