Rock Music - History and Facts Revealed

Rock music is often associated with heavycharts during this time.
instrumentation, reverberating through a sound system,The fusioning of rock music extended into the 1960s
and played by hyperactive musicians wearing all-blackand the 1970s, with rock music being combined with
garb. This kind of music has enjoyed over half afolk music to create folk rock, with blues to create
century of popularity with its strong beat and catchyblues-rock, and with jazz to create jazz rock. Electrical
melody.instrument ambiance was incorporated into rock music
Rock music started in the 1940s and the 1950s as ato create the carefree psychedelic rock. Influences
fusion of rhythm and blues, gospel music, and countryfrom soul, funk and latin music were integrated with
music. Originally known as rock and roll, as branded byrock music to pave way for subgenres as soft rock,
disc jockey Alan Feed from Ohio, rock musicheavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk
combined influences resulted in simple blues-basedrock.
style that was fast and danceable.Rock music took a metallic turn in the 1980s and 1990s
Instrumentation for rock music often include electricwith the entry of rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep
guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards. Others addPurple, Queen, Aerosmith, Kiss, AC/DC and Black
to their line-up reed instruments like the saxophone andSabbath. Hard rockers heightened the
the French horn. String instruments like the mandolincommercialization of rock and roll with albums and
and the sitar are occasionally seen in the realm of rockconcerts being launched all over the country. Arenas
music. Of all these instrumentations, it is the guitar thatand other similar big venues were used as a places to
is considered to be the star of the show. Guitars comegather crowds and crowds of rock music fans. Live
as solid electric, hollow electric or acoustic.performances in rock concerts had rock fans
The electric guitar was played rock and roll style byscreaming and going wild over rock bands performing
early rock legends Chuck Berry, Link Wray and Scottyto full performance level complete with stage design
Moore. Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughanand pyrotechnics.
played a fusion of blues and rock. As multitrackSome of the other developments in rock music are
recording was developed by Les Paul along withretro style grunge, theatrical glam rock (Lou Reed, Iggy
electronic sound treatment by Joe Meek, it was notPop, and the New York Dolls), intense Britpop (John
long after when rock music artists like Jackie BrestonLennon and the Beatles), indie rock and nu rock (Police,
and Bill Haley came out with their first rock and rollDuran Duran, Eurythmics, and the Culture Club).
records. Breston released his record Rocket 88 underRock music has not been as popular with music critics
recording label Sun Records. And then several yearsat some point in time owing to its dark and overly loud
after, Haleys Rock Around the Clock was launchedmetallic sound. But innovations and developments in
and topped the charts of Billboard magazine in termslook, style and sound has slowly developed a following
of record sales and airtime plays. Sun Records alsofor rock music not only in the young crowd but for the
produced rock and roll king Elvis Presleys first singlepublic in general as well. Rock music still manages to
labelled Thats All Right (Mama). Shake, Rattle & Roll ofchalk up big hits in popular music.
Big Joe Turner was also topping the Billboard R&B