rock & roll origins, evolution, & modern music. “rock ‘n’ roll” “rock and roll”...

Rock & Roll

Origins, Evolution, & Modern Music

“Rock ‘n’ Roll”

“Rock and roll” was black slang for having sex.

The term “rock ‘n’ roll” was used as a marketing ploy by DJ Alan Freed in the early 1950s.

Origins of Rock & Roll

Two primary rootsBluesFolk

Other influencesGospel, rhythm & blues, jazz, and country

It’s not “black” or “white” music but an energetic mixture of the two

Origins of Rock & Roll

Initial appeal was to white, middle class teens.

Parents of these teens responded negatively.

“Race music” was censored as being too rebellious, sexual, and anti-social.

Characteristics of Rock & Roll

High dynamic level of sound Loud

Fast and hard rhythms

Conversational lyrics

Social messages What movie?

Blues Influences

Origins – Slave responsorials

Songs about hard work or hard lives

3 Line Verse West Africa

Lead Belly Huddie Ledbetter

Lead BellyTake this Hammer

West African Influences

Guttural Call & Response Talking Improvisation Sexuality

Sam Cooke

Sam CookeNothing Can Change This Love

Radio Version Live in Harlem Square

1950s

Favorable economic times during the post-war era allowed rock ‘n’ roll to flourish

Leo Fender invented the electric guitar

Dawn of teenage culture defined by purchasing power

Major Label Recording Practices in the 1950s

Rerecord minor hits released by small companies.

Turn them into smash hits by making them less daring and gearing them towards white middle America. Frank Sinatra

1950s

Rock and Roll was the expression of youth culture Dancing Sexual freedom Rebellion against

parents and cultural norms

The Coasters – Yakety Yak

Small Labels Strike Back with “Unique” Talent Chuck Berry Little Richard

Chuck BerryJohnny B. Goode

Elvis Presley

In 1952, Sam Phillips, of Sun Records, started a search for a “white man who sounds like Howlin’ Wolf”

In 1954, he found Elvis

Elvis PresleyThat’s Alright Mama

Elvis on the Billboard Charts

Most Hot 100 Entries

1. Glee Cast – 137

2. Elvis – 108

3. James Brown – 91

Most Top 10 Singles

4. Madonna – 37

5. Elvis – 36

6. The Beatles – 29

Most Top 40 Hits

1. Elvis – 104

2. Elton John – 56

3. The Beatles - 51

Most #1 Hits

4. The Beatles – 20

5. Mariah Carey – 18

6. Elvis - 17

Major Labels Strike Back

Dick Clark’s American Bandstand

1960s

Massive changes to American cultureThe Baby BoomersCivil Rights MovementCuban Missile CrisisWomen’s MovementVietnam

Rock no longer reflected social changes… it influenced them

1960s

Counterculture Hallucinogenic drugs

• LSD• Psychedelic Experiments

Communal living Summer of Love - 1967

Monterey Pop Festival - 1967

Woodstock - 1969

1960s - Folk music called for social changes

Music designed to be performed by the masses

Social messages Woody Guthrie – 30s &

40s Pete Seeger – 50s Bob Dylan – 60s

Pete SeegerWaist Deep In The Big Muddy

1960s – Folk

Bob Dylan Blowin’ in the Wind

“Freedom songs” in support of civil rights movement Played at Dr. King’s

March in 1963

British Invasion

The Beatles The Who The Rolling Stones

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Beatles The Rolling Stones

1960s – Soul

Rock became “white” so black pop music picked a new name Later soul became funk

Mix of Gospel and R&B James Brown Aretha Franklin

Aretha FranklinRespect

1960s Blues Revisited

Driven by electric guitar Urban sound Improvisation Eric Clapton

The Yardbirds Cream Derek and the Dominoes

The Doors

CreamCrossroads

1960sJazz Revisited

Van Morrison Steve Winwood Chicago

Van MorrisonMoondance

1960s San Francisco Scene

Berkley’s “free speech movement” Hippies Haight-Ashbury Psychedelic drugs The Grateful Dead Jimi Hendrix

Jimi HendrixHey Joe

1970s

The 1970s saw worsening economic conditions (especially in England).

Young people who earlier believed that rock and roll music could be used to fight racism and war became less confident and more introspective.

Rock became part of American culture instead of a force to change it.

1970sSoft Rock

James Taylor Simon & Garfunkel Elton John Crosby Still & Nash (& Young)

1970s Soft Rock

Elton John

Your Song

Simon & Garfunkel

The Sound of Silence

1970s – Different Directions

The majority of Americans were listening to folk and soft rock

As in art, some musicians went in a new directionHard rockArt/Progressive rockGlam rockFunkDiscoPunk

1970s Hard RockLed Zeppelin

“Borrowed” lyrics and tunes from old blues songs

Very loud songs Their fourth album,

Led Zeppelin IV (1971), is the third highest selling album in US history

Led ZeppelinImmigrant Song

1970sArt Rock (Progressive Rock)

Yes Genesis Rush Pink Floyd

Darkside of the Moon – Third in world album sales

The Wall – Fourth in US album sales

Usually trained in classical or jazz music

Embraced electronic music Very long songs

Pink FloydMedley from Dark Side of the Moon

1970SGlam Rock David Bowie Alice Cooper KISS

David BowieZiggy Stardust

1970sFunk

Music from Motown was too optimistic for many young blacks

New vision of African-American urban lifeSly and the Family StoneIsaac HayesJames BrownGeorge Clinton (Funkadelic)

James BrownI’m Black and I’m Proud

1970sDisco

Dance music that brought whites and blacks together

Peaked in 1977 with Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack still in top

25 for US album sales

1970sDisco

Bee Gees Village People Donna Summers

Bee GeesStayin’ Alive

1970sPunk

Emerged in the UK during disco’s peak Simple lyrics and songs performed quickly

and loudly Messages spoke out against established

authoritySex PistolsThe ClashRamones

Sex PistolsAnarchy in the UK

1980s

During the 1980s Americawitnessed economic decline.

Major changes in musicCompact DiscsMTV

“Rock ‘n’ roll which used to be about breaking rules, now seems to be about learning them.” – Music Critic Greil Marcus

1980sRock Falls to Pop

Madonna After MTV aired two of

her videos her next 15 singles reached the top ten on the charts.

Michael Jackson Thriller ranks as

the number one album for the US and world charts.

Michael JacksonThriller

Rap

Words chanted in rhymed couplets over an intense, rhythmic beat

Social Messages:ViolencePoor, urban lifeDangers of life on

the street

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious FiveThe Message

Run DMC (Featuring Aerosmith)Walk This Way

Rap

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

The Message

Run DMC (Featuring Aerosmith)

Walk This Way

Heavy Metal Guitar-based rock with

amplified guitar and bass reinforcing each other

Rebellion against authority and mainstream culture

Some aspects (black magic, satanic overtones, etc.) used to sell records more than incite change

Metallica

MetallicaMaster of Puppets

Heartland Rock

Roots in folk music Socially conscious

songs about the plight of average AmericansVeteransFarmersBlue Collar

Workers

Bruce Springsteen John Cougar

Mellencamp

John Cougar MellencampRain on the Scarecrow

1990s

Prosperous time in America Pop (and other genres) continued to

take market share from rockMariah Carey, Whitney Houston,

Garth Brooks, Britney Spears, Boyz II Men, etc.

Internet Completely digital music

Grunge The name comes

from the anti-fashion appearance of flannel shirts and jeans.

Social Messages:UnemploymentBroken HomesApathy

Pearl Jam Soundgarden Nirvana

NirvanaSmells Like Teen Spirit

1990s Rock

Alanis Morisette Hootie and the Blowfish

Hootie and the BlowfishHold My Hand

Rock in the 2000s

Death of albumsiTunesMP3 playersNapsterPirating

In 2001 record sales fell 5%

Globalization of rock

Rock in the 2000s

Emo Rock Wheezer

Indie Rock The White Stripes Modest Mouse Fall Out Boy My Chemical

Romance

My Chemical RomanceSing

Musical Experimentation

Dub FX No instrument other

than his voice Roland Effects Box Loop Pedal

Dub FXLove Someone

Dub FX (Featuring Mr. Woodnote)

Flow