About Rock 'n' Roll

History of Rock 'n' Roll

Rock and Roll's origins can be traced back to the 1940s and 1950s. Although some would argue it's roots began forming in the late 1930s. It derived from the old rhythm and blues. There were also influences from country, folk, and even jazz. In its early days, rock was based on acoustic guitars. Elvis and even the Beatles made this their staple to their sound. However, the Kinks started the upbeat electric trend with songs such as "You Really Got Me Now" and "All Day and All of the Night". During the 1960's a trend known as Psychadelic Rock began to unfold. This brought the rise of bands such as Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. This also started the hippie movement. During the late 1960's and mid 1970's, glam rock and heavy metal were coming onto the scene. This led to the rise of bands such as Steppenwolf, Black Sabbath, and Kiss. On the back half of the 1970's, punk rock began to emerge. This brought a stripped-down, politically motivated message to the genre. One of the biggest bands in this genre was the Clash. During this time a second British movement was happening. The first taking place when the Beatles came to America. Bands such as the afforementioned The Clash and Led Zeppelin led the charge. During the 1980s new-wave, pop rock, and Hair Metal. This partly led to the rise of MTV. The wackier the band or video was the more likely it would be put on TV. Popular Bands during this time were Van Halen, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard. During the early 1990's, people were getting tired of the "poppy" sound of rock. So the sound was stripped down and was harder. It had more of an authentic and somewhat political message behind it. Top bands during this time were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. Eventually, people were getting tired and depressed about not having happy songs to listen to. So new styles began to emerge such as rap rock and electronic rock. Eminem led that front although there were rap songs back in the 1980's such as Run DMC's and Aerosmith's "Walk this Way." However, a harder and more emotional rock came back with bands such as Linkin Park and Green Day. Finally, rock is now in its declining years but there has been a revival of classic rock and uptick in modern rock and indie rock. Bands such as Cage the Elephant, The Killers, and even The Foo Fighters are leading rock into the new era.