Rock Music

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Rock music is a form of popular music characterized by a strong back beat, vocals, and often heavy guitar sounds. Rock is seen as one of the widest genres of music and is constantly growing and changing to meet the expanding sub-genres invented by its musicians. Rock music is an amalgamation of previous styles modernized by the bands who play it. In terms of album sales, rock is the most popular form of music since the advent of sound recording.

Rock Music's Origins

Rock music began as a fusion of several styles of music in the mid-20th century. Jazz, pop, rhythm and blues and other genres were mixed by many popular artists that are widely accredited with being the founders of rock and roll. Influential artists such as Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley were at the top of the world when rock music rose. Rock's place at the top of the charts was solidified when The Beatles entered the public's eye in the early 1960s.

Rock Music - Sub-genres

Rock music is one of the most diverse genres in the music world. Below are some of the major sub-genres of rock and roll.

British Rock

The term British rock signifies rock artists from the U.K. who exhibit the typical intense style of playing found in many bands from the area. Many British artists get their start in the U.K. and move to the U.S. before gaining mainstream popularity. Famous bands that did this include The Beatles, The Who and the Rolling Stones.

Folk Rock

An almost puritanical devotion to acoustic instruments is the trademark of the folk rock musician. Singers such as Bob Dylan popularized this genre with his minimalist style, performing with just his guitar, harmonica and vocals. Folk rock music places a heavy emphasis on songwriting as opposed to layered sounds. Many folk songs have deep lyrical structures and are often spiritual or political in nature. Folk rock was expanded into a more mainstream audience by Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel and many others.

Heavy Metal

Heavy metal rock is characterized by layered electric guitar sounds and fast, intense beats. The heavy metal movement gained ground in the 1980s and grew in popularity with bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. A growing sub-culture formed around the new genre that continues to this day.

Classic Rock

One of the most vague sub-genres of rock, classic rock encompasses a number of popular artists from the last few decades. Classic rock is a mix of soft and hard rock and popular artists commonly have long ballads that drift between the two (such as Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody). AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones and many others are classic rock artists.

Punk Rock

Punk rock was formed as a backlash against the sterile commercial sound of professionally produced music. The movement began sometime after disco began to fade. Punk rock bands have a similar sound to heavy metal but with faster and more intense rhythms. Until Green Day broke into mainstream in 1994, punk rock bands were seen as a small subculture of rock and roll.

Grunge Rock

Grunge rock gained enormous popularity with the rise of Nirvana in the early 1990s. The characteristic rough, unpolished sound is a mixture of early heavy metal and punk. The raw impact of grunge rock started a revolution in music that is still noticeable today.

Alternative Rock

The term alternative rock was formerly applied to punk rock-inspired artists in the 1980s and 90s that didn't fit into mainstream genres. Many forms of rock that are now established sub-genres such as indie, grunge and gothic rock are included in the term alternative rock.

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