So what was that original sound? Was it the in the music, with the prominence of the electric guitar? Or was it in the vocals and lyrics? There is not nearly as much difficulty in picking out a country singer or country song, there is a very distinctive sound and style to their music,which seems to be easy to identify when you listen to it. So what is so different about rock? Is the genre just very broad or have we made too many sub-genres within it when we could have distinguished new genres altogether? To another extreme, does ‘rock and roll’ still exist or has it’s time passed? Most of all who gets to decide what is or isn’t rock, and what criteria should be followed?I could attempt to persuade you that the correct definition of ‘rock and roll’ is the one found in the Miriam-Webster online dictionary:
“popular music usually played on electronically amplified instruments and characterized by a persistent heavily accented beat, repetition of simple phrases, and often country, folk, and blues elements.”
But does this definition convey the essence of rock and roll? I think most people would agree that in order to have a good understanding of what rock is, you would have to listen it. This however, quickly brings us right back to the original question...what songs or artists would you need to listen to in order to get a clear idea of what is considered rock?
If you asked someone off the street what artist you could listen to in order to get a good idea of what rock and roll is, they would likely give you the name of a relatively modern rock band such as Greenday or Blink 182. Others, myself included, would point you to the first group of artists who were considered ‘rock’ artists, like Elvis Presley. Others might tell you to listen to the Beatles, and others yet might say Jimi Hendrix or the Rolling Stones (Grierson 2009). All of these artists had their own style and uniqueness, which is what made them such legends in their own respects, but there were also similarities (Grierson 2009). I think it is those similarities that make the essence of rock and roll, and I also think that that essence comes across differently to different people.
Ultimately I think it is very difficult to define rock and roll, and that in order to get an idea of what rock is, you should listen to a variety of artists who are considered to be in the ‘rock’ genre. I think every individual experiences rock in their own way, and from that will make their own decision, apart from what music ‘professionals’ say, as to what they consider rock and roll.
So as for the questions I posed at the start of this post:
When I think of true rock and roll, I think of the prominent electric guitar with a quick paced bass drum and snare combination for a full sound and edgy vocals and lyrics to pull it all together. I think that single bands or artists can make music that falls under a number of genres and so it is also hard to categorize artists. I also believe that over time the rock genre has been spread thin by the creation of sub-rock genres. If it were me, I would break off some of these sub groups into new genres. Most importantly I believe true rock and roll does still exist and that we as consumers should make up our own minds as to what should be considered rock.
But hey, that’s just me.
References:
‘Rock [2] noun’ in the Miriam-Webster Dictionary Online, viewed 1 June 2009, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rock%5B2%5D.
Grierson T. 2009, What Is Rock Music: A Brief History of Rock Music, About.com, viewed 1 June 2009, http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/biol1030/harvard.html#web.
