Rock and Roll Unit 7

Origins of Rock Rock music was developed in the 1940’s and 1950’s from Rhythm and Blues music, which was called “race music” at the time. It was also derived from country music from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Other influences were Jazz, Blues, Gospel, and Folk music.

Origins of Rock In the 1930’s, Jazz, and particularly swing, were among the first to present African-American sounds to the White audience. One important example of a Jazz song with Rock and Roll elements is Big Joe Turner and pianist Pete Johnson’s 1939 single Roll ‘Em Pete, which is considered to be an important precursor to Rock and Roll.

Origins of Rock During and immediately after WWII, with shortages of fuel and limitations on audiences and available personnel, Large Jazz bands were replaced by smaller combos, using guitars, bass, and drums. On the West Coast and in the Midwest, the development of Jump Blues added a new style to music of the time. It was known for its guitar riffs, prominent beats and shouted lyrics. Ex. Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop by Lionel Hampton

Origins of Rock Jump Blues was another style that had a big influence on Rock and Roll. Some believe that Chuck Berry developed his brand of Rock and Roll by transposing the familiar piano part to electric guitar, which created his famous Rock Guitar sound. One of his most famous songs and guitar riffs was Johnny B. Goode.

Technological Change Rock and Roll arrived during a time of considerable technological change. Came right after the development of the electric guitar, the microphone, and the 45 rpm record. New record labels were established as well: Atlantic Records Sun Records Chess Records

Early Rock and Roll Since Rock and Roll was a evolutionary genre, there is no way of knowing what was the “first” Rock and Roll album. As far as “Cultural Impact” throughout the US and other countries, one song that stands out as an important milestone for Rock and Roll is Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & The Comets

Rockabilly “Rockabilly” refers to the style of rock music that was sang in the mid-1950’s by those singers who took from the “country” roots of the music. Artists include: Elvis Presley Carl Perkins Johnny Cash Jerry Lee Lewis The term “rockabilly” was first used by Bill Flagg when he referred to his music as a mix of rock and hillbilly music. His song Guitar Rock is considered as classic rockabilly.

Elvis Presley Born in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis began by trying to record jus small albums, but had little success at the beginning. His success began to boom after beginning to record with RCA in Nashville and began appearing on television shows. He later became known as “The King of Rock and Roll”

Elvis Song List Jailhouse Rock Hound Dog Viva Las Vegas Can’t Help Falling In Love

Doo Wop One of the most popular form of Rhythm and Blues music in the 1950’s. It focused on multiple part harmonies that were supported by light instrumentation. It was mostly African American groups and the style had a lot of Gospel influence. Some of the songs were humorous, such as Yakety Yak by The Coasters, while others were a little more serious, such as Come Go With Me by The Del-Vikings Doo Wop had a huge influence on Rock and Roll

British Rock In the 1950’s American music became very popular in Great Britain Many of the American artists at the time influence many British artist to create their own version of Rock and Roll. One of the most popular British Rock groups were The Beatles.

The Beatles The Beatles were a British rock band established in 1960. Members: John Lennon Paul McCartney Ringo Starr George Harrison The band experimented with different styles of music, ranging from pop ballads to hard rock. They also sometimes added classical elements to their songs.

The Beatles The group began to build up their popularity by playing in clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg between 1960 and 1963. Their popularity exploded when they released their first big hit, Love Me Do, in 1962. They acquired the nickname “The FabFour” as their popularity in Great Britain grew By 1964, they were international pop stars, leading the “British Invasion” into the American Pop Charts

The Beatles From 1965 onward, the band released numerous innovative albums including: Rubber Soul (1965) Revolver (1966) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club (1967) The Beatles (known as the White Album, 1968) Abbey Road (1969) The band broke up in 1970 and went on to each enjoy individual success. The only two remaining members are Starr and McCartney

The Beatles Come Together Twist and Shout Let It Be Hello, Goodbye

Cultural Impact Influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It also had an impact on the Civil rights movement, because both African-Americans and White teens enjoyed the music. Many of the lyrics talked about things teenagers would enjoy, such as cars, relationships, school, and clothing. Many teens could relate to the topics of the songs through personal experience, which was another aspect that made the music so popular.

Cultural Impact Rock and Roll did away with “race music” and was created to reach all types of audiences. White artists were being enjoyed by African-American audiences and African-American artists were being enjoyed by White audiences. Many saw Rock and Roll as heralding the way for desegregation by being a new form of music that encouraged racial cooperation and shared experience.

Teen Culture Rock and Roll is considered to be the first style of music that defined a certain age group. It gave teenagers a sense of belonging, even when they were alone. It is often identified with the first baby boomer generation, where styles and language were different from the older generation. This worried most of the older generation about juvenile delinquency and social rebellion, especially since it was shared by different racial groups.

Cultural Impact Rock and Roll also spawned new dance crazes. It began to revive Big Band “Jitterbug” style. “Sock Hops”, gym dances, and home basement parties were becoming very popular. Teens would watch television shows, such as “American Bandstand” to keep up with the latest music and dance crazes. American Bandstand- October 8, 1966

Hard Rock The 1970s saw the emergence of Hard Rock. Hard Rock is a subgenre of rock music that is known for its use of aggressive vocals, distorted electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards. It became a major form of popular music with bands such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Aerosmith, and other Hard Rock bands.

Listening Examples Join Together- The Who The Ocean- Led Zeppelin Train Kept A Rollin’- Aerosmith

Queen British Rock band formed in 1970 in London The band was formed by Brian May and Roger Taylor as the band “Smile”. When Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara joined the band, he suggested that they changed the name to “Queen” and adopted his familiar stage name of Freddie Mercury.

Queen The band did not hit the charts until their second album, but it was the release of their famous song Bohemian Rhapsody that helped them gain international fame. In 1977, their songs We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions became anthems at sporting events, which made Queen on of the biggest Stadium Rock bands in the world.

Queen Queen- Mercury Rising- Documentary Take 20 notes on the video. There could be questions on the test from the video so pay attention.

Punk Rock Developed in the mid-late 1970’s in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. Most Punk bands began as garage bands, and would self- record albums to release through informal channels. Punk bands typically produced short, fast-paced songs with often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Some Punk Bands include: Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco.