History of Rock Intersession 2013

The Beginning  Rock and Roll is rock music in its earliest form.  Rock and Roll is a combination of blues, country, jazz, and gospel.  Early Rock and Roll music was characterized by saxophone and piano, later the electric guitar became more prevalent.  It is hard to label one song as the “birth” of Rock and Roll, but two songs in particular get the most attention:  “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston and “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets”Bill Haley and the Comets” Chuck Berry

Hail, Hail Rock and Roll!  In 1954, Elvis Presley recorded a song for his mom at a studio in Tennessee, almost overnight he is a sensation.Elvis Presley  Also at this time, other important artists are recording songs that will become legendary. Some of these artists include:  Chuck Berry Chuck Berry  Little Richard Little Richard  Carl Perkins  Jerry Lee Lewis  Fats Domino  Buddy Holly Elvis

The Day the Music Died  Rock and Roll’s decline was triggered by a series of events in the late 1950s.  Little Richard gave up singing and became a preacher.  Chuck Berry was arrested  Elvis Presley was drafted into the army.  Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, and Richie Valens all died in a plane crash.  Payola Scandal Buddy Holly

Rock and Roll Travels to England  The popularity of rock and roll music did not reach England until the late 1950s and early 1960s.  The music soon exploded there due to American artists touring throughout the U.K.  Groups began to spring up everywhere and dominated the British radio stations.  One group in particular went by the name of the Quarrymen. Who are they? The Quarrymen

British Invasion  The Beatles debuted in the United States in February of  It is estimated that 73 million people watched the debut that night.  Following their debut, in April of 1964 the Beatles held the top five spots on the Billboard charts.  The Beatles amazing success paved the way for other British acts to enter the American music scene during the 1960s.  Some of these acts include: the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Zombies, and the Hollies. the Rolling Stonesthe Animals The Rolling Stones

Spotlight: The Beatles  How and why did the Beatles become the most important band of the 20 th century?  The Beatles formed in 1960 in Liverpool, England.  John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.  They built their reputation through playing live shows in Liverpool and Hamburg Germany.  Their first major hit was a song titled “Love Me Do” By 1964 “Beatlemania” had swept up most of the world.“Beatlemania”  The Beatles popularity was hurt a little bit after a controversial comment by John Lennon in  Following the backlash they refused to tour and focused more on working in the studio. How did the Beatles go from this, to… this?

Spotlight: The Beatles  The Beatles studio work quickly became some of the most ground- breaking in history of music.  The albums that pushed the music scene in particular are:  Rubber Soul (1965)  Revolver (1966)  Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)  White Album (1968)  Abbey Road (1969)  Their incorporation of different styles of music and advancements in songwriting and production changed music forever.

American Music during the British Invasion (Early 1960s)  Although the British invasion dominated the radio during the early 1960s, American artists continued to make important records.  Music production began to become very important.  More songs were being made to listen to on an album rather than at a live show.  Some of the artists that were important during this period were: the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the “girl groups”, and Phil Spector. Bob Dylan Phil Spector The Ronnettes The Beach Boys

Rock Gets Weird ( )  During the mid-1960s, artists began to experiment with different types of sounds, instruments, and drugs.  The music began to deal with heavier subjects like the Vietnam War and psychedelic experiences.  The Hippie culture became popular amongst the youth in America.  Some of the dominant artists of this time were: Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Cream, the Who, Love, and Santanathe Doors Jimi Hendrix Jefferson Airplane The Doors Some Dirty Hippies

Rock Gets Loud and Bigger  Rock music became the most dominant form of music by the 1970s, artists began to sell out huge stadiums and arenas for concerts.  The music began to get louder and more ambitious as a result.  Some of the artists that were important during this period were:  Led Zeppelin  The Who  Pink Floyd Pink Floyd  Queen  Rush  Bruce Springsteen  Elton John Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd Queen Bruce Springsteen

Rock Gets Heavy  Heavy Metal can be traced back to the early 1970s with bands like Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and Deep Purple.  During the late 1970s young artists began to rebel against the “emptiness” of pop music and played faster and louder. (Metallica and Moterhead)  During the 1980s metal music became the most popular form of rock music.  It was characterized by big hair and decadence. (Motley Crue, Poison, Guns N’ Roses), Poison  At the same time that “hair metal” was gaining in popularity, other metal artists played a faster and heavier form of music. (Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera) Anthrax Motley Crue Guns N’ Roses Slayer

Grunge  In the late 1980s, young musicians began to rebel against the glamour of hair metal and played a much heavier and dirtier type of rock music.  Nirvana’s song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” broke onto the music scene in 1991 and the band’s popularity exploded along with similar sounding artists.“Smells Like Teen Spirit”  Artists who were part of this movement included:  Pearl Jam  Soundgarden  Alice in Chains  Mudhoney  Sadly, Kurt Cobain killed himself in Which triggered a decline in the popularity of grunge music. Alice in Chains Pearl Jam

Alternative Rock (1990s-Present)  Grunge rock influenced nearly every rock band that followed it.  Many bands have taken the sound created by bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam and put their own spin on it. (Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters)Fighters  During the late 1990’s there was a movement to combine hip hop and hard rock. (Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine)KornRage Against the Machine  In the early 2000s, many bands sought to bring back the grunge sound. (Nickelback, Seether)  Rock music still is one of the top selling forms of music in the United States. Some of the main artists of the present include:  Kings of Leon, Black Keys, Muse, Imagine Dragons) Kings of Leo