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Caption: THE STORY OF ROCK N ROLL By Anna Lampton
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Caption: The genre of rock and roll originated and evolved in the USA during the late 1940s- early 1950s. The development of technologies like radio and television played a crucial role in the emergence and popularity of rock and roll. The genre developed out of the influence of the blues and country genres.
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Caption: Before the popularity of records, the primary way to sell music was through sheet music. The sheet music business was concentrated in New York City in an area often referred to as “Tin Pan Alley.” The songs often followed a structure (AABA) that is common to many rock songs.
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Caption: Country Western music found its home in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville was already the home of the highly regarded Grand Ole Opry radio show. Country Western music would become a large influence on the genre of rock and roll. The genre of country music was a mix of both music in the southeast and southwest regions of the United States. It became known as Country Western music.
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Caption: As African Americans migrated from the south in search of better jobs, they brought their music with them. Many settled in Chicago, Memphis, and Detroit. This style of music became known as rhythm and blues. It was heavily influenced by gospel music commonly sang in churches in the south. R&B music would become another heavy influence on rock and roll music. Rhythm and blues was not initially popular with white audiences (due to the fact it was a genre that was intended for black audiences). It gained popularity through increased radio play and covers of rhythm and blues songs by popular white musicians.
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Caption: One of the popular radio disk jockeys of the time, Alan Freed, noticed this rise in popularity of rhythm and blues. He began to develop programming for this genre of music which only lead to increased popularity among white audiences. By the end of the 1950s, radios became affordable for pretty much everyone. Teenagers began to use the radio to listen to more rhythm and blues records. Freed is often credited as the most influential DJ in rock and roll’s breakthrough to the mainstream. This increased popularity of rhythm and blues would only work to increase the genre’s eventual influence on rock and roll.
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Caption: Berry’s writing style and creative word play was later imitated by popular rock musicians like John Lennon and Bob Dylan. His lyrics and performance style were non offensive to white audiences. He also wrote songs geared toward the average teenager, using lyrics about the teenage experience. Both of these things lead to his success. One musician that gained fame through crossovers was Chuck Berry. Berry grew up in St. Louis, MO. He covered the song “Ida Red,” creating his own version, “Maybellene.” Crossover songs became increasingly popular during the 1950s. These are songs from one genre that crossed over to another genre. They were very often songs originally recorded by an black artist that was covered by a white artist.
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Caption: Elvis Presley grew up in Memphis, TN listening to and being influenced by music from the genres of country and rhythm and blues. It is safe to say that Elvis Presley had a very significant (if not the most significant) on the rock and roll genre. He began to perform using these influences and skyrocketed to fame after a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Presley was the first rock and roll musician to draw interest from major record labels. His career cemented rock and roll’s status in the mainstream. He gave rise to teen idols (clean cut male musicians whose look and music was inoffensive to parents, like Frankie Avalon) and other rockabilly artists, like Buddy Holly.
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Caption: The genre of folk music grew out the need of college students to listen to records that were consistent with their new standing as adults. The authenticity of the lyrics and performance by the folk musicians would influence later rock musicians. Folk singers were regular people singing lyrics about societal problems (for example, the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-Vietnam war protests) that appealed to audiences. Folk music was similar the genre of rock and roll before it hit the mainstream. This music appealed to audiences that had previously listened to rock and roll.
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Caption: Orbison incorporated a range of styles similar to that of Elvis Presley with a new focus on pop. Orbison grew up in Wink, Texas where he was exposed to the country western style of music that would later influence his career. Roy Orbison was among these rockabilly musicians that were eager to sell to teenagers without offending their parents. Influenced by the early music of Elvis Presley, rockabilly music was country-inflected pop. This new wave of rockabilly incorporated more pop components.
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Caption: Until the second half of 1960s, rock music was mainly created east of Mississippi. However, one band was about to change that. The Beach Boys grew up in the suburbs of LA listening to and being influenced by the music of black doo-wop groups, white vocal groups, Chuck Berry, and other musicians from LA. This subgenre was important for a number of reasons. One being that it brought the creation of rock music to the west coast. Another being that it gave increased attention to the instruments used in rock music. Guitarists in particular were seen as of equal importance to the singers in songs. They created a new subgenre of rock music using these influences: surf music. This genre included lyrics about idealistic summer fun, cars, and girls.
Caption: Works Cited
All photos found on the public domain website
(https://www.pexels.com).
