Rock music is something that has been captivating audiences for many decades now. It’s a genre of music that emerged in the late 1940s and took the world by storm. For the most part, rock music is considered to be harder music that features people playing the electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals. Read on to learn more about the origins of rock music.
The Beginnings of Rock Music
It’s hard to think of a time without rock music in the modern era but the genre was a brand-new thing in the late 1940s. Many note that rock music was heavily inspired by African-American music of the day and many musicians had backgrounds in blues and jazz music. Pioneering guitarists such as Chuck Berry leaned into this new sound. The ‘50s saw the rise of Elvis Presley and bands such as The Beatles would take things to the next level in the ‘60s.
The 1970s
The 1970s represents a decade of change for rock music that helped to define how the genre is still perceived today. Two bands, in particular, became popular and gave rock music a darker edge than it had before. Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath took rock music in new directions and many music historians consider this to be the birth of the genre known as heavy metal. Important rock bands such as Pink Floyd and KISS rose to prominence during this decade too.
The 1980s
Rock music was king in the 1980s but it had splintered into various subgenres. Some of the most popular music of the ‘80s was considered to be heavy metal; genres such as new wave rock and college rock were also popular. Bands as diverse as Depeche Mode, Ratt, Divo, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Twisted Sister were all popular during this period of time. The ‘80s can be seen as a boom period for rock music and it’s a time when many of the most popular bands came together.
The 1990s
Rock music changed substantially in the 1990s. The beginning of the decade saw grunge music take over as the most popular genre of rock. By the end of the decade, nu-metal had become king. Rock music was being influenced by other genres and many creative bands started to become popular, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Korn, and Disturbed.
Present Day
In the present day, rock music is still a force but it isn’t as popular as it was just a decade or two ago. Things change all the time in the music industry and time will tell when the next huge rock band will rise to prominence. Promising young bands such as Greta Van Fleet make it seem as though there is a future for big arena rock bands. It’s also easier than ever to get into underground rock and metal bands due to popular streaming services.