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Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive analysis of rock n roll. It’s merely a brief crash course on what I’ve learned so far.
Stop fooling yourself and admit that you don’t know much about the history behind the music you listen to every day. It’s okay, let’s accept our ignorance and set our pride aside when we want to truly learn something that goes beyond the surface level of our understanding. Granted, the first sentence is an emphatic statement to make but I believe that if you ask the average music lover about the prominent musicians and pioneers of their favorite genres such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, and more, they would be completely baffled about how to explain their importance to their respective genres. Recently, I’ve been taking an online course on the history of rock and roll, and these artists had fascinating stories that shaped the way we listen to music today. That being said, I want to briefly share some facts I’ve learned about the significance of Rock music and all the other genres it has influenced.
Did you know that the first Rock n Roll song that became a hit on the charts was Bill Haley and His Comets’ “Crazy Man, Crazy (1953)? However, some consider Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats’ “Rocket 88” to be the first legitimate rock n roll song due to its distinctive elements and distorted guitar riffs that would become a quintessential sound for future derivatives of Rock music. Furthermore, Les Paul was one of the pioneers of the solid body guitar, and he taught himself how to play the guitar during a time (Pre-II) when musical genres were still in their development stages. Every derivative of rock derived its essence and identity by building on what already existed before World War II, and as the genre entered the 1950s, it began to form sophisticated and unique styles that were later adopted by future musicians after World War II. For example, Rhythm and Blues (R&B) gained popularity after World War II (1945), and radio stations nationwide played a significant role in its distribution, particularly through major record labels. Indie labels such as Chess Records, Atlantic Records, and Sun Records were appropriate starting points for new artists, but these labels weren’t reputable in terms of notoriety, so artists didn’t enjoy the immediate success of artists on major labels. Moreover, major labels today have the power to distribute their artists’ music seamlessly. Then again, it comes at the expense of the artist relinquishing their autonomy, and that leaves them disgruntled because their art is at the mercy and risk of manipulation.
Real Free - Flowing Words 