Rock and roll came about in the late 1940s to early 1950s and stems from earlier R&B and jazz music. R&B music came from gospel and soul music, which was mainly performed by African Americans. Many believed that R&B music was by American Americans for African Americans. When classic rock came about, it was believed to be similar to R&B, but instead it was by white artists and for a white audience. As rock and roll came to evolve, these statements ending up being false, as many African Americans along with white artists were writing and producing great classic rock songs. Rock and roll was once a very dominant form of popular music. Around the 2000s it died out and the only form of rock that was topping the charts was pop rock.
There are many famous artists who shaped classic rock. Included in this list are The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Bob Dylan, and Chuck Berry. The Beatles were influential in classic rock because they are one of the best-selling rock and roll bands of all time. They were gifted singer-songwriters and made a huge impact on the era. Jimi Hendrix gave rock and roll a new meaning by taking his music to the next level and always putting on a show for his audience. He was a talented guitarist and a very creative musician. Led Zeppelin is one of the most successful bands of all time. They were very influential during the era and still today, as they have influenced countless numbers of artists. Arguably their most popular song, "Stairway to Heaven" was a big influence on classic rock songs to come thereafter. Queen has shaped the classic rock genre because of their number of hit songs. Freddie Mercury was an amazing songwriter and wrote many smash hits for the band. Along with his amazing songwriting, he had a huge stage presence and Queen always sold out their shows. One of their most popular songs, "Bohemian Rhapsody" gave a new sound to classic rock. Bob Dylan was simply an amazing songwriter. He had a unique way of expression through his songs and shaped the classic rock genre. As for Chuck Berry, his influence is unique to classic rock. His 1955 song "Maybellene" was considered as the first rock and roll song. Simply put, many believe that if there was no Chuck Berry, music would have been very different.
Boston is also seen as an influential band in rock and roll. Rock and roll all has a pretty similar sound to it, but Boston decided to push those boundaries. Tom Scholz, the man who started the band and produced most of their music, was an engineering major in college and used that knowledge to his advantage in the music world. With his background knowledge, Scholz created many different sounds from various instruments. Any sound he thought of, he could recreate and bring to life. This search for new and unique sounds separated Boston from other rock and roll artists and gave them a very fresh sound. Their music was something unique and never really heard before, which was a quality that made them stand out.
Rock and roll died with the coming of the 21st century. However, many forms of rock have stemmed from rock and roll. Punk rock, heavy metal, glam rock and alternative rock have all been transformed from rock and roll music. Earlier punk rock bands like the Ramones paved the way for later bands like Green Day. punk rock is a fast-moving and rather aggressive form of rock music which became popular in the late 70s into the early 80s. The Ramones are often referred to as one of the first punk rock groups. Green Day is known for many hit songs, including "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "American Idiot", and "Wake Me Up When September Ends". These songs, especially "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", are all very popular and well-known songs in the punk rock genre.
Heavy metal has been around since around the late 60s and early 70s. Black Sabbath was one of the first bands to fall into this heavy metal category, with hit songs like "Paranoid" and "Iron Man". Metallica is also a very prominent band that falls under this genre with many hit songs. Even people who don't listen to heavy metal know Metallica from their hit song "Enter Sandman". Along with that song, Metallica has put out many other great hits including "Nothing Else Matters" and "Master of Puppets". Heavy metal is still a prominent genre today and bands like Metallica are still creating music for their listeners.
Glam rock was started around the early 70s when bands started performing with glitter and makeup along with flamboyant looking outfits. David Bowie was one of the first artists to fall under the glam rock category and is now known as "The King of Glam Rock". He got this title because he always pushed the boundaries of rock and roll and eventually ended up creating this whole new genre which he basically invented. Bowie had a huge stage presence and was often seen wearing very flamboyant outfits during his shows. Artists like Bowie laid the foundation for later artists like Kiss who are known for their monochrome outfits, crazy hair, and bold makeup. Kiss had many hit songs, including "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "I Was Made For Lovin' You".
Alternative rock is still a very prominent genre in today's time. This genre originated in the 80s but did not become super popular until the 90s. The "alternative" name was given to bands who did not quite fit into the mainstream music. One of the first bands of this genre was The Velvet Underground, who's most popular song was "Pale Blue Eyes". Nowadays, bands like Coldplay fall under this category. With songs like "Viva La Vida" and "Paradise", Coldplay has made a big name for themself in the music industry. The alternative rock genre is still widely popular and houses a bunch of popular bands.
Rock and roll has paved the way for many new genres of today's time. Even though the rock and roll genre itself fell off at the beginning of the 21st century, pieces of it still live on in these other genres that got their inspiration from rock and roll.
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