The first genres of rock music: part 1

Today, when we talk about rock (and metal), we can see that there are many categories. Facing this, you may feel a little confused (or a lot, it depends)

However, this diversity of genres goes back to the creation of rock n’ roll. We’ll see about that right away.

First, rock n’ roll appeared in the 1950s. If you haven’t read the post about rock music’s creation and its creators, I put the link here. But as soon as it appears, we can see that there are 4 different kinds of rock!

Let’s see the characteristics of each of them in 2 posts (I take care of our brains ;))

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on some of my knowledge and is backed up and supplemented by research done before its writing. You can find the sources at the bottom of the page.

WARNING : the use of the words “Black” and “White” in my post are not racist, or prejudicial. I don’t want to disrespect anyone.

Mainstream Rock n’Roll

Mainstream rock n’roll refers to the rock n’roll we hear on the radio. Its characteristics are:

The dominant influence of Black music.

Almost everything in this style brings us back to Rhythm and Blues. The most direct link is formal and harmonic.

–What’d I Say : Ray Charles

– Whole Lotta Shaking Going On: Jerry Lee Lewis

– Ain’t That A Shame: Fats Domino

– Rock Around The Clock et Shake, Rattle and Roll: Bill Haley

– Johnny B. Goode: Chuck Berry

– Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock et I Got Stung: Elvis Presley

– Tutti Frutti, Lucille et Good Golly Miss Molly: Little Richard

It is a non-exhaustive list of examples of blues whose initial form was not always respected. Whether it’s the measurements or the construction of the songs.

The accompaniment is often played on the double bass

This is one of the most emblematic elements. Its main characteristic is to be more melodic and to play a more active role in rock n’roll and blues than in variety and country and western.

A fast tempo

Even very fast. It’s possible that a song has a black pulse far greater than 180.

For those whose musical notions are very distant, if not zero, a black equals a time.

Treatment of accentuation is different

In popular music, on 4 bars, the 1st and 3rd beats are generally more pronounced than the 2nd and 4th. In many rock songs, the usual approach is reversed. This would be one of the reasons for the attraction for rock music.

Vocal performances inspired by Rhythm and Blues as well

Part of the rock reputation comes from the name given to singers: shouters. The latter are more used to spit their words than to singing. This practice will become established in rock. A typical example is Little Richard.

Others simply change their tone of voice to make it harder and/or rougher. However, the majority of rock singers sing like those of variety.

Also, sometimes in songs, when the singer doesn’t sing/shout:

• Either a soloist takes over with his instrument,
• Either the choirs sing/shout in response to the latter.

This practice refers us, once again, to the African-American practices of work songs, blues, and jazz.

Nevertheless, mainstream rock n’ roll (and all forms of rock after it) is much more than music. They are also texts, attitudes, clothes, hair trends, and so on.

Lyrics

If you look at the lyrics of rock n’ roll, there is nothing revolutionary. Most of them talk about love. It’s the sonorities and the turn of the texts that mark.

Gender doesn’t get worked up, teach lessons or wish to deliver a coherent message. They claim that love, friendship, and other entertainment are the priority of teenagers.

This observation is surprising when we know that the majority of rockers come from difficult social backgrounds and that their biographies testify to the dysfunctions of the USA at the time (segregation, poor white trash).

They have no demanding messages, but a desire to touch the hearts and guts of young people.

Rockabilly

Rockabilly is a portmanteau word for rock and hillbilly. The latter designates traditional white music (or the stereotype of the uneducated peasant attached to his land, but we will stay on the first option).

Some set his “date of birth” at the time of Elvis’s release of that’s All Right Mama in 1954.

It is also, originally, the work of small independent labels such as Sun Records. But other labels will mark its existence like Meteor Records, King Records, CBS or Chess Records.

The big difference between mainstream rock n’roll and rockabilly is the dosage of country and western music in them.

Its characteristics are complicated to define like that. It’s by comparing it to mainstream rock n’roll that it is easier to spot its features.

More restraint

Rockabilly is more in restraint. There are fewer raw sounds, savagery, and abruptness.

Processing of backbeats

There is also less emphasis on the backbeats (2nd and 4th beats of a measure). This will be worth the first controversy in the field of rock between authenticity and trade.

This controversy is unfounded because it’s not a matter of profits, but of personal culture and education.

We find, in rockabilly, a majority of white people from the south of the USA who work in the same studios and with the same musicians as the stars of rock n’roll mainstream. More than that, some will oscillate between the two genders. Examples include Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Bill Haley.

Other features of rockabilly are:

Lyrics

They refer to the recurring themes of the time, that is to say: cars and sentimental relationships.

The construction of melodies

Songs often follow patterns in 8 or 16 bars directly inheriting the country and western.

Here are examples:

• Peggy Sue, Not Fade Away and That’ll Be The Day: Buddy Holly
• Wake Up, Little Susie and Bye Bye Love: Everly Brothers
• Susie Q.: Dale Hawkins
• Great Balls On Fire: Jerry Lee Lewis

The occasional use of the blues form

We can sometimes see the presence of the blues form in the melodies. However, it does not give this style to the song.

For example :

• Oh boy !: Buddy Holly
• Bird Dog: Everly Brothers
• Be-Bop-a-Lula: Gene Vincent

The bass line

The latter is much more influenced by country and western than rhythm and blues.

Instrumentation very similar to Rhythm and Blues

However, with some changes:

• A saxophone that “screams less”
• More frequent use of acoustic guitar and double bass. The latter is played in a “slapped” way. (that is to say, pulling the rope to hit the key. This produces a more percussive sound.)
• Melodies are sung with a natural voice and in an understandable way.

Rockabilly became an acceptable alternative to the rock n’ roll mainstream.

Especially as the rockabilly singers often seem more reasonable than their “savages” colleague screaming their rock n’roll. Moreover, most have an ideal son-in-law look that works best with parents.

We just discovered what the rock n’roll mainstream and rockabilly genres were. Next time, we will see the 2 other genres that existed from the beginning of rock.

Now, if you had to choose, would you be more team rock n’roll mainstream or rockabilly?

That’s for now! You can listen to the artists and songs mentioned in the article in the playlist right here. And feel free to share if you liked it or if you think it could interest someone you know.

Also, you can see all the drawings / caricatures right here !

See you soon !

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Sources :

Une histoire musicale du rock de Christophe Pirenne

Wikipédia

Musical Notation – Learning Music for Kids – The quarter note, the half note and the whole note – Smile and Learn : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y46FuaUMtBw

Artiste Audio :https://artisteaudio.fr/histoire-du-rockabilly/

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Claire Abe