Rock Bands Essay

The Rolling Stones, self-acclaimed and fan-supported, is “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band.” The Rolling Stones is well into its fifth decade performing together as a group. They are the longest lived, continuous performing band in the history of music. From the band’s early British beginnings through the present, The Rolling Stones has continued to adapt its music to the sounds and styles of the past five decades, to remain ever visible and popular in the eyes of the world. The “Stones,” as the band has become known by, was formed by the blues-loving London born, childhood friends, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Over the period following Jagger’s and Richards’ chance reunion on a train at the Dartford

Rock and roll was built on the foundation of jazz, blues, country, and folk music. The Les Paul electric guitar was also a big contributor in music not just rock. One of the

The Beatles are one of the most innovative rock bands of all time. They have not only changed the way rock and roll is looked at, but also the way that the music is recorded. They have influenced the artists of the 60s and the 70s, and also many generations later and to come. Originating from Liverpool, England, the Beatles, or the Fab Four, consists of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Topping the charts in ’63 with “Love Me Do,” and bringing in the highest rated viewing in history while performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles are definitely a band that broke the sound barrier of rock

In 1964, The Rolling Stones catapulted to fame amid outrage and controversy about the surliness of their demeanor and the length of their hair. The Stones were considered "dangerous" and riots and scenes of hysteria erupted wherever they played. "Today, they're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, winners of the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and on the cover of TIME magazine" (RIAA; History 2 of 4). "There's nothing new about pop and rock music finding its roots in the anger and rebellion of young people, and there's nothing new in older people expressing unrealistic fears about that music" (RIAA; History 3 of 4). History has shown us that what may be initially perceived as objectionable is actually only the reaction of a new or different experience.

One of the most influential rock bands, Led Zeppelin, not only influenced American musicians, but also influenced the American culture with their combined rock, heavy-metal, blues, and folk to create an outstanding and timeless sound which can be followed from the origins of the band, through the height of the band's career, to the legacy they left behind.

Rock ‘n’ roll has played a major role in some known historical developments post World War 2. Music plays a significant part in America 's Cold War culture. Music gave us a sense of new technologies and helped the world to prosper. It also is linked with African Americans living in the South. Music was known for shaping the lives of the people during the 1950s and 1960s. Music was geared towards the youth, race, ethnicity, gender and class. “All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America” by Altschuler, Glenn C, tells us the story of the birth of rock and roll during the concrete years of 1955 to 1965. Altschuler gives us a overview of how rock ‘n’ roll has an historical context. “ For two years the Times printed dozens of

     The Rolling Stones were the second most successful band of the British invasion and dived into the mainstream with their hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The Rolling Stones had a more aggressive style with loud guitar tones and driving rhythms. And while The Beatles touched on more clean-cut topics, the Stones shocked people with songs about casual drug use and careless sex. Other influential bands of the British Invasion include The Who, Cream, and The Kinks who are now some of rocks greatest legends.

The Beatles were more than their music. They influenced the lives of millions of people unlike any musicians before them. They were the first and most popular band in one of the most important music movements in American history, the British Invasion. The year 1964 was the year both the British Invasion and “Beatlemania” came to America and forever changed the landscape of music in the United States by introducing the genre of pop, as it is today. The Beatles changed the rules of music. Many things that are considered normal now were pioneered by the Beatles such as: creating compilation albums, expressing their views on world happenings through the media, musicians in movies, and even mass media advertising. The beatles

The ugly turn was taken at the Altamont Speedway during a festival promoting free rock music and peace all around. The festival soon turned from carefree to tragedy with one lick of the guitar. The whole idea around the Altamont Speedway music festival was the idea of the ever so present Rolling Stones. The Stones being a rock band, who wanted to, in a way, mimic the basic idea of its predecessors, the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock. The idea that the people of the time weren’t about fighting and violence; they were all about loving oneself, loving one another, and most importantly, loving the

The group was formed in 1965 by bluegrass - enthusiast Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan on vocals and organ, Bob Weir on guitar and vocals, classical music student Phil Lesh on bass and vocals, and Bill Kreutzmann on drums. From the beginning, they brought together a variety of influences, from Garcia's country background to Pigpen's feeling for blues (his father was an R&B radio DJ) and Lesh's education in contemporary serious" music. Add to that, the experimentation encouraged at some of the group's first performances at novelist Ken Kesey's

In the 1960’s British artists took their modified edition of rock and roll, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and shared it with America. This concept would end up being acknowledged as the British Invasion. The British Invasion is the movement where bands from the United Kingdom became popular in the United States. It involved the virtual control of AM radio and the record industry in the United States by British artists, particularly the groups who had confirmed to be experts at recycling the American rhythm and blues and rockabilly songs of the 1950’s (Burns 2004). This movement is described as one of the most fascinating aspects of rock revolution that stimulated young American audiences by a second-hand version of American music traditions and filtered through British sensibilities (Winkler 1988). Due to The Beatles’ heavy influence on American music culture, it is still debated whether or not they were the greatest band of all time. There are many theories as to why America supported and embraced The Beatles’ success. The focal point shifted from the aftershock of John F. Kennedy’s death towards The Beatles and their rising popularity. This phenomenon changed the idea of rock and roll, as well as other

Known for being pioneers for rock 'n roll music in the 1960s the Beatles weren 't always musical celebrities. Coming from humble beginnings in

According to "The Beatles-A Biography", their biggest year was 1964 when they conquered the biggest record market in the world - America (1). The group became symbols. America was mourning the death of President John F. Kennedy and the Beatles appeared on the scene to bring them fun and excitement, ending their mourning ("The Beatles-A Biography" 1).

The Rolling Stones was a band that was formed in London that stormed across America. Their image was posted as “Bad Boys”, they wrote music that was a faster version of Chicago blues. This took a shift later which they wrote about other social problems in their music. They were a popular band and recorded over three hundred plus songs to this date. most of their songs resonated with the general population and how they felt at the time.

However, the 1960s was considered at a stand still when it came to popular music. In 1964, when the Beatles arrived to America, everything changed. I think this was the time when Rock-n-Roll was truly reborn as Rock music. “The changing of Rock and Roll terminology is illustative. “Rock and Roll” became simply “Rock”, connoting its new heaviness (seriousness)” (Cary, pg 31) The oncoming decade allowed for new developments within rock music and as a result, soared in popularity. The British invasion, a phrase coined by Walter Cronkite while reporting the arrival of the Beatles in the USA,and American folk singers were the causes of the rapid changes in Rock music. It was British bands that altered how Rock-n-Roll was played, and at the the same time American folk singers were in the process of changing how its audience, particularly the youth, perceived it.