As the 1960s progressed, hard rock lost its youthful rebellious appeal and groups like Jethro Tull, early Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator began creating long, intricate jams which added an intellectual dimension to rock music.
Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart pioneered rock into psychedelic territory through their music.
The Beatles
The Beatles were the pioneering group that introduced and established rock music as an art form. Through an intensive process, they studied and integrated numerous influences such as early Rock and Roll, Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Country & Western music, girl groups, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and Broadway show tunes into their sound, which they eventually used to forge a distinctive artistic style of their own. For six years the Beatles shaped musical intelligence throughout one generation.
The Beatles were the pioneering force in popularizing rock as an international phenomenon, with broad global appeal and emotional resonance transcending race or ideology barriers. They set an exemplar model that inspired an entire new generation of British and American bands.
The early 1960s witnessed some of the most groundbreaking innovations in rock music. Elvis Presley stunned audiences around the globe with his suggestive dancing and powerful sound; The Beatles revolutionized musical history by fusing elements of rock, R&B, and emotional expression – drawing in fans of all ages!
At the tail-end of this decade, San Francisco’s hippie culture saw Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, two pioneers of experimental rock who transformed it into a serious art form. These artists’ innovations had an immediate influence on The Beatles and their followers; many began experimenting with complex harmony arrangements and improvisational jam sessions.
In the Nineties, these trends were continued; New York favoring funk and jazz groups (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Yo La Tengo and Built to Spill); Boston towards psychedelia (Morphine and Galaxie 500); Seattle opting for folk/country (Uncle Tupelo/Grant Lee Buffalo); while London favored post punk/dark-punk such as Throbbing Gristle/Joy Division/Public Image Ltd). Meanwhile, their impact remained undeniable;
The Rolling Stones
Popular perception has it that rock music began with Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, but the truth is more complex. Rock actually developed from African American rhythm and blues music, by merging black traditions with country, Western swing, and electric guitar playing to form something completely new that resonated with young audiences – offering freedom of self-expression that seemed tailored specifically for them while providing them with tools against restrictive social and cultural norms they inherited from their parents.
Rolling Stones were instrumental in popularizing rock music and pushing its limits further than any previous band had done. Their sound, look, and public persona all come together perfectly; their combination of sound, look, and public persona laid the blueprint for future bands like Clash, New York Dolls and Guns N’ Roses as classic rock bands; at the same time pushing boundaries of what could be considered “rock” with often unexpected sounds that no one had been asking for before!
Even though their early repertoire consisted of recycled pieces from blues and rock legends, once Jagger and Richards started writing songs on their own they quickly transitioned into becoming composers of an entirely unique sound that they pioneered themselves. Their 1969 album Beggars Banquet marked this transitional phase; its opening track ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ remains a definitive example of their distinct brand of rock music.
The song serves as an emotional farewell for legendary blues guitarist Brian Jones and an unabashed celebration of rock music itself. Unlike more sentimental and often over-simplified love songs of its day, “Tumbling Dice” features explicit references to drugs and violence – marking one of the defining moments for The Rolling Stones and an important milestone in rock history.
The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an eccentric band with lots of attitude. These anarchy-minded nihilists helped popularize punk rock in Britain long before any albums had even been released; their lively live shows and controversial image made them household names even before any records had come out! Beginning life as school band ‘The Strand, later known as Swankers; bassist Glen Matlock would soon be replaced by Sid Vicious who donned shiny shirts and had his head shaved for shows; drummer Paul Cook understood rhythmic structures while lead guitarist Steve Jones brought heavy metal guitar sound along with its enormous sound to join up-guitar ethic associated with Stooges/New York Dolls six-string ethic to combine garage six-string ethic garage six-string ethic garage sensibilities of The Stooges/New York Dolls/New York Dolls;
Malcolm McLaren believed America was ready for PiL despite recent visa issues that prevented shows from taking place here, so decided to organize short tours in order to promote their debut LP. Unfortunately, their tour turned into chaos with fighting and drug use taking place at every show – culminating with one particularly chaotic performance at San Francisco that caused their disbandment.
Although Sex Pistols were one of the most influential British bands from the late 70s, they never really made their mark here in America. Still, their influence remains immense: Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day said of them: “Their release one record only but it made such an impactful statement about rock music at the time!” They have even gone so far as to popularise punk fashion!
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground, originally known as The Warlocks, were the pioneering sounds of 1960s counterculture. Their searing depictions of drug abuse, sadomasochism and existential despair perfectly captured the atmosphere. Their aggressive music provided stark contrast to more sedate melodies found among white rockers like Buddy Holly or Elvis Presley.
As distinct from other bands at the time, they favored electric guitars over amplified vocals and drum machines for their sound, and also utilized more avant-garde musical techniques such as pianos, violins and harmonicas in their sound – influences which would later influence Pink Floyd and The Doors to fuse rock music with avant-garde styles.
With the arrival of psychedelic drugs, VU added a surreal element to their music. Instead of following traditional song structures, they embraced complex jam sessions with jazz accents – giving birth to progressive rock.
By the late ’60s, rock music had evolved into an intellectual pursuit. While The Beatles and Pink Floyd expanded upon pop music’s boundaries, other bands like Sex Pistols and The Clash pared the sound down to its core components: loud guitars, rude attitudes and angry singing that became synonymous with punk culture.
Pink Floyd pioneered a form of progressive-rock in the ’70s. Their experimental album could be experienced all at once through intricate arrangements and multi-part songs with one consistent theme – making for an engaging listening experience. This trend continued into the ’80s and ’90s, when Jane’s Addiction and Metallica introduced a more refined form of heavy metal music. In the 1990s, New York bands leaned toward rhythm and blues (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Royal Trux), Boston toward psychedelia (Galaxie 500 and Morphine), Seattle folk-rock (Sky Cries Mary and Built To Spill), Los Angeles grunge rock (Glass Tiger, Jesus Lizard), and Chicago punk-rock (Rage Against The Machine and Screeching Weasel) with constant cross-pollination between genres.
Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock was the signature musical style of hippie counterculture movement in the late 1960s. This genre’s popularity can be attributed to an emphasis on spirituality and willingness to experiment with new sounds and structures, often using exotic instrumentation such as sitar and tabla, along with Indian-influenced raga melodies as well as studio effects such as tape looping, reversing, panning or any combination thereof.
Psychodelic rock was distinguished from traditional rock by a shift away from strict song formats and harmonies to experimentation with sound and texture, allowing musicians to explore hallucinatory atmospheres and illicit otherworldly emotions through feedback, distortion and freeform improvisation – this technique being employed by The Velvet Underground and Jimi Hendrix Experience among others to produce these effects. Also present were elements of jazz and avant-garde with bands like 13th Floor Elevators exploring freeform improvisation.
Other iconic psychedelic rock groups include The Beatles, who pioneered orchestral arrangements and nontraditional song structures on albums like Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Furthermore, they pioneered studio effects like overdubbing and reverse tape recordings.
Psychedelic rock music is defined by surreal lyrics that explore topics such as tripping, spirituality and existentialism. Additionally, long instrumental solos and songs often accompany songs. Furthermore, exotic instruments like the harpsichord–out of fashion for over two centuries in classical music but revived by psychedelic musicians–can often be heard. Sonic textures such as echoing or reverbing help create an immersive sense of space and depth within this genre of music.