TheEmergenceof

Rock&Roll

TheRoaring20s

TheRootsofRock

•Thelate1920stomid-1930swereyearsofextremefinancialpressure.- TheGreatDepression- Affectedbothrichandpoor- 25%unemployment- 60%dropinthepriceofcrops

WorldWarII

•The1940swereconsumedbythemostdestructivewartheworldhaseverknown.•Over30countriesand100millionpeopleinvolved•Over61millionpeopleperished

SwingMusic

•UsedsimilarformstoBlues•Soughttomakepeopleforgetthetrialsofwar•Theintroductionofsolosections(furtherexpansionoffreedom)

SomeofthePositiveSocialInfluencesofthe1950s.

•Post-Warpeace(family,college,career)•RiseoftheMiddle-Class(Homeownership,autoindustry•Television(moremusictimeforradio)

R&Bvs 1950sPop

•Duetosegregation,musicalstyleswerealsokeptseparate.•Rhythm&Blueswasonetrack•TookthemusicalelementsofGospelandturnedthemintoasecularwork•1950sPopwastheothertrack

CharacteristicsofRhythm&Blues

• Bandsusuallyconsistedofpiano,oneortwoguitars,bass,drums,andsaxophone.• Arrangementswererehearsedtothepointofeffortlessnessandweresometimesaccompaniedbybackgroundvocalists.• Simplerepetitiveparts,rhythmicinterplayproducingmellow,lilting,andoftenhypnotictextures.

1950sPopMusic

• SimilarqualitiestoBluesbutwithlighterlyrics• Dealtwithtopicsofinnocentboy-girllove;nonthreatening.• Popsoughttobecomfortable,pleasant,righteous,andexcesswasavoided.• Completelyignoredtheturmoil,controversyofpreviousdecades.

OutsideHelp

•TwostylesofmusichelpedspreadRock&Roll

•TinPanAlley(Broadway/Vaudeville)•Country&Western

TinPanAlley

•Startedasearlyasthelate1800sandcontinuedwellintothe1950s•AgroupofMusicPublishersandSongwritersinNewYorkthatdominatedthepopularmusicscene.•Responsibleforthedisseminationofsheetmusicforpopularmusic.

CharacteristicsofTinPanAlley

•NonControversiallyrics•Straightuncomplicatedrhythm– keptinthebackground•BroadwayorMoviesongsadaptedtopopularstyle

ImportantNamesinTinPanAlley• IrvingBerlin– GodBlessAmerica•GeorgeGershwin- Summertime•Hoagy Carmichael– GeorgiaonMyMind

Country&Western

•UnlikePopMusic,Country&Westernhadasmallbutwelldefinedaudience•TheGrandOleOpry,NashvilleScene,etc.•BirthofsmallIndielabels(HugeforRock&Roll)

CharacteristicsofCountry&WesternMusic

•Consistsofavocalist,vocalbackup,electricpedalsteelguitar,piano,violin,acousticbass,acousticorelectricguitar•Nodrums8(earlycountry)– Basssettherhythmwithslapbeatsuntilthemid-1950s•Alsousedvocalinflections- yodel

Eachofthesethreestyles– Pop,R&B,TinPanAlley,andC&WcontributedinvaryingdegreestotheformationofRock&Roll.

•R&BtheHeaviestContributor•Popcontributedtheleast•C&Wintroducedtheconceptofindielabels•TinPanAlleyhelpedspreadmusicthroughpublishing