Rock music, where did it all begin? Believe it or not a black

man who played black music, originally founded rock music in

the mid 50s, this man was Chuck Berry. Rock music became popular

almost over night, and was accepted with open arms by the younger

generations. This was largely due to younger generations who

were excited by the thought of having music that expressed their

rebellious streak and their desires to promote anti-conformism.

This style of music is a far cry from the modern rock music

of today that has evolved over the decades and branched out

into a multitude of different genres and sub-genres to create

music that is more a way of life than entertainment. However,

the still prominent fact that rock music is a form of self-

expression and non-conformist desire still remains strong

even after all this time.

Rock music grew stronger and stronger with idols such as Elvis

Presley, around this time many of the black rock and roll

artists left the rock music scene and in their place were

a host of other white rockers with a style and look all of

their own.

After Elvis Presley's famous entrance, other well known rock

idols and bands started popping up from everywhere, but something

was lost along the way, rockers started losing sight the whole

reason that rock and roll had become popular in the first place,

which was non conformist and rebellious attitudes.

During this time rock music, took a huge nosedive with the

younger generations, who were uninterested in a mixture of

country music, folk songs, and rock music. This was in the

late fifties and musicians such as Buddy Holly and the Everly

Brothers were foremost rockers in the rock music scene.

Just as things were looking bleak, Bob Dylan entered the

scene during the Vietnam War and held the heart and attention

of many youth of the era with his songs of the Vietnam War

and civil rights. Around this time, the Beach Boys changed

the rock music scene with their new style of rock music.

California had its own unique spin on rock and roll, which

contained very sophisticated and vocal harmonies; this style

of rock music was a change from the empathetic shouting that

had first been introduced by the black musicians in the mid

50s.

In the early sixties, Britain took on a whole new aspect of

rock music and created a rage with bands such as the Rolling

Stones and the Animals. During this era, the Yard birds also

debuted and although they were in the shadows of the Rolling

Stones, they were in fact the beginnings of something great,

the musicians from this band were later on to revolutionize

rock music all over again.

Nevertheless, it was the birth of the Beatles that created a

worldwide mania and the beginning of rock music as a business

was really born. Following the Beatles, the second generation

of rockers were the Kinks and the Who, the Who had changed

rock music forever with their mechanically amplified guitars

and songs dedicated to the angry frustrated youth of the 60s

The seventies saw the death of Jimmy Hendrix, and the Doors

Jim Morrison, and rock music cooled down. New bands, such as

Nirvana and the Eagles, began a more peaceful revival of country

music mixed with soft rock. The seventies were characterized by

a quieter time in rock music.

The nineties saw the age of electronic music, and this new rage

spread all over the world, and saw an era of many different genres

of rock music, blended music and dance music mixed together. The

90s were also the decade of heavy metal and bands such as Guns and

Roses and Metallica. This style of music split into a myriad of

other sub-genres such as the funk-metal of Red-Hot-Chilli-Peppers,

Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More.

It is hard to believe that today's rock music began with a single

black man, singing a hybrid type of the blues, and flourished over

the last five decades to become not only a choice, but also a way

of life.

Rock music has evolved to become an array of different styles and

sub categories, which provide enjoyment for a multitude of different

tastes in music. What the future holds for rock music may not be

known, although it is safe to say the rock music will still be

around for the next five decades.