Writing a Good Essay about Rock Music: Basic Guide

When you need to write a good high school or college essay, it is better to choose the most suitable topic to impress your teacher. What can be more newsworthy and engrossing than an essay about rock music? Every young person seems to be good at this issue inasmuch as every student knows what rock is. However, there is a problem. Everyone knows something about rock but very few people can boast of their solid knowledge about its origin, history and branches of this genre. Thus, an average person does not know anything about rock music. Therefore, you should follow these guidelines if you want to analyze this topic profoundly and write a successful essay about rock music.

Step #1: Observe the Early History of Rock Music

It is reasonable to focus on the sources that influenced the development of rock music. Say that this genre was influenced by rock and roll in the first part of 1950s. Numerous American bands mixed the most peculiar sounds of jazz and blues and added audacious and bold fast rhythms to them. These new swift sounds attracted public attention and the brand new genre of music appeared. The brightest representative of rock and roll is Elvis Presley who won international fame in 1950s. His original sound, movements and performance gave birth to other related sub-genres. One can write about the mixture of rhythm and blues, jazz, country and gospel in order to characterize the authentic sound of rock and roll.

Step #2: Dwell on the 1960s

This period of time is known as the British Invasion that determined the further development and popularization of rock music. Such bands as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones became extremely popular and influential on the international scene. There is hardly a person in the world who does not know the names of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. These four young men became the most popular rock musicians in history. The Beatles can boast of being the best-selling artists in the field of music of all time. Their hits had been on the top of the prominent charts for months. No wonder, 1960s are characterized with the term ‘Beatlemania’ whereas their songs could be heard in every corner of our planet. The Rolling Stones and their charismatic Mick Jagger are active even today. Thus, the greatest bands of the 1960s have not lost their popularity yet.

Step #3: What Is the Result of the 1960s?

After the well-known British Invasion, many genres of rock music appeared. You can enumerate garage rock, pop rock, folk rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, etc. Many famous musicians started their solo careers performing lyrical content. Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and others are the brightest representatives of pop rock or blues rock. They perform lyrical songs combining them with the sophisticated soft and melodic sound of a guitar. However, there is a well-known personality whose genuine breaking sound changed rock music forever. Yes, this artist is Jimi Hendrix. Although his active career lasted only four years, he managed to become the greatest electric guitarist of all time. Jimi Hendrix played enormous solos with the help of effects units, especially, wah-wah pedals. It is possible to say that he introduced these units into rock music. This innovation broadened the sound of musical instruments and provided rock musicians with the chance to make new and new sub-genres.

Step #4: The Division of Rock Music

The end of the 1960s is associated with the basic division of rock music into soft rock and hard rock. The beginners of soft rock were Cat Stevens, Carole King, America, etc. Hard rock was more interesting and promising. Such pioneers as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple managed to develop this broad and varied genre profoundly. The ‘king’ of hard rock music, Ozzy Osbourne is still on the scene and entertains millions of his fans on the stages of the biggest rock music festivals in the world. Later on, such bands as Guns and Roses, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Kiss, Metallica, Scorpions, AC/DC, etc. made hard rock sound even rougher. Thus, hard rock turned into heavy metal with its fresh sound. Glam metal (Alice Cooper), thrash metal (Metallica, Slayer), death metal (Celtic Frost, Kreator), black metal (Venom, Bathory), doom metal (Black Sabbath, Unholy) and other types of heavy metal became very popular in 1970-80s. One cannot omit such genre of rock music as punk rock and its brightest representatives – Ramones and Sex Pistols. 1990s are known for the origin of the alternative rock. Grunge (Nirvana, Alice in Chains), Britpop (Oasis), pop-punk (Green Day, Blink 182, Sum 41), Indie rock, rap rock, nu metal, hardcore, metalcore, etc. represent the current image of rock music.

Step #5: Social Impact

It is not a mistake to say that rock music is associated with alcohol, drug addiction and ‘immoral’ antisocial behavior. Doubtless, some sub-genres focus on such topics but they do not advertise them. They simply describe the existing social problems and attract public attention to them with their provocative texts, behavior and appearance. Heavy metal is not the force of destruction.