Rock - Genre Research

Rock.



Rock music is a genre of pop music that originally began in the 1950's in the United States and was called 'Rock and Roll'. By the mid and late 60's, particularly in the United Kingdom and United States, it ranged into multiple different styles. Its influence is mainly blues, rhythm and country. Rock is most centered around the electric guitar, usually part of a band consisting of a singer, electric bass guitar, drums and the electric guitar. The genre has become extremely diverse. Lyrics often are associated with love, like pop, but they also address a wide variety of themes that are frequently social and political. The 1960's are referred to as the 'golden age' or 'classic rock era' with a number f distinct artists emerged.

Typically, the conventions of rock music to a more now a date era are:

1.Performance

With rock being mainly bands, they show off the bands talent by also showing them performing, this can either be in front of a crowd, like a show, or performing as a 'rehearsal', but more commonly, they incorporate their performance into some sort of narrative. This means that there is no set angles with in this apart from close up's of the performers and their instruments.

2. Black and white

Black and white styles are often used in music videos, more commonly in the older era however, some rock bands are still influenced from the old school rock and interpret it into their video. This also helps a music video look sophisticated.

3.Dialogue 

Rock videos tend to have a section within or before their video where the singer talks, this then gives the sense of a little story or to show their rebellion 

4. Instruments 

Instruments are the main focus of the rock genre, with them being filled with bands, this means that there will be a lot of close up shots of the instruments being played by the band.

5. Rebellious

Rock stars are stereotyped as being very rebellious with their actions, but also with their style of tattoos and piercings.

6.Fast Paced editing

This convention is mainly due to the quick tempo and beat of rock music, with the drums and guitar, that most videos edit to the beat. 

7.Iconography 

Rock has a huge range of iconic iconography, from the styles of the artists to what the audience of these bands would be like, some of the most common icons are 

Hand Signals

Tattoos

drugs

Piercinga

Instruments

Alcohol 

8.Style

Since the 70's, rock has been known to have their own unique style, with the make up and extravagant clothing, but on the other side of this, you had the lazy look, where they appear as they've just gotten out of bed. Now a days it is less likely to see the theatricality side of rock.