If you are a Baby Boomer, you participated (more than likely) in a very exciting musical change during the "Explosion" and you probably didn't even knowing it! - The Tree of Music.
THE SEED (I am leaving Classical and turn of the century music off this one, even though they contributed as well)
Early - 40's "Big Band, Gospel, Blues, Western & Folk"
Jazz was the offspring from the original "Five". As more big band members started branching out to create a more non-structured sound, which actually started the underground scene. These were the founders of the experimental sound, utilizing instruments with a more off-beat focus and distinct separation, celebrating the talents of each individual. This was also the start of the Poet/Beatnik scene which metamorphosed into the Hippy movement of the 60's.
THE SOIL (Key Change in Music)
In the late 40's some Blues bands started tinkering with the standard sound, this was the actual foundation of Rock & Roll. Brass and Keys were front and center and the lead instruments. Bands such as T-Bone Walker started using amplified instruments, such as electric guitars and basses to increase the control of the mealody during live performances. Big Bands were already using electric guitars since the 30's but more and more small bands saw immediate results as their venues grew.
THE WATER
50's "Rock & Roll"
A Cleveland Disc Jockey named Alan Freed was the first to coin the phase "Rock and Roll". This 1951 ground breaking term was pulled from the song "My Baby Rocks me with a Steady Roll" by Trixie Smith. The lyrics laid it all out there " My man rocks me with one steady roll - There's no slippin' when he once takes hold - I looked at the clock and the clock struck one - I said Now Daddy, ain't we got fun - He kept rockin' with one steady roll". This was a sex packed song for teenagers to OMG-at and the term Rock and Roll became the anthem for the bump and grind! Rhythm music was now on a roll, Doo-Wop was starting to fade. Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, Bo Diddley, Wanda Jackson, Screamin Jay Hawkins, Sam Cooke, Jerry Lee Lewis, James Brown and of course Elvis, grabbed the bull by the horns and rode that sucker all the way to the Hall of Fame! Big changes with instruments began to take place, Les Paul releases Gibsons flag ship guitar the "Les Paul" and Leo Fender launches the "Strat", both still considered the Holy Grail of electric guitars today. Brass and Keys were taking a back seat to the sexy new stringed Alpha instruments. 78's were phasing out, 45's were taking over the record sales and in 1954 Sony unveils the first transistor radio, now you can have your Rock anywhere a frequency could be had. Sun Studios became the "It" studio if you wanted to be a Super Star. In 1959, Detroit blew the doors open when Berry Gordy introduces the Motown Sound - STOP RIGHT HERE- Think about this for a moment, the earlier names up above had a similar sound, Rhythm & Blues with a twang, mainly 3-bar blues type tones with 4-6 piece band...then the Motown storm hit.
Motown sound is a very important key of change, remember all the super stars in the above mentioned? Everyone knew them all, they were all Mega Stars! Motown was introducing a new "Sound" not a new "Star" (although they all became stars). So, now we have the "Music" as the star and the Artist as the driver of the star. This is a very important change because the "Brand" was not hinged on a particular person for success. The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Supremes, The Four Seasons, The Animals, The Association, The Beach Boys, this was a radical change for the industry to introduce "The Act" and not the Artist. Something was brewing.
THE STUMP
60's
In 1960, the Silver Beetles (yes those Beatles), who are huge Buddy Holly fans, start gigging in Liverpool, London and Scotland. The Rolling Stones and the Yard Birds followed suite by rejecting the British Rock-a-billy sound and embracing the American Soul and R&B. (I could go on forever about the British Invasion, but i think you all know what happened there.)
Back in the States, a subtle change started happening. There began a small divide in music, more radio stations started opening with a focus on a particular sound, creating a following who's interest was only that type or style of sound. Record label's such as Stax and Atlantic were digging deep into "Their" sound, even modifying gear just to make their recordings unique. Outboard gear became the battle ground of sound and each Engineer jockeyed themselves into fame and fortune!
After the British Invasion in 1964, we started witnessing a new change. Lets review the early 60's sound.
There were many more subcategories of rock genre, however, this list of 10 is where the stump starts it's great divide and shoot to the stars readying for the "Big Bang".
"COMING NEXT, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!"
THE BRANCHES
70's-90's
THE LEAVES
00's-10's
THE OFFSHOOTS
present
