1. The emergence of rock music
1. Background
Looking back at the history of the United States in the first half of the 20th century, from the late 1920s to the mid-1930s, what happened in Europe and America The economic crisis led to the Great Depression; in the late 1930s, World War II broke out; in 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered the anti-fascist war, which did not end until 1945. Looking at the 1950s and beyond, the 1950s were a relatively stable and prosperous period in the United States, and are often regarded as a prosperous era for Americans. The 1960s were one of the most turbulent years in American history. As a result of sending troops to participate in the Vietnam War, it was opposed by the people, which put the country in a state of extreme social and political instability.
In the 1950s, especially after Eisenhower became president in 1952, the U.S. economy began to stabilize and the entire society was living and working in peace and contentment. As a result, the middle class gradually increased, they raised children, and a baby boom occurred. The number of teenagers has increased unprecedentedly, and the world has suddenly become a world dominated by young people. At that time, children generally stayed with their families in their after-school life. The TV programs are also relatively healthy, and there is not a big gap in musical taste. The music that young and old people appreciate is basically the same, which is the music played by the "big bands" in the 1940s and 1950s, and the Ding Bang Alley songs that have lasted for decades. The lyrics often express pure love, and the music is also different. Be threatening and try to give people a feeling of comfort and tranquility.
By the mid-1950s, due to their superior living conditions, this group of teenagers had not experienced war and suffering like their parents, and at the same time they were favored by their families. Therefore, they began to not understand the thinking and life of their parents. way, unwilling to follow the path arranged by their parents. They have their own pursuits and hobbies, and because of the strength of the people, they form a powerful force. They no longer follow their parents to appreciate sentimental pop songs. At this time, they just found their voice in rock music. Rock music is simple, powerful and straightforward, especially its strong rhythm, which is consistent with the energetic and active characteristics of teenagers; the unrestrained performance style of rock music is consistent with their rebellious psychology; the theme of rock music singing is consistent with what they are doing. issues of concern are closely related.
2. The emergence of rock music
In the early 1950s, a tripartite phenomenon emerged in the American pop music market. The music that black people appreciate is basically rhythm and blues, white people above the middle class listen to jingle bang alley songs, and rural listeners in the Midwest like country music related to rural life. However, by the mid-1950s (about 1954-1956), two obvious phenomena appeared in the record market, namely "market crossover" and the emergence of "cover versions". "Market crossover" means that a record originally released in one market also achieves good results in another market. For example, some songs are at the top of the R&B sales charts and are also very popular on the pop charts. Seeing this lucrative market crossover, some major record companies quickly produced their own versions of popular R&B songs, resulting in a large number of "cover versions". At this time, the wall in the middle of the three markets that were originally separated suddenly felt like it collapsed. In this ruins, a new style - rock music was officially born.
Rock music was officially born in the mid-1950s, but the term appeared in the early 1950s. In 1951, Cleveland radio disc jockey Alan Freed sang "We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll" from a rhythm and blues song. The term "Rock n' Roll" was coined. The release of the movie "Blackboard Jungle" in 1955 had a huge impact on the emergence of rock music. It tells the story of a group of students who rebelled.
A middle school teacher sang a song to this group of students. This song was the film's episode "Rock Around The Clock" (Example 16). The song created a huge sensation among teenagers. In July 1955, "Rock Around the Clock" topped the pop charts, marking the arrival of the rock era. Its singer, Bill Haley, became the first rock music idol worshiped by teenagers. From then on, rock music became popular all over the country.
1. The origin of rock music
Rhythm & Blues
Segregation in the United States has always been very serious, in residential areas, schools, churches and various societies. There were separate facilities for whites and blacks. Under apartheid, black people retained their own religion, language, clothing, dance and music. Rhythm and blues, like other black music, has its own community. It was called a "race record," separate from the white music market.
Rhythm and blues is the result of the continued development of blues music after World War II. It combines the characteristics of swing and piano music boogie-woogie on the basis of urban blues. The sound becomes more powerful and highlights the continuous and forward rhythm. It also retains the tradition of black music improvisation, and the ensemble still uses the 12-bar blues form and harmonic framework that can be repeated repeatedly. The second life