No one is exactly sure when Rock n Roll was born. Many claim it originated as early as the 1920s while others point towards the 40s and 50s. What we do know is that Rock n Roll evolved from Rhythm and Blues (also known as R&B) which was created by African Americans down South in the 1920s. At this time in history, African Americans were being brought to the United States as slaves to work on plantations. This is where they created Rhythm and Blues. The slave owners thought this music was “happy” music but instead this was the way African Americans would express themselves and communicate by call and response.

In the 1950s Rock n’ Roll evolved into a slightly different genre that attracted many of the teenagers. This new style of Rock was created from blues using electric guitars, and later it mixed with country western, and gospel. This genre was labeled as “Rockabilly.” During the early 1950s the lead instruments consisted of a saxophone or a piano, but towards the end of the decade the guitar had taken over the lead role.

After this generation many people thought Rock and Roll was just a phase that would come to an end. Instead they were wrong. The 1960s had some of the biggest artists in history like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel, etc. were born. The Beatles for example started a revolution. They shaped the way teenagers dressed and the way that they lived their lives. I like to think of this time as the rebellion era.

As the 1970s hit, Rock music had evolved into Disco. This was around the time that the war between Vietnam and the US had come to an end so many people wanted music that they could relax and dance to. Disco stemmed off of Soul and Funk. This genre included instruments such as horns, keyboards/synthesizers, and strings. Some of the bigger artists in this genre included ABBA who was well known for their song Dancing Queen, and also the Bee Gees famously known for their song Stayin Alive.

The 1980s was a time where disco died and music sales started decreasing since all the kids from the 1960s were grown up at this point. This was a new era of Rock n’ Roll that many consider “Glam Rock.” This kind of Rock was a lot harder and distorted than previous types of Rock. Some of the artists from this era consist of AC/DC, Aerosmith, Guns n’ Roses, and Def-Leppard. The style of clothing was a lot different as well. Band members had edgy looks with long wavy hair and they also used lots of makeup at times.

When the 1990s came around, Alternative Rock was born. Popular artists of this time included Nirvana, RHCP, Alice in Chains, etc. This was an interesting time because many of the artists from previous generations were still popular at the time. This generation was popular for metal, punk, grunge rock, alternative pop, etc. Artists like Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Blink 182, Green Day, Weezer, The Foo Fighters were all relevant while the same time bands like Black Sabbath and Guns and Roses were still pushing hard. This was an era where multiple genres of music were equally as popular as the other.

After the 2000s, the most popular genre of Rock was still Alternative Rock. Although there are so many subgenres within Alternative Rock. During this generation Emo music became very popular. Bands like Sum412, Good Charlotte, and Fallout Boy became really popular and this type of music influenced the way teenagers dressed. Ripped jeans, long black hair, and dark apparel were extremely popular. All types of Rock music remain popular today. But I would personally have to admit that I don’t think there will be any other dominant type of Rock for the rest of time. Anything nowadays that stems from the genre itself is now labeled as Alternative, so going forward there can only be subgenres within that genre.