The history of rock music is a real treasure trove of cinematic plots, funny tales, and unexpected facts. Many of them are unknown even to die-hard fans of the genre. We’ve picked six stories you will definitely like.
Down with prejudices
In the 1950s, musicians from the American South experimented with familiar genres in search of new sounds. The hypnotic rhythms of “black” music, elements of country, boogie-woogie, and gospel have formed a new musical direction – rock and roll. Historically, it became the first genre in which white and black musicians played equally. In many ways, the popularity of rock and roll helped reduce the racial intensity of those years, although the style was considered apolitical. However, some split was still observed: the style of white artists got its own name – rockabilly.
Elvis and his crown
Rock and roll gained real popularity in 1955 with the release of Bill Haley’s song “Rock around the clock.” Therefore, many consider this particular performer to be the first white star of the genre, but he did not quite fit this role. Haley lacked the power and expression, such as that of Chuck Berry. Besides, the singer was over 30, and the youth clearly needed an idol of their age. Therefore, the appearance of the young rebel Elvis Presley was predetermined by fate itself. Elvis, an uneducated and humble guy from Mississippi, turned rock and roll into a noisy and cheerful kingdom. The agents of the future star systematically created the image of a charming dude, and in 1956 Elvis received the unofficial title of “King of Rock and Roll,” which remains with him till today.
Is Rock and Roll Dead?
Less than six years after the ascension of rock and roll on the musical Olympus, some people already intended to write off the new genre. And there were many reasons for this:
- Elvis Presley reached the draft age and served in the army.
- Little Richard gave up music.
- Jerry Lee Lewis was crushed by the excessive attention to his personal life.
- Chuck Berry went to jail.
February 3, 1959, became “the day the music died” – then the plane crash took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Walesa, and Big Bopper. However, the ominous lull under the slogan “Rock and Roll is Dead!” did not last long, and already in 1960, the Liverpool four entered the stage.
Rock wave
Despite the nationwide popularity of rock and roll, this genre was not immediately accepted by society. Public figures have repeatedly called for a boycott of rock and roll, fearing that the “black plague” will destroy America. In such an environment, it was illegal to broadcast rock music on the radio, and in the 60s, the first pirate rock stations appeared in Great Britain, which hid in the sea and broadcast from ships.
The pioneer of the pirate movement was the radio station Mercur, located on a fishing boat in neutral waters off the coast of Denmark. Then similar projects began to appear worldwide, gaining more and more fans in the youth environment. The listeners appreciated the playful tone of the presenters and the selection of rare music, which was very difficult to hear outside the underground.
A bit of mysticism
Songs classified as “rock and roll” over the years, less and less reminiscent of the classic standards of this genre. And all because the term acquired a broader meaning, and they began to use it in the original, rebellious sense. The audience at rock music concerts behaved more and more relaxedly, and in the 80s, a new gesture began between the musicians and the audience – fingers of a hand-folded in the form of “horns.”
However, this sign, which is popularly called the “goat,” has little to do with Satanism. Initially, the opposite meaning was put into it: even in the Middle Ages, northerners folded their fingers in such a way as to ward off the evil eye and protect themselves from evil spirits. For the first time on stage, this gesture was used by Black Sabbath frontman Ronnie James Dio.
Live fast, die young
The history of rock ‘n’ roll keeps the legend of the mystical curse of the “Club 27” – a mythical association of musicians whose life ended at the age of 27. This sad list includes rock stars such as Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, etc. To date, this list consists of 49 names. And although scientists have proven that among rock stars, the probability of early death is twice as high as among ordinary citizens, Club 27 is nothing more than a beautiful legend because the number of musicians who died at this age does not really stand out from general statistics.