Genre /
Rock
Rock is a genre or family of popular music which is generally based around a vocals, guitar, bass, and drum kit band setup, strongly associated with the United States where it initially developed before spreading internationally. The genre originated with rock & roll in the late 1940s, a development on rhythm & blues? and jump blues? which more prominently emphasizes the role of the electric guitar. While not strictly obligatory, the electric guitar is central to the identity of rock music as a genre, and to forego it is uncommon in most styles of rock.
The evolution of rock can largely be split into a few different periods and families:
- the aforementioned rock & roll, including rockabilly? and with early offshoots like surf rock and garage rock
- pop rock, the intersection of Brill Building? pop conventions with rock-band instrumentation, e.g. beat or power pop, and later influenced by dance pop? or electronica?
- the riff rock? family which emerges from garage rock and blues rock?, including hard rock?
- folk rock? and roots rock, incorporating American folk? and blues? and country?
- psychedelic rock, including acid rock? and psychedelic pop? and space rock?
- post-psychedelic rock: art rock?, avant-rock, progressive rock, glam rock, hard rock
- arena rock, the blend of hard rock aggression and riffs with pop rock songwriting
- electronic rock? of the New Wave? era and beyond, including synth rock?, dance rock?, industrial rock?
- metal?, an offshoot of the riff-rock style of heavy metal? which became its own subculture
- punk?, an offshoot of garage rock which became its own subculture
- indie rock, an identity or designation based around independent labels and "authenticity"
- alternative rock?, the reconciliation of pop rock and arena rock with indie rock and punk