A Journey Through American Rock: Evolution and Influences Explored

This essay explores the evolution of American rock music over the past six decades, highlighting its diverse influences from American folk, blues, and jazz. It traces the development of rock 'n' roll from its rebellious origins to its commercialization and eventual shifts towards genres like pop and hip-hop. The essay analyzes ten iconic rock songs, including "Stairway to Heaven," "Smoke on the Water," and "Bohemian Rhapsody," to illustrate the genre's metamorphosis in terms of musical elements, lyrical themes, and cultural impact. It discusses the contributions of influential artists like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Queen, and Pink Floyd, as well as movements like glam rock and southern rock. The essay concludes that while American rock has experienced changes and challenges, it remains a significant genre with a dedicated following, continuing to evolve and strive for melodic excellence.

Running head: AMERICAN MUSIC
AMERICAN MUSIC
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The United States of America, land of the free home of the brave, has been a pioneer in
terms of producing music that has taken the world by storm in the last six decades. From
American folk to the African-American rendition of blues and Jazz they have traversed various
realms of sound and emotion to connect with crowds from various ethnic and cultural
backgrounds (Reising, 2017). “Rock ‘n’ Roll” originally coined as a profanity has now evolved
into a culturally accepted form of expression of self. The origins of the idea of rock ‘n’ roll can
be traced to the blues escapades of the legendary Robert Johnson who started the Mississippi
blues scene singlehandedly though over the years American folk and jazz have found their
elements in bits and pieces of classic rock. In order to understand the ideal that rock seeks to
profess one must look at the historical relevance that the movements associated with rock have
(Leonard, 2017). Each movement created and preached its own ideals and each originated from
an idea of rebellion. As rebellious as the message of rock maybe over the years it has managed to
incorporate various pangs of commercialism in its rungs and the same can be attributed to its
eventual downfall at the hands of more crowd-appealing genres of music such as pop or hip-hop.
With the expression taking a backseat in later years, mass appeasement became the main
medium of communication for musicians. Rock however has survived the downfall and is still a
prevalent genre that has a considerable following and a plethora of dedicated artists who are still
making music that caters to this fan base (Perry, 2013). The following paragraphs will list ten
songs from this genre and seek to establish the elements that have changed over the years and the
elements that still remain past its immense metamorphosis over the years.
1. Stairway to heaven

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This song has been synonymous with legendary classic rock from the time of its very
inception. Written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from the globally proclaimed “super-group”
Led Zeppelin it captures various elements of jazz and blues in its overall arrangement with a hint
of folk rock in various parts of the song (Fürst, 2014). Publicly released in the year 1971 it
immediately became a staple for every social event that featured rock to the extent where it
became the best known rock song of all time. It thus entered the Rock ‘n’ Roll legends from the
very first performance that featured and Plant and Page would be forever known as aficionados
of the Rock movement and their versatility would be revered by the generations to come as
ushering in a new age. The age of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
2. Smoke on the Water
Ritchie Blackmore, a virtuoso, whose Rock ‘n’ Roll hall of fame induction happened in
late 2016 can be considered as one of the pioneers of the Rock ‘n’ Roll. The late induction to the
Rock ‘n’ Roll almost renders his work with a posthumous pride (as the band he’s worked with
were not in existence when the induction happened). Ritchie Blackmore has however been the
pioneer and founding member of various groups that have achieved both commercial success and
critical acclaim such as Deep Purple and Rainbow (Jones, 2017). Smoke on the water is a song
comprised mainly of guitar riffs which are a standards element in most rock songs. Guitar riffs
however find their origin in the blues and the same is a stagnant element that finds its place in all
expressions of rock.
3. Bohemian Rhapsody
Released in the market in 1975 this rock classic can still be found being played at various
events and places that feature rock. Freddie Mercury and Brian May brilliantly blend their

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classical and blues influences into an eternal ballad that would echo through the halls of rock for
time immemorial (Atieieva, 2014). Queen, the band behind this stroke of genius, is still in
existence today however with the demise of Freddie Mercury it has lost momentum in the rock
movement. Some of the most mesmerizing numbers in rock history have been produces by the
group with Bohemian Rhapsody being the best known. The song borrows various elements from
western classical which is evident in the long running piano parts incorporated into the song.
This song captures the phase of rock that was technically brilliant adding independent
progressive elements into the classic rock sound.
4. Sympathy for the devil
It can be sufficiently asserted that a band has been incredibly successful when the most
successful magazine in the industry is named after the band. The magazine in question is Rolling
Stone magazine which has been since time immemorial a long standing pillar of Rock ‘n’ Roll
journalism and the same was named after the legendary band the Rolling Stones (Cooper et al.,
2015). This song captures the spirit of the band in entirety, they were outrageously unapologetic
about their sound and the same was revered by the Rock ‘n’ Roll community and was embraced
by thousands of fans. The song has all the elements expected from a rock song of the time,
packed with guitar riffs and off-beat percussion instruments that create an ambient vibe along the
fabric of an extremely bluesy output. The song portrays the golden age of Rock ‘n’ Roll and is
based on the spirit of the same. Contemporaries of Led Zeppelin the band managed to win over
many fans through their unconventional song structures that went beyond the set standards for
rock songs at the time.
5. Tom Sawyer

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The American Rock ‘n’ Roll circuit was heavily influenced by musicians from the UK as
is evident from the incorporation of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones in this list. Rush on the
other hand was a Canadian rock band that left a major mark on the American Rock scene. This
band was the genres first steps into what is now known as progressive rock. The unique feature
of the band was their blend of unheard of time signatures that changed the landscape of rock for
generations to come. This changed the usual 4/4 approach to rock that had been used by all bands
of the genre (Lough, Pharr & Owen, 2014). This song brings in heavy keyboard effects and the
riffs are mainly bass guitar dominated. This marked a shift from the usual blues elements of rock
that have forever been the staple formulae for rock songs. The song is buzzing with new age
elements of processed sound that was previously minimally used in the genre.
6. Comfortably numb
A list on classic rock and Rock ‘n’ Roll would not be complete without the incorporation
of at least one song by the rock legends Pink Floyd. Comfortably numb arguably best captures
their unique blend of rock elements with psychedelic expressions of self. With hauntingly
beautiful lyrics and an ambient bass riff that truly embodies quintessential psychedelic rock at its
best (Larsen et al., 2013). The song shows a drastic shift of rock from its louder heavier roots to a
more enchantingly ambient sound as a whole. Notably from the advent of Floyd rock would
finally be able to branch out into various genres each with its own unique rendition of rebellion.
7. Sweet child o’mine
Glam rock also colloquially called hair metal had the spotlight during the 1980s. Founded
in 1985 Guns ‘n’ Roses quickly became the forerunners of the glam movement. With their
melodically heavy sound and the enigmatic personalities of Axle Rose (front man) and Slash

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(lead guitars) they were seen as a new change in the concept of hair metal (Adashevskiy,
Iermakov & Firsova, 2013). This era saw a major shift from the initial blues and jazz influences
of rock to a more “Rock” based approach to it.
8. Rock you like a hurricane
The scorpions were a German rock band that made its mark on the American rock scene
through ballads and relatively softer elements to produce a more ambient sounds overall. This
song however maintains the traditional riff based approach to rock that is usually followed while
adding various softer more melodic interludes into the framework of the same (Marcus, 2014).
This song thus shifts from the usual blues influences that are embodied in rock and captures a
more traditional classical approach to rock in the arrangement.
9. Free Bird
Southern Rock had been one of the leading pioneers in the American rock movement.
This is their most well known composition and the same encompasses all the elements that were
prevalent in the genre at the time (Cooper, Hoffmann & Haney, 2014). The song begins with a
slow paced introduction section which demarcates all the various blues influences that would
eventually be incorporated into the song much like the works of Mr. B.B. King and Gary Moore
who defined blues in that era (Friedlander, 2018).
10. Safari Song
Being one of the youngest entries to this list this band (Greta Van Fleet) has been known
for bringing back the sound that rock had apparently lost in its gargantuan momentum. The band
has used elements that were considered forgotten in the genre and thus has revived the sound of

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the 60s in the global scenario today (Rogers, 2016). However due to technological advancement
in music equipment and instruments the band has a heavy use of processed sound which was not
present in the earlier bands. It is still however a monumental pillar for the genre today and is
revered as the same.
Conclusion
To conclude, the American Rock movement has seen immensely talented artists who
have added their own elements in the traditional form of blues and jazz. The genre has also seen
a shift from massive crowd appeal to only being popular among older crowds. It has however
survived this journey and is still one of the most successful genres of music that is in existence
today and will continue to strive towards melodic excellence and lyrical brilliance. Thus the
above playlist successfully establishes the ways in which the genre has evolved and expanded
over the years and it documents the changes in influences which the genre saw in the years to
come.

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