Rock Music

Rock 'n Roll music, a rebellious scene. A representation of people who dared to pound the drums a little louder, dared to crank the guitar a little higher, and dared to sing with more passion and vigor. It's a genre with a ton of energy; a genre that gets you pumped up; a genre that gets into your very soul. It's probably the purest form of music out there today: not doused in electronic beats and synthetic sound, but raw. Edgy. And that's what makes rock rock.

Subgenres

Rock 'n' Roll is the most popular genre of music, and has several varying derivatives (also check out some albums from a few rock subgenres):

• Progressive Rock 
• Punk Rock 
• Southern Rock 
• Heavy Metal 
• Glam Rock 
• Garage Rock 
• Folk Rock 
• Psychedelic Rock 
• Hard Rock 
• Pop Rock 
• Indie Rock 
• Emo 

Progressive

Progressive rockers color outside the lines. By breaking typical song framework (verse/chorus/bridge), they allow their creativity to spill into it's own distinctive rock sub-genre. If you've heard Pink Floyd's  The Wall,  you know what I'm talking about. Take a look at a few albums by artists who were, well, progressive.

Pink Floyd  - The Wall  Released 1979, this conceptual rock opera follows the depression of a lonely man named Pink who builds a wall of reclusion around himself, brick by brick. Powerful, innovative music with an endearingly morbid tone. Favorites include: "Comfortably Numb," "Another Brick in the Wall Part III" and "Is There Anybody Out There?"	Yes  - 90125  One of the most popular progressive rock bands of all time, Yes released 90125 in 1983. An album of changing rhythms, catchy guitar licks, mesmerizing vocals, and a strong bass. 90125's major hit, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a quick and slow tune, with edgy yet tranquil vocals. You'll understand when you hear the song (and pay close attention to the bass, it's the best part).	Genesis  - Invisible Touch  With the trail-blazing sound of Invisible Touch's (released 1986) hit, "Land of Confusion," Genesis became a force to be reckoned with. With Phil Collins as the pioneer, Genesis brought a new twist to the table of progressive rock. With their innovative percussion and their lyrics full of satirical social commentary, Genesis is a group that will live in history as one of the most progressive rock groups ever.

Punk

The sex. The drugs. The leather jackets. Punk defined is a worthless person; a criminal or hoodlum. The worthless statement is debatable as punk is one of the most popular forms of rock music out there; however, punk rockers definitely have a certain sound that reflects their hoodlum-esque demeanor.

The Clash  - Combat Rock  Want to sum up punk rock's sound? Listen to the first fifteen seconds of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash from the Combat Rock album. The quintessential punk group, The Clash are masters of catchy guitar licks, and can-get-them-out-of-my-head lyrics. Their most popular hits include "Rock the Casbah" and "London Calling."	The Ramones  - Ramones  The Ramones embody everything punk rock. Known as the spearheads of the genre, The Ramones shook up the world of rock music with their rebellious sound. With hits, like "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "I Wanna Be Sedated," Ramones,  the album, is everything you could want in a punk rock album: raging guitar, fast drums, and fun lyrics.	The Sex Pistols  - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols  Talk about criminal, The Sex Pistols, a London-based rock band, not only have a punk sound, but punk members. The infamous bass player Sid Vicious was arrested for murdering his girlfriend in November of 1978. But despite the bands real life drama, the sound they brought to the punk scene is worth noting. Similar to the Ramones, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols  is a killer album (no pun intended) chock-full of everything punk rock.

Southern

In my opinion, the rock sub-genre with the most flavor is Southern Rock. Unlike the heaviness of progressive and mayhem of punk rock, southern rock is always just right: just the right beat, just the right sound.

Creedence Clearwater Revival  - Willy and the Poor Boys  One of my favorite bands of all time, Creedence Clearwater Revival (aka CCR) is the perfect representation of southern rock. With their distinctive bass licks and their laid-back yet catchy beats, CCR is nothing short of phenomenal. They bring out the toe-tapping rhythm in all of us. Take a listen to their classic hits, "Fortunate Son" and "Down on the Corner."	Lynyrd Skynyrd  - Second Helping  Even if you've never heard of the group Lynyrd Skynyrd, I would bet that you've heard their unbelievably popular hit "Sweet Home Alabama." Check out Second Helping for a full dose of some of the best southern rock music ever written: Second Helping.	ZZ Top  - Eliminator  With a little more edge than CCR and Lynyrd Skynyrd, yet the same southern rock style, ZZ Top is that group that will always make you feel ecstatic. With songs like "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin'" the guitar, the drums, and that raspy voice gets into your soul and like a drug, you're hooked.

Related Guides

Music Blogs	Musical Instruments	Pop Music	Rap Music	House Music

External Links

• Spin.com: Sign up to have the magazine sent to you via email every month. (It's free!)
• Blender.com: A site dedicated to all things music.
• RollingStones.com: The most famous music magazine ever.
• Billboard.com: Keep up with the most popular music today.