Introduction

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From the course by University of Rochester

History of Rock, Part One

593 ratings

University of Rochester

History of Rock, Part One

593 ratings

This course, part 1 of a 2-course sequence, examines the history of rock, primarily as it unfolded in the United States, from the days before rock (pre-1955) to the end of the 1960s. This course covers the music of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and many more artists, with an emphasis both on cultural context and on the music itself. We will also explore how developments in the music business and in technology helped shape the ways in which styles developed. Rock emerged in the mid 1950s as a blending of mainstream pop, rhythm and blues, and country and western--styles that previously had remained relatively separate. This new style became the music of the emerging youth culture and was often associated with teen rebellion. We will follow the story of how this rowdy first wave of rock and roll (1955-59) was tamed in the early 60s but came roaring back with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and then went psychedelic by the end of the decade.

From the lesson

The Beatles and the British Invasion (1964-66)

The Beatles transform the UK music scene and then invade America. Other Beatles-type British bands. The London blues scene and the Rolling Stones. Other Stones-type bands. The Who and the Kinks.

Introduction3:34

The Early 1960s in the US & UK11:47

The Rise of the Beatles11:06

Beatles as Students of American Pop Music5:25

Meet the Instructors

John Covach
Professor of Music and Director
Institute for Popular Music

Welcome to week four of the The History of Rock Part One.

This week we're going to talk about the British Invasion, that means the music of

The Beatles The Rolling Stones, and that whole group of musicians that that got

really, really popular in the United States in the period starting around

1964. So let's just review a little bit of what

we talked about last week as a way of setting up the British invasion.

Because in many ways, the British invasion was a real disruption of what

had been happening in the American popular music industry.

So it's important for us to understand what it was that the British invasion

upset. So just let's just very quickly review

what we did, what we talked about last week.

The overall picture was that after that first wave of rock and rollers, of which

Elvis was the the, the biggest, most successful, the biggest representative.

That first wave from 1955 through 59. After that, the music business was kind

of taken over, by the music business people themselves, rather than

independent labels and, and sort of a very independent and strong willed

performers. So, the, they had, they had discovered

that there was a fantastic and very lucrative youth market for music for, for

teens in 55 through 59 and they've tried to figure out ways to, to, to mine that,

exploit that really and create new product.

The whole idea during that period was to look for the next Elvis, the next big

sensation. So a lot of different styles, were, were,

were laid out. Critics disagree, as we said at the end

of the last, last week, on what the value of this music was.

Was it, you know, music that was sort of dumbed down, cynical, all the rough edges

rubbed off, sort of without the edginess and excitement of the first wave of rock

and roll. Or, was it a kind of golden era where a

lot of new things started to happen and maybe are going to be cut short here by

the British invasion that we're going to talk about this week.

If you were someone who liked that music, the styles you celebrated were sweet

soul, girl groups, the rise of the producers and surf music maybe.

All the stuff that we talked about, last time.

When people have got a negative view, one of the things they tend to focus on are

the teen idols, the dance craze, the twist.

Mostly because of their superficiality and their seemingly cynical exploitation

of the teen market. Other styles that we talked about were

the con, contin, continuation of rockabilly, I call it the rockabilly

postures out of the that first period 55 to 59.

And also, the importance in the emergence of the folk revival which really for the

first time split the teen market in the United States into teenagers and an older

sort of college students who, who sort of went for the folk music.

but as much as they looked for the next Elvis during that period, it turned out

that the next Elvis was none of these things.

The next Elvis came from some place nobody really expected it to come from.

The next Elvis came from the UK and in the next video we're going to talk about

what the scene was in the UK that made it possible and prepared the way for groups

like the Beetles and the Rolling Stones.

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