The History of Rock & Roll
The 1950s and successive years in the history of Rock and Roll music were significant as they saw the rise of music bands such as the Royal Canadians, The Band, and artists such as Chuck Berry, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Haley, Shane Macgowan, Ronald Hawkins, and Elvis Presley (Nero, 2018). Besides the technological innovations that significantly contributed to the success of these artists, some of them can only attribute their success mainly to their charming physical appearance or image. In contrast, others solely attribute their success to the outstanding talent or musical ability.
In my opinion, if physical appearance would have been the determinant for success in the Rock and Roll industry, Shane MacGowan would not have risen to stardom (Hodgkin, 2016). Born on December 25, 1957, the Irish vocalist is known for his pasty, paunchy, and perpetually drunk appearance. The artist’s missing teeth, overgrown and unkempt hair, and alcohol and heroin abuse are some of the traits that Shane Macgowan was identified within the 1970s all through to the late 1980s. On the contrary, one band whose success is attributed to its appealing image is The Four Lads. This Canadian band was formed in 1947 in Toronto, Ontario. The band’s positive image is attributed to its preference for spiritual and gospel songs and how they fused in acapella and harmony in their production. This choice of content was unique in the 1950s and 1970s and saw them win the Juno Lifetime Achievement Award and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame recognition.
The (Music Television) MTV revolution of the 1980s is lauded for transforming the Rock and Roll music industry at a time when phonographs and gramophones were the only devices used in the mechanical recording and reproduction of sound (The Ohio State University, 2019). The emergence of MTV immediately bashed out cheaply recorded and produced singles such as Chiswick by the Indie labels. Many famous radio stars were forced to adjust to the technological development as the rise of videos together with their singles and visual interpretations suppressed the diverse, individual, and imaginative ways in which rock and roll had initially been consumed by its listeners (The Guardian, 2020). With time the impact of MTV on Rock and Roll has continuously revolutionized the genre to its current state.
The iPod revolution, pioneered by Steve Jobs’ digital hub strategy transformed further the consumption of rock and roll from the use of tape recorders, phonographs, audio cassette players, and compact discs to the use of more convenient devices that could store as much rock and roll audio and video content as possible. The computer played a key role as various computer softwares were developed to allow the editing of audio and video contents, therefore digitalizing the genre (Kahney, 2016). One huge advantage that the iPod had on other MP3 players was the fact that it could be integrated with iTunes. Unlike standard MP3 players then which required the dragging of music files into folders, Steve Jobs’ innovation allowed users to automatically sync music to an iPod, which was portable due to its pocket-size.
With the legacies of the Royal Canadians, The Band, Chuck Berry, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Haley, Shane Macgowan, Ronald Hawkins, and Elvis Presley, outliving them even after the demise of some of them, it would be inappropriate to conclude that the genre is dead. One Canadian band whose 1980s and 1990s hits have outlived the test of times is the 54-40 Band. The group is lauded for hits such as “One Gun” and also “She La,” which continue to feature in most Canadian Karaoke (INDIE88, 2017). The band responded positively to the MTV and iPod revolutions by adjusting to the transition and shift. In so doing, the band managed to refine its content to serve a variety of audiences.
References
Hodgkin, E. (2016). Fairytale of New GNASHERS: Shane MacGowan’s teeth transformation before and after. EXPRESS. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/747627/Shane-MacGowan-teeth
INDIE88. (2017). THE TOP 150 CANADIAN SONGS OF ALL-TIME. SO MANY CANADIAN ARTISTS TO CELEBRATE. https://indie88.com/the-top-150-canadian-songs-of-all-time/
Kahney, L. (2016). An illustrated history of the iPod and its massive impact. https://www.cultofmac.com/124565/an-illustrated-history-of-the-ipod-and-its-massive-impact-ipod-10th-anniversary/
Nero, M. E. (2018). The Origins and History of R&B music. Liveaboutdotcom. https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-randb-music-2851217
The Guardian. (2020). MTV: 30 years of innovation and corporate rock’n’roll. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/aug/01/mtv-30-years
The Ohio State University. (2019). Introduction: 1950’s rock and roll. Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy, The Ohio State University. https://aaep1600.osu.edu/book/06_Intro.php