Classic Rock: Music for the Ages
From the early years of Fats Domino and Elvis Presley to Bon Jovi and Radiohead today, rock and roll has a way of keeping up with the times while remaining true to its core.
It was the 1950s when Fats Domino burst onto the scene and sold 65 million records. Pop culture hadn’t seen anything like him. Then came Elvis who took the genre even further, blending pure rock and roll with a talent for stage performance and acting on the big screen.
The baton was passed to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and the Beatles in the 1960s and in fact it is the Beatles who are credited with spawning the classic rock radio format, before rock settled into a slump in the 1970s.
Bruce Springsteen changed all that for good. His electrifying live performances, poetic lyrics and song writing made him synonymous with rock and roll to a new generation. A favorite among the masses from celebrities to truckers and U.S. Presidents, Springsteen has perhaps the most loyal and dedicated legions of rock and roll fans in the world.
Not every Rocker has been so lucky to have success on his terms. There are several performers who fell on such hard times that funds have been established for their benefit since there is no pension or health plan for rock and roll stars.
The term classic rock historically came from a blend of rock and classical music with an arrangement for a symphony orchestra, a method that grew in popularity in the 1970s. Some people confuse classic rock with album rock which was also common in the 1970s with the Steve Miller Band’s breakthrough “Fly Like and Eagle”, but actually album rock was the precursor to classic rock. Today classic rock simply means it appeals to every age group at every time, and shows no sign of going away.
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
Written by: Maureen
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Tags: Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, Steve MillereShop: Beatles Bob Dylan Bon Jovi Bruce Springsteen Elvis Presley Fats Domino Jimi Hendrix Radiohead Steve Miller
