What is Rock music?

[dms1972]

Forgive me for not being an initiate, I have never played in any band, or played an instrument except for a short time when I took up the cello in primary school.

What exactly is Rock Music. Just interested to hear peoples thoughts on this.

When asked this question people often answer it by examples, but what distinguishes Rock stylistically from other genre's of music? Is it a musical style, arrangement? I know people say there is soft rock, hard rock, adult oriented rock, melodic rock etc., but has it all something in common? What is its defining characteristic? I think personally Rock is a vague term, and what is commonly classed as Rock incorporates all sorts of styles, and I think a lot more interesting things could be said in description of pieces of music than just to call it Rock and leave it at that.

I was listening to a guy give a critique (actually it was more of a polemic) online of Christian Rock Music. I used to have a book by this guy. He has nothing good to say about Christian Rock: including Amy Grant, Michael W Smith, Petra, Keith Green, Stryper, and plenty of others - if he had at the end given examples of what he believed to be genuine christian music, it might have been worth listening to, but he didn't. The thing is a lot of what he includes in his critique I would question whether it is Rock music. To call it Pop music doesn't identify its musical style either (pop just means popular). I know some may try to identify a particular sound that they can class as Pop, as if pop were an actual style, but its not, people just forget its short for "popular", ie. music with a wide appeal.

So a few examples for your opinion

Amy Grant : Good for me.

Michael W Smith: Live and Learn

Petra: Seen and not heard

 

[Unofficial Reverand Alex]

A few defining characteristics would be the backbeat (bass drum on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4), the 32-bar pop structure (generally), and generally guitar-oriented. Tends to be a singer, guitar, bass, and drums, but keyboards or rhythm guitar show up sometimes.

This is excluded Psychedelic Rock, which does whatever it wants to.

Rock is a very popular genre that has been very popular for the last several decades; thus, there's going to be a lot of variation. Classic rock could be relatively soft bands like Tom Petty, Bob Seger, and Electric Light Orchestra, as well as heavier bands, like AC/DC, Guns n' Roses, and Kiss. Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, ADX, Iron Maiden, and others are generally called "classic metal". All of this is from the same time period, roughly 70's and 80's.

I'm less familiar with newer rock, because I don't like it as much.

All of what I listed can be found in abundance on YouTube, and most of which can be heard on classic rock radio stations. The notable exception is ADX, which is a fantastic French band I found on YouTube, performing thrash metal ahead of their time, with all the lyrics in French.

 

[Dave L]

Rock is a generic term these days. But Rock n Roll was originally a ghetto term for the sex act. At its worst level it incorporates voodoo rhythms that can have hypnotic affects.

But it has come a long way and isn't necessarily evil in itself. Black Gospel is some of the most moving praise music one can experience. And "Christian Rock" is just another way to share our treasures in Christ with others. Like handing out musical tracts people actually want to hear.

 

[dms1972]

Thanks for your comments.

This guy I was listening to (Jeff Godwin) is completely down on all 'Christian rock'. But there was one point I do tend to agree with him though when he says music is not neutral and gives as an example: David playing the harp to alleviate Saul's periods of demonic oppression. I tend to agree, some music is more agreeable than other music to me is that just personal taste? Is it the music, or the spirit of the person playing the music that makes the difference?

Another writer Thomas Dubay (The Evidential Power of Beauty), in a negative critique says Rock Music comes close to being non-music - "devoid of form and thus of beauty".

He quotes from an article in Fidelity by Michael Platt who says:

"although Rock can mix in a bit of other kinds of music, the defining core of it is easy to recognise by its big, simple, clear, loud, steady, repetitious dumb beat."

Other types of music - opera, blues, gospel, or even jazz - grow "by addition, mixture, and augmentation. Rock grew by subtraction, destruction, loss... Rock'n'Roll is beat, beat, beat... This beat, beat, beat is not primarily to be listened to but felt."

"The pleasure rock music provides is selfish, coarse, masturbational, and addictive, and those who liberate themselves from it seldom regain the capacity to feel anything deeply, to care for another human being, or to long for something noble."

from “Physics without Ethics: the Brutality of Rock ‘n Roll,” Fidelity, July/August 1996


Should Christians musicians therefore make use of the genre, even sometimes as in the Petra song I linked to, lifting a riff from a band like KISS? Or does it all change when the performers become Christians?

 

[Dave L]

Thanks for your comments.

This guy I was listening to (Jeff Godwin) is completely down on all 'Christian rock'. But there was one point I do tend to agree with him though when he says music is not neutral and gives as an example: David playing the harp to alleviate Saul's periods of demonic oppression. I tend to agree, some music is more agreeable than other music to me is that just personal taste? Is it the music, or the spirit of the person playing the music that makes the difference?

Another writer Thomas Dubay (The Evidential Power of Beauty), in a negative critique says Rock Music is comes close to being non-music - "devoid of form and thus of beauty".

He quotes Michael Platt who says:

"although Rock can mix in a bit of other kinds of music, the defining core of it is easy to recognise by its big, simple, clear, loud, steady, repetitious dumb beat."

Other types of music - opera, blues, gospel, or even jazz - grow "by addition, mixture, and augmentation. Rock grew by subtraction, destruction, loss... Rock'n'Roll is beat, beat, beat... This beat, beat, beat is not primarily to be listened to but felt."

"The pleasure rock music provides is selfish, coarse, masturbational, and addictive, and those who liberate themselves from it seldom regain the capacity to feel anything deeply, to care for another human being, or to long for something noble."

from “Physics without Ethics: the Brutality of Rock ‘n Roll,” Fidelity, July/August 1996


Should Christians musicians therefore make use of the genre, even sometimes as in the Petra song I linked to, lifting a riff from a band like KISS? Or does it all change when the performers become Christians?

What I found is that most Christian artists I met probably can't recite the Ten Commandments, much less their listening audience. But like Paul says;

“The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:16–18)

 

[Loren T.]

You are right. Rock music is a wide genre. Much of what we call country today would have been southern rock a decade ago for example. Rock can be just as beautiful and moving as any orchastra, and it's odd how some lump it all together with the type that is coarse and has vulgar lyrics.

 

[dzheremi]

According to YouTube search results for "This is rock'n'roll", rock'n'roll is a middle aged Chinese man playing a keyboard to demonstrate its creative capabilities to the discerning consumer:

My family has worked in the rock music business for a combined total of over 50 years by now, and I cannot put it any better.

 

[dms1972]

What do people think of this song, in particular the video? I had this album, and listened to it a fair bit, I never seen the music videos, for the singles. I thought listening to the lyrics that although Amy had dropped any overtly Christian content from most of her songs, there was nothing wrong with what she is singing.

Given the critique I heard, I have to wonder if Amy was in full control of her repertoire (particularly the content of some of her music videos)?

 

[Dave L]

What do people think of this song, in particular the video? I had this album, and listened to it a fair bit, I never seen the music videos, for the singles. I thought listening to the lyrics that although Amy had dropped any overtly Christian content from most of her songs, there was nothing wrong with what she is singing.

Given the critique I heard, I have to wonder if Amy was in full control of her repertoire (particularly the content of her music videos)?

She's having people focus their thoughts in the right direction. Contrasted to some of the hate music alternatives I think it's pretty good. How about what Paul says?

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

 

[dms1972]

I don't have an issue with the song, I agree she is trying to point people in the right direction. But when someone suggests her outfit has occult symbolism (as the critique I read suggested), one starts to "see" it, or wonder if that is there, whereas if I had watched the video and never had read anything about it I might not be "seeing" that. If you get what I am saying. I just want to know if that occult stuff is really in there.

I do my best not to judge, and it annoyed me years ago when people started questioning her faith, and expressing their surprise at her change in direction and saying "I thought Amy was a Christian?" after she released Heart in Motion.

I don't think she would be deliberately putting occult symbolism in her videos! But just wondering once you sign a contract with a 'secular' record label, then perhaps you lose a degree of control over the end product. I would guess there are many folks involved in the whole enterprise, giving artistic direction etc., not all of them in sympathy with Christianity?

 

[dms1972]

What I found is that most Christian artists I met probably can't recite the Ten Commandments, much less their listening audience. But like Paul says;

“The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:16–18)

Well, I haven't met many Christian artists. Only once and I was waiting for to get my T-shirt signed (by Petra) it didn't occur to me at the time to ask if they could recite them. As you say I might have had trouble myself if asked at that moment.

How many churches have them on the wall? The dominant view seems to be we are saved by Grace alone. Its a whole 'nother topic about the relationship of Law and Gospel however.

 

[Dave L]

Well, I haven't met many Christian artists. Only once and I was waiting for to get my T-shirt signed (by Petra) it didn't occur to me at the time to ask if they could recite them. As you say I might have had trouble myself if asked at that moment.

How many churches have them on the wall? The dominant view seems to be we are saved by Grace alone. Its a whole 'nother topic about the relationship of Law and Gospel however.

Just sayin', most of the "Christian Rock" artists I've met are shallow on bible knowledge along with their listening audience,

 

[dms1972]

I think one needs to exercise as much discernment listening to some of these critiques (such as Jeff Godwin's) as one needs to exercise listening to Christian rock. His critique bothers me, its so negative and there is so little by the way of balancing comments.

 

[jayem]

Rock is a now a broad term for almost any popular music with a rhythmic emphasis. In genetic terms, it's music that resulted from a hybridization of white country music, black rhythm and blues, and gospel. In many of the older rock 'n roll songs, the 12-bar blues structure is obvious:

And this is one of my favorite 50s-early 60s R & R singers. He had a tremendous voice. This is a great song with a strong gospel feel. This record practically jumps off the turntable: