Research: Genres- Rock

Rock Genre

The Music

The genre of rock can be characterised as extremely expressive music. However, this statement seems strange when considering that music in general is supposed to be a form of expression; genres simply define the different ways musicians prefer to make their opinion heard. A heavy metal rock artist may express him/herself more loudly and aggressively than a jazz artist, who may opt for a smoother, quieter vocal line. Nevertheless, rock music does have an air of freedom about it, particularly when you consider it's origins. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll are the parents of the general rock genre. They were both born out of the thirst for freedom. Blues was born in the voices of black slaves singing for liberation during times of extreme inequality in our culture.Whereas Rock 'n' Roll music came about at a time when teenagers started rebelling against the expectations and pressures of older generations. Rock possesses both the loudness and speed of rock 'n' roll music and the soul and desperation in blues. 

"Rock places a higher degree of emphasis on musicianship, live performance, and an ideology of authenticity than pop music." - Wikipedia 

There are over 222 sub genres of rock in music; the most popular sun genres are- Punk Rock, Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, Indie/Alternative, Pop-Rock, Funk Rock & Grunge among others. Rock music tends to consist mainly of bands rather than solo acts, so naturally- the spotlight will be shared by the entire band, some more than others. This is not to say that there isn't a "front man" of a band, but more that the band is an important part of the bigger picture rather than just there to support the main act. A front man typically takes the position of lead singer and/or lead guitarist as these are generally thought of as the main roles of a band. It's rare to have a band where the front man is a drummer or bassist.

Greenday, Punk

Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Funk

Nirvana, Grunge/Alternative

BB Brunes, Pop Rock 

Muse, Alternative

Conventions of the Rock Genre

Almost all rock videos feature the full band in their music videos. This draws focus to each of the musical aspects of the song, and acknowledges that the instruments are just as important to the quality of the music as the lead singer/front man is. This convention demonstrates the band's connection to their musical creations, compared to some artists who concern themselves more with their image rather than their music. That's not to say that there aren't bad rock artists out there. There have been cases where a band will make music that fits into a rock genre and borrows all the conventions just to appear "cool" and enhance their image.

By establishing the different roles in a band, it creates a closer relationship between the fans and the performers. It's common for band members to develop their own, individual aesthetic or personality as they become known for the role they play in the band.  This tends to be common with bands who have been around for a longer period of time and therefore will have gradually become known as that particular personality or role. For example, most people will recognize Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers because he's the bassist with the blue hair. The same goes for Dave Grohl from Nirvana who famously plays the drums.

Specific music video conventions depend directly upon the sub-genre you're referring to, as each genre has a different "sound" which directly affects how the band chooses to represent this sound.

Generic Conventions of Rock Videos 

- Can be extremely serious or extremely weird
- Can have a dark/eerie feel
- Stationary camera is rare- a lot of movement
- Editing tends to be fast paced to keep up with fast paced tempo
- Almost always have a performance aspect- this is common in all sub-genres
- Some rock videos tend to adopt a retro/down-to-earth style through using black & white cinematography and retro outfits
- Group shots to establish band
- (extreme) close-ups (often of the front man)