It's Only Rock and Roll

Early rock music has evolved and changed since its humble beginnings. Numerous changes have taken effect in the rock music world. Despite these changes, there continues to be many similarities between the rock of yesterday and today's popular music trends.

Nirvana, the now-defunct band from Seattle is a pure example of this evolution. The rock group was inspired by Neil Young, the godfather of grunge, whose music rocked the late 1960's and 1970's generations. Nirvana re-energized rock and roll in the early 1990's by starting the trend of grunge-metal, a form of heavy alternative rock. Nirvana made the grunge evolution come alive for the underground scene with their debut album, Bleach, in 1989. This album was recorded on an alternative label for $606.17 and sold 35,000 copies.

Formed in 1986 by lead singer Kurt Cobain, bass guitarist Krist Novoselic and drummer David Grohl; Nirvana never intented to become a commercial success. Thier 1992 album Nevermind proved otherwise by selling 10 million copies, making 50 million dollars.

Cobain's alienated music touched a vast audience. He raged about everything, and his lyrics were angry, disillusioned and self-mocking. 'Smells like Teen Spirit' opens with the line "Load up on guns and bring your friends". This made the song the anthem of the 1990's generation.

Cobain, with his deep addiction to heroin, killed himself with a shotgun on April 8, 1994.

Some might say Kurt Cobain was just another rock and roll druggie. It is very discouraging and aggravating that some people generalize that all rock and rollers are druggies. Sure, there are a selected few, but the majority aren't druggies. Forget about the drugs, Kurt Cobain began a whole new evolution of rock and roll with grunge that is still popular to this day.

Back in the 1960's and 1970's, drug addicts like the Doors' Jim Morrison made better music than the clean people. People should learn to concentrate on the music and the performance rather than character judging. Some people spend all their time picking on the artists that create the music, but do they even listen to the music? It's time to focus more on the heart of rock roll and worry less about the recording artists' drug addictions. It's only rock and roll. The music and its composition is what really counts and people should just 'let it be' as the famous Beatles' song goes.

Another thing that is troublesome is how parents have blamed rock and roll artists for the suicide of their children. For example, back in the 1980's, a parent took a case to court blaming Ozzy Osbourne for the suicide of their son because of the lyrics to his song, "Suicide Solution." The song sparked controversy for some, but that definitely was not the sole reason behind the suicide of this individual.

Some parents are never around for their kids, one of the ills in our society to this day. The parents don't care what their kids are doing; there could be problems on the homefront. When these parents find out their child committed suicide, they tend to shift blame on music or some other facet of modern day society. Rock and roll lyrics aren't written to be taken literally; they simply relate to what is going on in the world. Some parents tend to blow things way out of proportion. It has really become a sociopathic world.

Rap is another evolution of rock music. Rap was developed by African-American disc jockeys in the mid-1970's. A rapper would speak over the music in street language, boasting of sexual or verbal prowess and stories of African-American life. Back then, break-dancing and acrobatics would often accompany the music.

Rap grew popular in the 1980's, reaching mainstream in 1986 with groups such as the Caucasian group The Beastie Boys. It developed into a significant musical and fashion force for U.S. listeners. Dance still remains a big part of performanc for performers of today such as Beyonce.

The musical style of rap now encompasses hard rock, collages of record samples and variations on older songs. Groups such as the Digable Planets added the jazz element to rap music. Lyrics now deal with killers, drugs, sex, drug dealers, politics and brutal, graphic tales of street gang life - gangsta rap. Examples of gangsta rap include Ice T and 50 Cent.

Gangsta rap is truly reality rap in the minds of some. This is because the lyrics of this form of rap encompass violence, crime, sex, gang bangs, drugs and drive-by shootings; reality on the street. Rappers are writing their songs about everything that happens out on the mean streets across the nation.

Some people tend to think that these rap music lyrics are what causes all the ills of society, but these problems were occuring long before rap music was born. As the years go by, life on the streets is getting even worse. Rap artists are writing lyrics about reality, not causing it to occur. Unfortunately too many people don't understand the lyrics and these people feel the songs are the cause of existing social problems.

Comparing the origins of hard rock to more current trends of music results in realizing that there many similarities as well as differences. Social ills still seem to be blamed on the controversial language used in music lyrics, the content of those lyrics and the lifestyles of the performers. Even though the music may have have a different sound or style, rock music continues to be very controversial in nature and the older generation still seems to be puzzled by it.