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Rock music facts for kids

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Rock music
Suzi Quatro plays a bass guitar while she sings at AIS Arena.jpg
Suzi Quatro is a singer, bassist and bandleader. When she launched her career in 1973, she was one of the few prominent women instrumentalists and bandleaders.
Stylistic origins Rock and roll, electric blues, folk music, country, blues, rhythm and blues, soul music
Cultural origins 1950s and 1960s, United Kingdom and United States
Typical instruments Vocals, electric guitar, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, synthesizer, keyboards
Derivative forms New Age music – Synthpop
Subgenres
Alternative rock – Art rock – Baroque pop – Beat music – Britpop – Emo – Experimental rock – Garage rock – Glam rock – Grindcore – Group Sounds – Grunge – Hard rock – Heartland rock – Heavy metal – Instrumental rock – Indie rock – Jangle pop – Krautrock – Madchester – Post-Britpop – Power pop – Progressive rock – Protopunk – Psychedelia – Punk rock – Rock noir – Soft rock – Southern rock – Surf – Symphonic rock
Fusion genres
Aboriginal rock – Afro-rock – Anatolian rock – Bhangra rock – Blues rock – Country rock – Flamenco-rock – Folk rock – Funk rock – Glam punk – Indo-rock – Industrial rock – Jazz fusion – Pop rock – Punta rock – Raga rock – Raï rock – Rap rock – Rockabilly – Rockoson – Samba-rock – Space rock – Stoner rock – Sufi rock

Rock music is a very popular type of music. It became big in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1960s. But its roots go back to the 1940s and 1950s. This is when rock and roll first started. Rock and roll grew from rhythm and blues and country music.

Rock music is connected to other styles like blues and folk. It also took ideas from jazz and classical music.

What Makes Rock Music Sound Like Rock?

Most rock music uses an electric guitar. A typical rock band has an electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums. Rock songs usually have a main singer.

Rock music often has a strong, steady 4/4 beat. Many songs follow a verse-chorus form. This means they have verses that tell a story and a chorus that repeats. Over time, rock music has changed a lot. So, it's hard to name just a few common musical instruments.

The words in rock songs are often about love. But they can also talk about social issues or politics. Rock music often focuses on how well musicians play. It also values live performances and being real.

Different Kinds of Rock Music

By the late 1960s, many new types of rock music appeared. These included mixes like blues rock, folk rock, and country rock. There was also jazz-rock fusion.

In the late 1970s, punk rock came along. It was a raw and energetic style. Punk rock often had strong messages about society and politics. Punk music led to other new styles in the 1980s. These included New Wave and post-punk. Eventually, the alternative rock movement grew from this.

From the 1990s, alternative rock became very popular. It included styles like grunge, Britpop, and indie rock. More mixed styles have appeared since then. These include pop punk, rap rock, and rap metal. Some bands also went back to older rock sounds. This led to garage rock and post-punk revivals.

Rock Music and Culture

Rock music has also influenced many cultural and social movements. In the UK, it led to groups like mods and rockers. In the US, the "hippie" culture started in San Francisco in the 1960s.

Later, the 1970s punk culture helped create the goth and emo styles. Rock music is like protest songs. It has often been involved in social and political activism.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rock para niños

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