Heavy Metal Music: History and Misconceptions
Heavy metal music has been a source of social controversy since its early beginnings. It started out as a new age form of rock. Heavy metal brought a new look and sound to rock. The early heavy metal musicians decided to tune their guitars down, increase the tempo, play guitars and drums faster, and get a more grungy sound. The musicians also decided to wear tight, ripped, black clothing, chains, spikes, and combat boots. Most people did as anyone would expect them to do when faced with something fairly new, they found it strange and looked down on it. Much of society did not actually delve into heavy metal to find out what it is truly all about, and made assumptions that were untrue. Heavy metal music had an interesting beginning and has been the victim of many misconceptions.
Heavy metal found its origins in the United States and England in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first band deemed a "heavy metal band" was the California group Blue Cheer. They brought a new sound and stage persona to the music scene. They also performed outrageous stage acts. They were seen as the model for later heavy metal bands. They wore black, leather jackets, along with crazy guitar solos. (Reesman, Bryan)
The name "heavy metal" comes from a song by Steppenwolf. In their song "Born to Be Wild," where they say the term "heavy metal thunder." Since then people coined the music style of these bands as "heavy metal." Bands of that day that fell under that category were bands such as Metallica, Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Blue Cheer, etc. All of those bands had the same stage personas and musical styles. Metallica especially showcased what heavy metal music was. They used extremely fast tempos, and rapid dru...
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...ain and struggles that heavy metal faced, many thought the genre would be snuffed out in no time. Heavy metal is still fighting, and hanging in strong. The misconceptions about the genre should be brought to light to prove that they are illegitimate. This way heavy metal artists will have an equal chance in the musical industry and people who enjoy heavy metal will not be afraid to show their love for the genre.
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Lynyrd Skynyrd grew out of the heat of their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Which was a source point of Southern rock.Deep in the heart of the South and full of blue-collar Americans. That blue collar-ness was what Skynyrd was famous for. Bar fights and being bull-headed set them apart from other musicians. Skynyrd took their blue collar lifestyle to the stage as they wore cowboy hats and denim jeans (Swenson). As one of the most charismatic figures in rock history, Ronnie Van Zant led Lynyrd Skynyrd to fame with his strong southern spirit and exciting voice. Funny though, Van Zant did not wear shoes on stage (Swenson). Naming the band after their gym coach in high school as a joke whe...
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...le genres of music have been accused of selling out during the 80's Heavy Metal and Glam Rock were fused by bands such as Motley Crue and Poison to make Glam Metal which hardcore metal fans hated as it was not deemed authentic due to its over the top and feminine feel.
Nobody knows where Rock and Roll first originated, it is still argued by Historians to this day. Many think the song “Rocket 88” by Ike Turner/ Jackie Brenston (1951) is the very first true definition. The genre first started to be called “”Rock & Roll” by famous disc junkie based in Cleveland, Alan Freed. He first used this term in a session
Rock music is a term that should be familiar. Originally dubbed “rock and roll” in the 1940’s and 1950’s, rock and roll is almost always fronted by an electrical guitar and heavily influenced by blues, R&B, and even country music. By the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rock and roll began to be shortened to just “rock music”, and the entire style starting branching out into other sub-genres such as punk rock, heavy metal, garage rock, hard rock, among others. The sub-genre in question however is Alternative Rock, which is generally defined as despite following the fundamentals of rock music, it strays away from what is considered “mainstream” at the time by using concepts such as extensive underground music association, muddied or distorted guitars, more prominent use of power chords, and even a sort of rebellious or defiant attitude in lyrics and sound.
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There is rarely a single moment in history when one can pinpoint the exact moment when a subculture emerges. It’s a slow building of multiple influences. However, one can definitely pinpoint where the Goth subculture was first identified. Splintering off of the British punk movement, the term “Goth’ was coined in the UK by journalists and public figures in the music industry as early as the late seventies and caught fire in the eighties. In Valerie Steele’s Gothic:Gark Glamour she recounts, “The earliest significant usage of the term (as applied to music) was by Anthony H. Wilson [part owner of Joy Division’s label] when he described Joy Division as Gothic compared to the pop mainstream” during an interview on a BBC program regarding the band’s upcoming record (127). Many people credit Bauhaus as the true grandfather’s of Goth with their release of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” David Thompson and Jo-Ann Greene, “Undead Undead Undead” The Study of Gothic Subculture, uncover that Bauhaus’ intention with the song was tongue-in-cheek, according to frontman Peter Murphy (?). But, the presentation of the song and the band’s aesthetic took to its fans and the Goth subculture was given birth. In addition and along side of Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux of the Banshees ...
Our entire lives have been shaped by the events happening around us. Along with us many factors in our day to day lives have evolved too, including musical genre. One such genre is rock. Rock is a genre for the youth, by the youth, it has evolved to stay with the times and stand up for what’s right. In this essay I will prove why rock is a good example to show how genre has been defined, maintained, constructed and negotiated through the past 60-70 years since the very first Proto Rock song came out.
The term genre in music can be used to describe different forms and styles of music all over the world, whether it be country, rock, jazz, pop, and so on. But the terms used for genres can be considered broad and/or vague, so music that is commonly classified in any given genre can be categorized more specifically. For example, jazz can be a broad term for other subgenres such as Cool jazz, Free jazz, Dixieland, Ragtime and numerous other examples. This general rule applies to many different genres of music, and metal music is no exception.