Who invented rock music?

"The blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll." — Muddy Waters

Why music history?

My podcast of the same name as this newsletter, Love Music More, used to be called Music Appreciation 101. I changed the name so that this project could evolve. So this could be more than a stodgy classroom. Or some theory exercise. Instead, I wanted a place to celebrate the love — the emergent characteristics of music — rather than the notes themselves.

But there’s a lot of overlap.

For example, I do think music theory is an important subject for musicians and non-musicians alike, which is why I’m doing an ongoing series on it. But I’m not trying to think of it as theory or rules. Instead, I’m working to understand the building blocks of music. That helps us to question it, to broaden our horizons, and to prepare ourselves for the absolute deluge of AI-generated music that’s coming. Formulaic music ain’t bad, but it’s nice to understand the formula. Then you can break out from the shell and take your experience of art to other worlds.

Both is good.

Music theory is like grammar. There are times to speak all fancy-like and times to call something bussin. Times to lean into the rules and others to deliberately and aggressively break them.

Music history is like a dialect. It’s the vocabulary. The color palate and filter. History determines genre. And it helps us break out of the traps and trappings of such.

Rock music history is a fun slice of the sonic puzzle to tackle because it was once the ultimate rule breaker and now it helps sell Ford F-150s. That arc is a story of society, of aging, and of counter-culture becoming the culture.

It’s a story being retold in hip-hop, but let’s cover that another time.

First, we rock.

(There are going to be a lot of musical examples in these music history posts. Feel free to just listen to a sample of them or deep dive. Up to you.)

Black Music in America

Rock music is rooted in Black music. That doesn’t mean people from all cultures can’t and haven’t contributed to it, but it’s critical to remember the source.

Honoring the legacy and cultural roots of Black musicians is essential to understanding and appreciating the evolution of modern pop music. Recognizing this Black heritage not only enriches our appreciation of rock music but also pays respect to the artists who laid the groundwork for its development and the cultural context from which it came.

The “Work Song”

How can you not feel emotional listening to that song?

The origins of rock are also the origins of blues (and jazz… and hip-hop… and funk… and you get the picture).

The origins of all of this music are of the human spirit overcoming tragedy and uniting in song. Rhythm itself remains a means of cultural transfer. A means of carrying on.

Of hope.

Listen to “I Be So Glad… When the Sun Goes Down” and hear how the group responds to the lead vocalist. This musical conversation is called call and response. The lead calls and the group responds.

The Delta Blues & the First Rock Star

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame named Robert Johnson, the “first rock star.” (Here’s a fun one-page article from when he was inducted.)

But who was Robert Johnson? And how did he earn the honor?

His story is one of legend and myth, with him allegedly selling his soul to the devil in return for sick guitar abilities. It worked:

This style (recorded in 1936) is what we now call the Delta blues, an early form of the blues, often unaccompanied, and originating in the Mississippi Delta.

And here’s Geeshie Wiley, a contemporary of Robert Johnson, in one of the vibiest musical recordings of all time (1930):

Hear the parallels to the field song? In this Delta blues style, the harmonica and guitar serve the function of the group’s “response” in the call-and-response.

(If you’re enjoying Delta blues, I’d suggest a deeper dive into another legend who’s been coined the "Father of the Texas Blues," Blind Lemon Jefferson. His riff at 2:27 is a foundational one for all of rock. He’s also a favorite of Robert Plant.)

The Boogie Woogie and the 12-Bar Blues

I’ll do a deep dive into the beauty of the 12-bar blues in the future. But for now, just listen to a bit of Boogie Woogie music from 1929:

That’s dancing music. Speed it up and it starts to sound a lot like Jerry Lee Lewis:

(There’s a West African word "bogi,” which means "to dance" and that’s been posited to be the origin of Boogie Woogie, but we can’t be sure.)

I could dig deeper into jazz piano, of course, with the nuances of stride piano, ragtime, and honky tonk to add in. But that can be extra credit.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe in New York City

As we get from the 1930s to 1940s, recording capabilities improved, record labels grew more important, and we got more full bands.

Here’s Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the “godmother of rock n roll,” in what’s considered by many music historians as the first rock recording. It was considered a gospel crossover song at the time (1945):

Hear the Boogie Woogie piano providing the insistent, danceable rhythm? Hear the call and response between the lead female vocal and the group vocal singing, “every day?” (And keep her guitar rhythms in mind for when we talk about Chuck Berry!)

Muddy Waters in Chicago

At the same time, Muddy Waters was recording his first singles in Chicago featuring a new innovation: the electric guitar. His sound came to be known as the Chicago blues. It was sweaty, stylishly edgy, and sounded like the city itself.

And check this out: His first records were released on Aristocrat Records, which was then bought out by Chess Records, who then started a venture with Sam Phillips, who later started Sun Records. (Sun was the label that would first discover and record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.) The musical scene was growing from the Delta to the big cities and then back down to Memphis.

Muddy, everyone:

(Fun fact: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Muddy Waters toured together through Europe in the early 60s, in part inspiring the British Invasion rock movement. Concert attendees included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards and Brian Jones.)

Beyond the 1940s

In the next post, we’ll look at the first rock recordings that took the 1950s by storm. Before that, here’s one more comparison of the 1930s and the rock music to come.

Here’s a 1933 field recording of the song, Black Betty:

And here’s a cover:

Clapping guy goes hard.

To dive deeper into the roots of music listen to this podcast that talks about where it begins, history!