Theoretically Speaking S6:E5 – What Makes Hard Rock, Hard Rock ?

Probably thought the Rock & Roll of the 1950s was noise.

It was aggressive and threatening and unrelenting.

Little did they know that music would get even more aggressive and threatening and unrelenting.

Music does indeed end – but only for those who couldn’t handle its new forms. That’s why nostalgia festivals are big business.

Feeling that music isn’t what it used to be is, of course, something that comes to all of us. Always has. If music one day evolves into noise for you, too, you’ll know you’re officially old.

At the same time, some people couldn’t stand the less aggressive stuff, like the Soft Rock we talked about in the last episode.

How did this harder music develop? We have to go back to the early Blues records, and their introduction of distorted guitars.

T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, and other guitarists made sounds that hadn’t been heard before.

Rock & Roll players, notably Chuck Berry, used that distortion, but played it over a backbeat rather than a Blues shuffle.

Vocals got more passionate, too. Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins shouted as much as they sang.

When young, mostly white, and often English people heard these records, they just had to get in on the fun. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the rest of the early British Invasion bands, as well as American garage rock bands, loved the loud guitars and voices, the driving beats, and the outlandish performances. 

Soft Rock combined Rock & Roll with Folk music. Hard Rock combined it with electric Blues.

Through the 1960s, bands began to push the boundaries of Rock & Roll, incorporating elements of Blues, R&B, and Psychedelia into their music.

One of the key developments in the evolution of Hard Rock was the power trio format. These trios had a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer, and at least one of them sang.

There were also quartets that were essentially a power trio plus a lead singer, like The Who, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. 

Cream is often said to be the first power trio, though it’s probably more accurate to say they were the first well-known power trio.

Bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker had played together in the Graham Bond Organisation, but didn’t really like each other. On stage shouting matches weren’t unheard of. Bruce left to play with Manfred Mann.

Baker and Bruce tried to put their differences aside to work together with Clapton as a new band.

They were fearless when it came to experimentation and improvisation. 

Like with The Who, each member played like they were the lead instrument. Drawing from Blues, Jazz, and Psychedelia, they pushed the boundaries of what was possible in a Rock context, incorporating complex rhythms, innovative song structures, and long, improvised sections.

That was the start of their dysfunction as a group. And though they were highly successful both artistically and commercially, they managed to stay together for only two years. It wasn’t just the bickering between Baker and Bruce. Clapton felt the other two didn’t listen to him. He once said he stopped playing, and neither noticed.

Despite their short time together, Cream’s influence on rock music cannot be overstated.

They inspired musicians to explore the boundaries of what was possible in a Rock context.

Cream’s virtuosic musicianship, and that of guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, pushed the limits of their instruments with blistering solos and innovative techniques.

If the guitars get loud, the drums and bass have to get loud, too.

Baker, Keith Moon of The Who, and Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham pounded their drums mercilessly. Bruce, Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, and The Who’s John Entwistle played busy, unconventional parts, and played them loud.

Hard Rock began to coalesce as a distinct genre. It was the Yin to Soft Rock’s Yang. 

In the 1970s, the Blues and R&B aspects of Hard Rock were de-emphasized. The syncopated swing of the backbeat lessened, and the rhythm got even more straightforward. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it got less black and more white.

There were still Blues-inspired Hard Rock bands, like The Rolling Stones, Foghat, and ZZ Top, as well as many of the Glam Rock groups.

But others reduced their reliance on the Blues.

It was the golden age of Hard Rock, with bands like Bad Company, Aerosmith, and ZZ Top getting tons of radio play.

It’s worth pointing out that almost all of these bands were male. An early exception was Fanny, an all female band from California.

There’s a Facebook group pushing to get them inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

While virtuosic musicianship and technical prowess aren’t absolutely necessary in Hard Rock, they’re definitely appreciated, especially when it comes to guitar.

This is where guitar hero worship comes from.

While there were still songs about love and heartbreak, there were also songs about motorcycles, drugs, and The Lord Of The Rings. And a lot of songs about Rock itself.

We now call the Hard Rock of the 70s “Classic Rock.” Heavy Metal became its own thing, and its subgenres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, and Hair Metal. Some bands, like Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and Motley Crue, walked the line between Hard Rock and Metal. Others incorporated elements of Punk, Pop, and Progressive Rock into their sound and image.

Some artists, like Aerosmith and Heart, softened their sound and had the biggest hits of their careers.

Gone were the raw studio takes. Everything had a sheen on it. Some fans and critics belittled this as calculated business moves. Many turned to Metal or the parts of Punk and New Wave that would turn into Alternative Rock.

Music saw another shift in the 1990s as Grunge and Alternative Rock rose to prominence.

In the 21st century, Hard Rock still survives.

Bands like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Greta Van Fleet are carrying on the tradition of their predecessors while pushing the genre in new directions.

The history of Hard Rock is a story of rebellion, innovation, and raw energy, tracing its roots back to the Blues and Rock & Roll of the mid-20th century and evolving into a diverse and dynamic genre that continues to captivate audiences around the world.

From the blistering guitar solos of Jimi Hendrix to the stadium-filling anthems of Foo Fighters, Hard Rock has left an indelible mark on the music world, and continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans alike.

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