Abstract
Music indeed is the language of the soul. It touches everyone alike. Still people speculate and think that music is for the young. The following discussion is little thought into why it is not age that determines a person’s liking for music but the feelings the music conveys.
Keywords: Rock n Roll, Rock, Queen, Green Day, genre
Introduction
In this far wide world, even the Gods sand divided amongst men. There are only a few things in this world that are shared amongst every one. Music is one amongst those rare things. Every country or region has its own form of music. It is indeed a soul’s outlet, a medium to communicate the innermost desires and have others revel and bask in the sheer melody of it. Music has a way of letting out emotions and conveying them to the listener as if these emotions were their own. In fact, music brings out the hidden emotions inside the heart. However, emotions and moods tend to be different for different people and at different times. Added to this the fact that each musician has a different impact on his or her listener. Some of them are accepted over generations and become legends, while others rise and fall with the time and tide of the social flow. Indeed, different music speak volumes of their own time and may lose relevance later. But, some of this music becomes eternally lodged in the human intellect, taking place in the hearts of people through generations. Music come in all forms, some soothe the ear while others bring out the innermost desires out, some lull senses into a peaceful quiet while others take them to a transcendental high. Why it is then that music is associated with only a specific age group? Several forms of music, like Rock, Techno and Rap are associated with young people alone, although they impact people of any and every age.
Rock is one such genre of music, rolling through ages, loved and hated at the same time. Rock music has been part of revolutions and rebellion as in Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and yet it has romanced the most innermost human desires as in Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. Many may argue that Rock and punk music is for the young and flamboyant only. However, I feel that music is for everyone, and once a favorite will remain a favorite to a music lover. In the following article I discuss about my views on Rock music as an impacting art-form for all ages and its impact on the youth and beyond, drawing inspiration from the musical works produced by legends of yester years and musicians today.
Discussion
Music is all about the flow of feelings and the synchronization of the self with the rhythm that flows with the music. It has no boundaries in age, caste, creed or sect. It is only set back or accepted through the moods of the listener. There is no significant proof that music is only for the young. There is music that remains refreshing forever and young and old enjoy it alike. Rock music is one of the most popular genre of music known to music lovers of all ages. Many renowned artists have played Rock music alone through their whole musical careers and have garnered acclaim. It originated from country music, rhythm and blues in the United States and later spread in popularity to the UK. The genre divided and subdivided into different forms, from glam rock to grunge in the late 90s and the coming decades saw revival of many of the forgotten subdivisions of Rock. However, Rock remained the main genre that encompassed all of these music forms through the ages.
One intriguing Rock music has been around for ages, has evolved and yet has managed to remain the same through all the years. One beat and almost anyone can identify that what they are hearing is Rock. The music rustic is at times, using rough timbre and powerful bass. It is about the throw of the music to the listener aimed to penetrate deep and awaken the innermost thoughts and desires in rather exciting fashion. Rock music has been known for its angst approach to feelings and lacking in melody. However, the lyrical syntax used in Rock parallels unrhymed verses with a flow that tries to hook onto the listener’s attention. Genres like metal and heavy metal are based upon high paced rhythm and speed play. There are certain subdivisions of Rock that incorporate melody and some glamorous quotient to them and are therefore known as glam rock. However, the most popular amongst rock genres is alternate rock and it itself encompasses a large group of sub-genres known as fusion rock.
Rock has always been a social facet of the people, especially the young through the ages. It has depicted the various socio-political scenarios of its time, has set trends like the punk culture and gothic culture. It has acted as an outlet of emotions and feelings for people for over five decades and continues to do so. But rock has not always been accepted as a pleasing form of music amongst more culturally classic genres.
Rock music has always been surrounded by controversies. Some see it as glamorous, while others look down upon it as amorous. Through the ages Rock has been criticized as brash and Rock artists have been labelled as angst, rebellious and challenged. However, there are certain things about Rock that makes people like it and helps it to survive through the generation. Every generation sees a form of Rock that connects to its innermost desires. It is a form of music that can be understood and adopted by many. It is near flexible and can accommodate all of human desires, from love to apathy and rebellion.
Rock music is often labelled as music for the youth. However, it is not the energy of the music or the plethora of stimulation alone that comprises of Rock. It is indeed a music for all ages. But all the same it depends upon the listener’s ear. As the saying goes, “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.” So it is with music as well. Scientists have confirmed that music connects to all even though tastes may change over time. However, favorites remain so for all life and music heard in the young years brings nostalgia to the heart of even the old.
Using data gathered from more than a quarter of a million people over a ten year period, researchers divided musical genres into five broad categories they call the MUSIC model - mellow, unpretentious, sophisticated, intense, contemporary - and plotted the patterns of preference across age-groups. However, even scientists have confirmed from their studies that music is dear to all at all ages and no matter what age a person is at, hearing the sound of their favorite artist will always help them connect to their inner-self.
Taking on the first example of a Rock genre that has connected to younger and older generations alike, the Queen Band has always remained popular worldwide. Queen was a late 70’s UK band that produced a lot of chart toping music through the years its original band members stayed together. Originally named as Smile, Queen came into existence with the joining of Freddie Mercury, then known as Farrokh Bulsara. Freddie played on the piano and lead vocals for the band. Its other members included Brian May, who gave the lead guitar and vocals, John Deacon, the base guitarist and Roger Taylor, drums and vocals. Queen produced Rock n Roll and rhythm based Rock music that had very unique feel. Their songs “Bohemian Rhapsody” from their second album “Queen II” and songs like “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” from the album “News of the World” gave the band huge popularity across UK and the United States. They went on to create record breaking singles and played live concerts internationally, the best known of which is the “Rock in Rio” concert performed at Rio de Janeiro.
The band touched the hearts of many through the years and its lead vocalist Freddie Mercury came to be enumerated amongst the top Rock legends of all time with a statue dedicated to his memory. The band broke after Freddie Mercury’s demise and many Rock music lovers including many American bands and single artists paid homage to Freddie in a record breaking concert. Ever since, there songs have been featured at many events and in movies and are enjoyed by the old and young alike. Queen are considered amongst the league of Rock bands that earned enough acclaim through the years to be named as legendary amongst Rock artists. The music they produced was liked by people across the world and many people still connect to the band’s music at a very personal level, even though they do not belong from the time when the band rose to popularity. The Rock music they produced seems to be relevant still and is living proof that music knows no age and has the power to bring people of all ages, sections and nations together.
The second artist, a more recent one, is the American top Alternate/Punk Rock band the Green Day. Green Day originated in the year 1987 and originated in the punk rock scene in Berkeley, California. The band consists of Billie Joe Armstrong, vocalist and guitarist, Mike Dirnt, bassist and backing vocalist, Tré Cool, the drummer and Jason White, guitarist and backing vocalist. Cool replaced former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990, prior to the recording of the band's second studio album, Kerplunk. The Band debuted in the main Rock scene in 1994 with their album “Dookie” a role away success on release. The music they produced belonged to the punk rock genre and some of their tracks became famous worldwide very instantly. Punk rock saw decline for a few years later and Green Day’s name remained circulating through music stands with albums like “Nimrod” and “Insomniac”, only to resurface with the album 21st Century Breakdown released in the year 2009.
They are considered as one of the top bestselling Bands of all times, with album selling over 75 million copies worldwide. Although formed in the early 90s, the band rose to fame, to join ranks of bands like Metallica, which were formed a long time ago. Even though belonging to genre that developed much later as compared to metal and grunge, Green Day’s music connected to one and all alike, reaching out to people of different ages across the world.
Both the bands belong to different times, yet they garnered appreciation and acceptance throughout the ages. Born in different genres, different times and different regions, both Rock bands have impressed old and new generations alike. It is quintessential to note that Queen and Green Day are known all over the world not for the antics Queen Band mates threw or the looks that Green Day Band mates carry but for the music. Proof lies in the fact that some of their music still remain amongst the top best sellers and are heard by many people irrespective of their place or age worldwide.
Conclusion
There are people who would only like to believe that music is only for the young. But to the music lover, and a regular listener, listening to or playing music would remain a cherish-able activity for all life. Tastes may change but the want for music will not. Rock may seem to be to energetic or too flamboyant, but in my perception a Rock fanatic will always remain one and will always love to listen to a favorite genre of theirs no matter what their age or perception of life has become. Indeed music is for everyone, and Rock music is no exception.
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