Women Rock Musician in History from the beginning in Unites States - Essay Example

Music Essay Women Rock Musicians in History from the Beginning in the United s History of Rock and Roll Rock music is said to have begun back in 1954, where a new genre of music called rock and roll was introduced, transforming the music tastes of young people; it made a significant change in the world. Rock and roll resulted from the convergence of rhythm, blues, and country musical genres plus a series of hi-tech developments, which creates an innovative market for the music. Blues are known to have developed from songs sung by African-Americans while working; they had originally been brought to the USA as slaves. While working at plantations, they used to communicate by means of “call and response,” fooling the plantation owners, saying that the music was happy though they actually used it to discuss issues about the owners; and just as rhythm and blues developed from blues, rock and roll developed from rhythm and blues (R&B). Among the great women that have made a contribution in the history rock and roll especially when it comes to playing instruments in bands or in singles included; Wanda Jackson (guitarist), Nancy Wilson (guitarist), Meg White (Pianist), Bonnie Rait (guitarist), and, other artists of today like Lady Gaga, who started playing the piano at a tender age and Taylor Swift who plays the guitar. Some of the technological advancements during the commencement of rock and roll in the 1940s included phonographs, which were initially bulky and could be damaged easily, so most people were tired of them, even though they were common. However, during the same time when rock and roll started, significant transformations were evident; the records that primarily played at 78 rpm (rounds per minute) were enhanced, and those that replaced them played at 33 and 45rpm, making them less bulky and easy to handle. American Rock (United States Rock) Women played key roles in the growth and development of the rock and roll genre, starting with early blues artists like Ma Rainey (Mother of the blues) and Bessie Smith (Vocalist from the black community), who were surprisingly the only women who recorded blues in the 1920’s, and Mother Maybelle Carter who recorded the first country music in 1927. These three plus other prominent women put on great effort towards establishing equality and basic human rights for the female gender emphasizing on the right to vote and working towards social justice (National Museum of Women Arts, 1). Moreover, other women involved in the campaign included; Ruth Brown and Lavern Baker (R&B singers), the famous rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe who mastered the guitar by the age of six, Memphis Minnie and Billie Holiday; some of who were talented and creative when it came to the different genres and were definitely trailblazers of rock and roll in the 50s. Significantly, as from 1950, rock and roll dominated most of the other music genres, making it a major force in American record sales, and crooners such as Patti Page found themselves pulled out of the pop charts due to the development and growth of rock and roll artists (Saatchi Gallery 1). Rock and roll bands and artists that dominated the pop charts during the 1950s included the Shirelles and the Supremes hence later on there were others like Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Laura Nyro who ruled in the 1970s, setting a platform for the artists that are there today i.e. Carrie Underwood. Concomitantly, as rock and roll advanced, more divisions of it continued to emerge, such as surf music, which involved instrumental rock and roll, garage rock that was in the form of amateurish rock music, blues rock that often emulated jazz, folk rock that was identified with progressive or labor politics, and country rock that emulated country music. Others not so common were roots rock, psychedelic rock and southern rock, and by the 1970s there had been more such as progressive rock, glam rock, soft and hard rock (that are even common today), early heavy metal, Christian rock, punk rock, New Wave, post punk, glam and extreme metal, heartland rock, grunge, indie, rap rock, and digital electronic rock. Rock and Women Often women are said not to have any contribution or success when it comes to rock and roll; moreover, those that are involved tend to face many problems, i.e., they are judged by how they look, sometimes being told that they are more masculine than feminine and others being called sluts. However, the history of American rock and roll is viewed to have overcome all these barriers with some artists even dominating the male artists and others being mentored by high-flying male artists Up until the 1980s, they had been very few women artists of rock and roll, having only a few recognizable albums, such as Janis Joplin who might still be the reigning queen of rock today. Joplin had one of the most exciting and heartrending careers in rock; she was known mostly for her role as the lead singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company but later on became a solo artist delivering renowned rock classics such as “Piece of My Heart” and “Summertime.” Grace Slick was another singer/song writer and naturally trained artists who helped in the launching of the band, Jefferson Airplane, and later on succeeded through records such as “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love.” Furthermore, with her beauty and vibrant stage presence, she was able to help the band earn an international exposure making them the highest paid rock band in America as of 1967. Also in the 1970s, Stevie Nick, a renowned song writer and vocalist, offered Fleetwood Mac, a rock band, his signature sound taking it from just being an average level band to one of the ever-known biggest sellingrock groups in American history. Nonetheless, a few other women,though with low publicity,contributed either directly or indirectly during the early years to the development of rock.Time and again, the rock and roll community wonders how music would have been doing if women had contributed a little bit more, or what would have happened if they had not contributed at all. Typically, it is claimed that women were reluctant to be involved in rock and roll music because its fans recognized it as an impetuous, ballsy and masculine activity, lacking a well-known place for women who claimed it was tedious. It is actually difficult to establish the role that the women have played in the development of rock and roll, and even harder to figure out what the sound of music would be likeif women had not participated as songwriters, artists or fans. Overall, women have filled dissimilar roles and emphasized themselves in different but sophisticated ways, overcoming a number of barriers such as exploitation, sexual aggression, discrimination and exclusion. Punk rock singer Patti Smith stated that rock ’n’ roll is particularly harder than being in the army, the guitar being your weapon, and that is why, while on stage women had difficulties such as fighting to win over band-mates, the audience and critics. Some of the top rock American female artists that have led a legacy from the 1980s and 1970s include bands such as the Shangri-Las made up of four ladies and singing about men and broken dreams, and the Ronnettes, rivals of the Shangri-Las, who were from New York and sang mostly about love (Cracked 1). Other solo female artists include Derby Harry, who was initially in a band, but duebeing given more attention than the other band members, was thrown out of the band. Among others are Lita Ford, one of the female guitar heroes;Courtney Love-Cobain who was in a band that is said to have been named after her genitals; Amy Lee, the lead singer of Evanescence; Avril Lavigne; and Simone Simons of Epica. Conclusion Preparing to pursue a career in rock for a woman was actually similar to preparing for war against other rock musicians, skeptics, the general public, cultural norms, and sometimes even against their own pressure of being successful; for example, Janis Joplin was found in a hotel room dead of a heroin overdose, whose primary cause was sexism (Shmoop University 1). With all this being said and done, the fact still remains that rock and roll has never been and will never be an exclusively male venture, though it might have seemed so in the beginning, but year after year, the women endorsing it increase in number which is facilitated by the different campaigns supported by the powerful and prominent women in the music industry taking the fresh talent to a whole new level of rock and roll. Generally, women have not always been welcome in the rock and roll world but despite the many odds, women have always thrived, spreading out of the borders and into the mainstream and gaining top positions on most of the charts. Other factors that have made female rock outstanding are their clothing, instruments they play, photographs or instances of handwritten lyrics and possibly the awards they have won; and as a justification, today music is ruled by women such as Madonna, Pink, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, Cyndi Lauper, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani. Works Cited Cracked.“Top Female Rock Icons of All time: United States Demand Media.” 2013. Web. September 14, 2013. National Museum of Women Arts. “Women Who Rock:Vision, Passion and Power.” June 6, 2013. Web. September 14, 2013. Saatchi Gallery.Beginning of Rock and Law: Education Department.2013. Web. September 14, 2013. ShmoopUniversity.Gender in History of Rock and Roll: Moreover, the First of Rock.2013. Web. September 14, 2013. Read More