By Arunima Khullar:
Soul:
Some songs are made for the ears and then there are some songs which are made for the soul. Soul music came as a merger of gospel charged singing, secular subject matter and funk rhythms. It originated in the United States in the late 1950s and Ray Charles is cited as the father of the soul genre. By the 1970s the music evolved into being more message based and also adopted a bit from psychedelic rock. While the singing style hadn’t changed much, the beats had become more danceable. The early 1990s saw the arrival of the new soul music or neo-soul. The gospel singing roots intact, the music has a very modern rhythmic expression more like hip hop.
Some songs you must listen to:
- What’s going on — Marvin Gaye
- Respect — Aretha Franklin
- A Change is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke [soul, R&B]
- What’d I say — ray Charles [soul, blues, gospel, rock and roll]
- People Get Ready — The Impressions
Rock and Roll:
Rock and roll, defined by electronically amplified instrumentation, a heavily accented beat and a relatively simple phrase structure, is a combination of blues, country music, jazz and gospel music. It originated during the late 1940s in United States. The lyrics, very youth oriented, were a big attraction for the teen population and also helped in bridging the divide between blacks and whites as both could equally connect with the subjects being sung about. It was much more than just a music genre, it created an influence on lifestyles, fashion, attitude and language. The main instruments used are the electric guitar, bass, piano, drums and saxophone.
Some songs you must listen to:
- Maybellene — Chuck Berry
- Hound dog — Elvis Presley
- River Deep-Mountain High — Ike & Tina turner [pop/soul, rock and roll]
- That’ll be the Day — Buddy Holly and The Crickets
- Tutti Frutti — Little Richard
Pop:
Pop evolved from the rock n roll revolution in the mid 1950s. It is not usually written, performed and recorded as a symphony, suite, or concerto. The lyrics, which usually consist of verse and repeated chorus, define pop music. The songs most often range between 2 and a half to 5 and half minutes. Though, there have been exceptions, such as, ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles. Rock, country, R&B, punk, disco, Latin and hip hop, all have influenced pop music in some way or the other. The main aim of pop is to appeal a general audience, rather than a sub culture or ideology.
Some songs you must listen to:
- Hey Jude — The Beatles [pop, rock]
- I Want to Hold Your Hand — The Beatles [rock, pop]
- Be My baby — The Ronettes
- God Only Knows — The Beach Boys
- You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ — The Righteous Brothers [pop, R&B, blue eyed soul]
- Dancing in the Rain — Martha Reeves and the Vandellas [pop, R&B, soul]
Rock:
Rock music originated during the 1950s — 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom. Though, influenced by country and rhythm & blues, its roots dwell in rock and roll. Rock music gave birth to various sub-genres like Art rock, psychedelic rock, grunge, blues rock, hard rock, folk rock, heavy metal, etc. Folk rock was Bob Dylan’s territory (e.g. Blowin’ in the Wind). It featured acoustic guitars and was made of socially conscious lyrics. Psychedelic rock was music influenced by the use of drugs. The artists that made it popular include the likes of Pink Floyd and The Doors. Heavy metal, played by Led Zeppelin and the Black Sabbath, featured extreme guitar sound and heavy distortion. Today, rock music connotes widespread forms from pop to heavy metal.
Some songs you must listen to:
- Like a Rolling Stone — Bob Dylan
- (I can’t get no) Satisfaction — The Rolling Stones [hard rock]
- Imagine — John Lennon
- Good Vibrations — The Beach Boys [psychedelic rock, progressive rock]
- Smells like Teen Spirit — Nirvana [Grunge]
- My Generation — The Who
- Yesterday — The Beatles [baroque pop]
- Purple Haze — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- Let it be — The Beatles
- Born to Run — Bruce Springsteen
- Help — The Beatles [folk rock]
- Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin [folk rock, hard rock]
- The Weight — The Band [folk rock, roots rock]
- Bridge over Troubled Water — Simon & Garfunkel [soft rock, folk rock]
The harder the life, the Sweeter the song.