A Concise History of Rock

Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Nirvana: is there anyone who doesn’t know them? That they all made incredible music is indisputable, but here, Guestblogger Joris van Dijk reveals that these rock legends did far more than just that. The albums that these artists have dropped over the years represent a sort of overview of the rock family tree and all of the influences that lie at its roots. Joris attempts to show this in the space of just seven classic and influential rock albums – which span every time period, from ‘60s psychedelic rock and ‘70s punk to ‘90s alt-rock.

#1. The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

The essential ‘60s album for any record collector, Sgt. Pepper first exploded in 1967 and brought with it a fresh psychedelic landscape, immediately topped the charts and stuck around for a good five years thereafter. The orchestral arrangements and harmonic vocals are like an ode to Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, but the breadth of this album is actually unmatched and brought a sonic storm in its wake. This massive album would go on to heavily influence an array of artists, from Jimi Hendrix to the The Kinks and Pink Floyd, more-than earning it a slot in the rock history books.

#2. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico

In 1967, the same year that Sgt. Pepper first appeared, The Velvet Underground & Nico was released. But compared to the complex arrangements, studio magic and polish of Sgt. Pepper, this album did something entirely different and as such, was met with a luke-warm reception and barely sold. Now it’s an undeniable cult classic, and even a mainstream classic, but to the uninitiated, the raw and sometimes jarring sounds on this album can sometimes make it hard to see how it could be such an important part of rock music’s history. And not just rock. Some rock-historians state that this album spans a library of genres, including punk, glam rock, alt-rock and prog-rock – the list goes on. When it comes to this album, the context is important, because of the fact that the mix of Lou Reed’s vividly lurid and somewhat sexual lyricism with the unpolished, scraping feedback of the guitars and hectic song structures was, in 1967, something entirely fresh. Some of the work of a lot of ground-breaking artists just couldn’t have existed without it, including David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, U2 and Joy Division.

#3. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King

This one came out in 1969 and is a classic example of an album that came way ahead of its time. The weighty guitar riffs of the opener 21st Century Schizoid Man are like an early taste of what heavy metal would later sound like, including the sound of Black Sabbath. Grandiose orchestral instrumentation inspired by Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds combine with electric guitars, bass and jazz-rock inspired drumming, paving the way for, not just metal, but the prog-rock sound of names like Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush and plenty more.

#4. Iggy Pop: Raw Power

Joy Division, fronted by Ian Curtis, brought punk to a new and darker, gothic level when this album was first released in 1979. The Joy Division sound was incomparable to the ‘60s rock and prog-rock sound that was around at the time, and took the genre closer towards its post-punk and new-wave future by taking the no-frills and no-complexity of early punk, and turning it into something much more technical and thoughtful. This evolution stoked the post-punk era and, alongside Curtis’ Jim Morrison-inspired dejected vocal style, influenced some of the greats that followed – everyone from Nirvana to The National.

#5. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division, fronted by Ian Curtis, brought punk to a new and darker, gothic level when this album was first released in 1979. The Joy Division sound was incomparable to the ‘60s rock and prog-rock sound that was around at the time, and took the genre closer towards its post-punk and new-wave future by taking the no-frills and no-complexity of early punk, and turning it into something much more technical and thoughtful. This evolution stoked the post-punk era and, alongside Curtis’ Jim Morrison-inspired dejected vocal style, influenced some of the greats that followed – everyone from Nirvana to The National.

#6. Pixies: Doolittle

Pixies were one of the most formative bands for modern rock music. Not only did they have a massive influence on Kurt Cobain, as evidenced by the same quiet-loud-quiet songwriting methods, but this band also laid the groundwork for alt-rock and indie. Bands including The Strokes, Radiohead and Arcade Fire all cite Pixies as a big influence. What made the Pixies so special at the time, was their ability to completely ignore every rock-convention of the time, hacking out their own path instead. But the magic is that they managed to do all of it while avoiding being inaccessible and esoteric. This balance, to my mind, is most evident on the second album, Doolittle, which came out in 1989. The lead singer, Black Francis’ absurdist lyrics, which are embedded with social critique also helped start a movement within the indie scene, making space for bands like Pavement and Modest Mouse.

#7. Nirvana: Nevermind

Much like Sgt. Pepper, this one probably needs little introduction. Nevermind, which came out in 1991, was the second album from the ‘90s grunge band Nirvana and is maybe the most praised and universally loved rock album from the last 30 years. Led by the single Smells Like Teen Spirit, every generation following its release knows about Nevermind. But where did it all come from? It’s clear that the genius of Kurt Cobain didn’t come from nowhere. Behind all of the hefty grunge riffs lies an array of different bands and artists, including the obvious ones like the Pixies, Black Flag, Sonic Youth and Killing Joke. But also less expected names like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and even The Beatles. Nevermind didn’t just mark the death of the hair-metal that dominated the charts at the time, but set the tone for the alt-rock revolution that would persist throughout the ‘90s, giving us names like Alice in Chains, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and more.

Of course, this is just a very brief snapshot of a handful of albums and artists that, personally, I think did a lot for rock music. There’s plenty more to discuss on this subject, so which albums do you think should be added to the ‘Most-Influential’ list? Let us know in the comments.

See also

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» The History of the Drum Kit

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