What is Rock, and what is Pop?

Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 13 March 2008

What is Rock, and what is Pop?

And what is the difference? I am totally lost by this now. Any giving an answer to this [naive] question would help me by giving examples of which is which, and so forth. I was soundly berated for referring to a certain piece of Rock as Pop today!

Also what is Garage? What is the difference between Hip-hop, and Rap?

I think I know what the New Romantics were, but would be grateful if someone would tell me if I am right to think Adam Ant was one? [New Romantic I mean!].

What is Grunge? I think I know what Brit Pop was, and I may be wrong in thinking that Blur and so forth were that. I could be wrong!

It is easy for me to tell the difference between a Folk Song and a Leid/Melodie/Art Song, or the difference between a Fugue and a Cannon [one is a subset of the other but much stricter in form], or a Rondo, Sonata, or even the hybrid Sonata-rondo!

But I am really confused now by what is Rock! What is Prog Rock? What defines it?

Question, questions, sorry!

There are so many people here who know the answers! I never struggled to find the classics, or which I loved the best, but Popular music is a real enigma to me. I enjoy and even love a lot of what I would call [probably wrongly] Pop Music!

George
Posted on: 22 March 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear Maurice,

Your English is perfectly understood here. Thanks, and especially on the sub-genres!

Thanks to all who took the trouble explain it.

The divisions as such are not significant, except to help define what we are talking about.

Certainly Beethoven wrote some Rock Music at this rate! I don't think Bach did though!

Thanks from George
Posted on: 22 March 2008 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
I don't think Bach did though!


He sure inspired some - please click here
Posted on: 22 March 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear ROTF,

Whether many people realise it or not Bach is still timeless and his music is still more contemparary in the way it speaks to so many even than say the Beatles, who are definately fixed in their own time, however estimable their music is. The thing is that many people hearing Bach never know who wrote the music, and this is the magic. It does not matter for it is doing what it was meant to. To lift emotions in all those who encounter it!

I will examine the link tomorrow!

George
Posted on: 22 March 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear ROTF,

Brilliant link.

I was five at the time and that song goes right back to happy times at my first house. The Pool Farm, Acton Beauchamp, in Herefordshire.

One wood fire in the front room, and a paraffin heater in the bathroom. On my sixth birthday three of the four of us in the house were ill with pneumonia! That’s how bloody cold the place was. Also the Foot and Mouth saw the Dairy Cows slaughtered, never to be replaced. And that year my old Norwegian great grandfather dead at the ripe age of 91!

But life was one long holiday for my brother and me. Completely free-range children put out after breakfast and expected back for lunch, in the holidays from school, and the nearest house was half a mile away!

If I won the lottery I would rent that house for the rest of my days!

George
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by m0omo0
George,

I don't know if you like Mussorgsky, but you could have some fun listening to Emerson, Lake and Palmer's rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition. As ROTF said, the music is interesting even if the opinions on this band are the most divided.

One thing you could be interested on - provided you can bear the music - is the "orchestral" arrangement Emerson did on this piece. We are mostly accustomed to the solo piano work - the bare Mussorgsky version - or to Ravel's version for orchestra. I have heard there are other versions too, but the one by ELP is quite original (even if I prefer Ravel's).

This is progressive rock at its best (or worst).

Some links to get started, but fasten your seat belt. You've been warned!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5


Have fun and Happy Easter!
Maurice
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by BigH47
Wonderful stuff.
What I always enjoyed about rock bands developing so called "serious" or classical music was the way it poked at the po-faced and up their arse attitudes of purveyors/listeners and provoked the slaggings the rock bans got.
My uncle a baroque and choral enthusiast had no time for any pop/rock music,labelling it as trivial and of no musical worth. He was surprised though that the some members of the LSO? when doing the orchestral Tubular Bells and Tommy type pieces were struggling to play say guitar parts on violins etc due to the complicated time sigs and unusual chord changes as well as being on different instruments.
Like it don't like it's all there take your pick.
FWIW I like ELP and Mussorgsky versions. I#ve also ;earned how to spell Mussorgsky.

Howard
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
This is a Pop

Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
Do they not still burn you at the stake with chips over there for things like that Winker
Munch


They can't while i'm still on rock

Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
You cant get near it now days let alone on it Winker
Munch


How much DSL cable do you think i need?
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
quote:
Originally posted by Gianluigi Mazzorana:
Not the Spanish inc Roll Eyes


We forgot Heavy Metal.
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
Not the Spanish inc Roll Eyes


I didn't expect that Smile
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
The matter is that i have some really good pics in my pc.
But i really can't post them.
Posted on: 23 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
quote:
Originally posted by Gianluigi Mazzorana:
The matter is that i have some really good pics in my pc.
But i really can't post them.
Gian as long as its not the new Naim price list you are safe Roll Eyes


The old one was not that bad as well!
Smile
Posted on: 26 March 2008 by Pigeon_Fancier
Reebee Garofalo's Genealogy of Pop/Rock Music will leave you [much enlightened][none the wiser]*

*Delete as appropriate

I suppose it is in the nature of man (or at least, of librarians and advertising execs Winker ) to categorise and catalogue, but what this thread says to me is that the broader your tastes, the more you recognise common themes - everything came from the same Pandora's box!
Posted on: 26 March 2008 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
quote:
Originally posted by Pigeon_Fancier:
everything came from the same Pandora's box!


At last.
Posted on: 10 April 2008 by JamieL
It is very tempting to answer to the original question, Genesis with Gabriel and Hackett is rock, and Genesis with neither is pop (with the possible exception of parts of 'Duke')

That said one of my favourite bands is proud to be pop - Kraftwerk

I have always liked a phrase used on 'Spitting Image' many years ago referring to certain music as being 'Young person's pop and roll', much funnier than Ian Hislop's 'Beat combo' comments.

I know that doesn't answer the question at all, but then I don't think it matters what label is given to music, as long as the music is honest in itself.

Jamie
Posted on: 11 April 2008 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Genesis with neither is pop


Are you sure pop is right word?

As I far as I can work out this is pop.