Rock History

Music has been present in human culture since the dawn of our existence on earth. During the tremendous growth of music culture in the late 1800s to the present day, the development and creation of rock music has become a cultural counterpart. The vast history of this music and the music which has been influenced by it is still prominent today. Many artists and songs have gone down in the books as crucial to the development of rock music. I have compiled five songs which I believe to be crucial to the growth and development of rock music, undoubtedly making their marks in history, each in a different way.

The first song on the CD is "All Roads Lead To You," by Chicago. Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois. Their music consists of Rock, Jazz Fusion, Progressive Rock, and Soft Rock. Starting out as a group of music majors at DePaul University, they incorporated wind instruments into their rock music, which created a unique blend of rock and jazz. "All Roads Lead To You" is a good representation of their music, although it is a bit of a softer piece than some of their other songs. Because Chicago started off with experimental music and progressive rock songs, their early music as well as the band's unique sound has been very influential on rock. "All Roads Lead To You" is part of one of Chicago's greatest hits album, The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II. Although it was not a huge hit, this song helped the development of soft rock and Jazz Fusion. Chicago's unique sound and instrumentation makes it an important part of rock history, and "All Roads Lead To You" is a great example of the music they perform.

Track 2 on the CD is the song, "Do You Feel Like We Do," by Peter Frampton. Track 3 is also the same song, but was recorded later in Frampton's career after he invented the talk box, a device which transfers the sound of his guitar into a tube in his mouth. By moving his mouth, he can then create words and sounds through his guitar. Peter Frampton is an English singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who plays rock, hard rock, and pop music. The song, "Do You Feel Like We Do," became popular on Frampton's album, Frampton Comes Alive! His music is influential and important to rock history because of his immense talent on the guitar, his long solos and songs, his experimental music, and the unique sounds which he creates on his guitar using the talk box. His music has influenced tons of artists by encouraging experimentation with technology and making new sounds on the guitar. Frampton should also be given credit for the way he incorporates his solos and his talk box into the songs. "Do You Feel Like We Do" is the quintessential example of how Frampton's long song structure, free solo breaks, and instrumental talent and innovation is incorporated into his songs. Peter Frampton is without a doubt, a very influential and important figure in the history of rock, and his talent is clearly present in his hit song, "Do You Feel Like We Do."

The fourth track on the CD is "Candle In The Wind," one of the biggest hits by the famed English singer-songwriter, Elton John. Elton John, who has sold more than 250 million records, and who's music consists of rock, pop, glam rock, and soft rock, is one of the most successful artists of all time. "Candle In the Wind" was a remake of the original song which was in honor of Marilyn Monroe, and released in 1997 by John as a tribute to the death of Princess Diana. With over 37 million copies sold, it is the best-selling single of all time. Elton John's incredible talent and success created inspiration for artists