Genre - Rock

Definition: The genre of a music video is the style that is seen throughout. Depending on the genre, a music video will hold certain conventions throughout and will use the same elements as others.

• "Genre is no longer a fixed set of elements".

• Buckingham (1990) argues that genre is a "constant process of negotiation and change".

The history of the Rock Genre

• The rock genre originated from the classic 'Rock and Roll' that was first seen in the 1950's.
• Rock and roll was highly popular in the United States and the UK.
• Rock and Roll was first heavily influenced by Rhythm and blues as well as Country music.
• Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical sources.
•  The first major name in Rock and Roll was Elvis Presley who became known as the king of Rock.
• Some of the earliest rock artists included Gorre Carter ('Rock awhile') and Jimmy Preston ('Rock the Joint').
• Elvis used the similar styles of Jazz and Blues and become a record selling artist.

Lyrical content of the rock genre

The lyrics and meanings of a rock song are different to that of another genre. In most common Rock songs, there is a sense of rejection and retaliation towards the government and political events. In early punk rock bands such as the 'Sex Pistols' there were obvious references to their negative attitude towards the way the country was controlled. They reference this in one of their most known songs 'God Save the Queen'.
Most modern rock songs are representations of a band/artists life style or problems. They may sing about a recent problem they have faced using some kind of narrative throughout the music video.

Representations of the Rock Genre

Throughout the time of rock and roll, there have been various representation of Rock bands and their view on society. The audience and given several ideas off what a rock band is like and gain an insight to the lifestyle of a band member.

In early styles of rock such as 'Punk Rock' band members were represented as part of everyday society. They wore normal clothes and would set their  music videos in everyday locations. This is the bands way of giving an audience something to relate to as they listen to their songs. This is also a way of sharing their own views with their target audience and is a way of rebelling in a sense.

In the song 'cigarettes and alcohol' by Oasis, the audience see the lifestyle of the band and how they behave when they are not on stage. Throughout the video, the band is seen backstage smoking and drinking alcohol. This represents them as a different way to bands that are seen as glamorous and are role models. The band Oasis are presenting themselves as everyday men who get into trouble.