Rock n’ Roll was the evolution of the blues. It started in the 50’s with artists like Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley.

In the early 60’s rock n’ roll was redefined by the British invasion. At the forefront of this were bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. English musicians loved American blues, early rock n’ roll, and rockabilly. They took this influence and added their own flare to create their own version of rock n’ roll. These bands became the model for all bands to follow.

Throughout the 60’s rock n’ roll evolved with the times. It was the music that defined a generation. It culminated with the Woodstock Music Festival, the festival that later named that generation.

As the 60’s came to a close the hard rock of bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath ushered in the 70’s. Along with this came the age of the screaming guitar solo.

The 80’s saw a new breed of hard rock with bands like Van Halen. The flared out classically inspired guitar playing of guitarists like Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhodes set a new standard in rock guitar. This led to the Hair bands of the mid to late 80’s. This was the era of spandex and the power ballad.

The early 90’s saw a drastic change with the explosion of grunge, the Seattle sound that was full of punk like guitar chords and a return to blues like soloing. The flannel shirts and ripped jeans were a sharp contrast to the attire of the 80’s.

This brings us to today. There has not since been a real sound in rock n’ roll. There have only been bands here and there. For this reason and others rock n’ roll could be in trouble. Modern rock stations are changing formats at high rates. There also is a growing trend of listening to classic rock. This all marks danger for the state of rock n’ roll.

Students weighed in on the future of rock. Five out of the six students interviewed said rock or some form of rock was their favorite type of music. Junior Seth Methias gave his reasons for liking rock, “It’s not boring or monotonous.”

As far as the reason for the decline in the commercial popularity of rock, students seem to agree. Sophomore Mischa Kirkbride summed it up, “People like rap.” This is undoubtedly rock’s biggest competition in the commercial market.

Freshman Devin Hager commented saying, “I don’t think there is a decline.”

The big question is “Is rock n’ roll on a downward spiral out of the realm of commercial success?” Students have differing opinions. Most students think not. Freshman Robbie Smith cited one reason for this, “There will always be people who feel that they don’t fit into anything.” These people turn to rock n’ roll.

Sophomore Chevy Shoemake disagrees saying, “There are other music styles that are more popular. Rock has been out there for a long time.”

Based on the thoughts of these students the future of rock n’ roll looks good. Whether this is true or not can only be answered in time.