Why does some music make us want to scream, jump, and raise hell around us? What is that feeling that makes us want to rock when we hear a song? It seems like a mystery. And yet! The most "rock and roll" songs in history share similarities that music lovers and musicologists have studied closely... So, what have they found? We're here to tell you.
Are you ready? Plug in the guitars... Tuning the bass... One - two - three - four!
The chorus is the emotional pinnacle of the song, and often the only lyrics we really know. Usually, a good chorus consists of a series of simple yet effective chords and catchy lyrics, that can create a sense of power and make the listener feel "included" in the story. "We are the champions", or "We will rock you", by Queen... Get it?
Musicologist Alison Pawley and psychologist Daniel Mullensiefen tried to be more specific and identify the essential qualities of the catchiest choruses. According to them, here are the three most important characteristics:
- Long and detailed musical phrases. In other words, the singer must have stamina to sing!
- Different "pitches" of sounds, for greater harmonic amplitude. Basically, you should have a mix of highs and lows.
- A male singer, especially if his voice is high-pitched, and especially if the singing requires an undeniable vocal effort.
Well, that's the science behind the songs of the past... Future artists may come along and challenge our knowledge in new ways!
The solo and the breakdown share a common feature: they are a highlight of the song. But apart from that, they are quite different!
The solo, which is common in hard rock and heavy metal, is a display of virtuosity. It is almost always a guitar solo, although many prog rock or art rock bands like to highlight all their musicians with bass solos, keyboard solos… and even drum solos!
For those interested, one of the most complex drum solos was written by Frank Zappa. It is fondly called "The Black Page" because the score is so dense that it seems all inked up!
On the other hand, the breakdown goes back to basics: the music slows down, the melody almost disappears, and all the emphasis is on the rhythm to get the crowd dancing. A typical feature of punk and hardcore music, the breakdown was popularized by Pantera, among others. A good example is the song Domination: the guitar solo is followed by a super-simple breakdown… consisting of only one note! As we said: simple. Very simple.
Rock is not JUST music. It's also an attitude. Stage presence can be supported by make-up, costumes, sets... In short, rock is a popular and visual art, mixed with theater and performance!
Metalheads are familiar with Slipknot: nine musicians wearing jumpsuits and horror movies-inspired masks. Some believe Slipknot stole the idea from another, slightly older American band called Mushroomhead. But both bands admit they owe it to a third band, born in the 80’s and named Gwar, whose members wear giant costumes coming straight out of a Disney parade from hell.
Younger people may remember Lordi, the Finnish rock band that won Eurovision in 2006 wearing costumes heavily inspired by those of Gwar. It seems that rock and crazy outfits go well together, and it looks like it's just the beginning.
It's actually almost impossible to know who really "invented" the idea of dressing up on stage, since this idea is quite common: from the make-up and strange costumes of Kiss in the 60’s, to the androgynous and sometimes monstrous outfits of Marilyn Manson, to the burlesque characters of Rammstein, whose singer dresses up as a butcher.
While all these bands have marked our spirit with their music, it's clear that their appearance and spectacular shows have contributed to their success!
Now you know all the great characteristics of a great rock and roll song. You know what's left to do: pick an instrument, master it, find friends to form a band, and then, all together, take the path to glory... Or simply enjoy the great songs the genre has produced over the last three-quarters of a century!