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!
Everyone knows "the drop" in electronic music. At first, the music seems to be ramping up, getting gradually faster, higher, denser, stronger... Until the drop happens: a break that really brings the music down to a slower tempo, allowing the listener to dance their heart out.
That's right. But there is more to it. For specialists, the "drop" does not originate in electronic music, but in rock music of the 70’s. Some consider that the first example of the drop could be found in the song "Firth of Fifth" by Genesis (especially at 6 min 44 sec). It's short, it's subtle, but all the elements of a drop are clearly there. Peter Gabriel and his mates understood that they had found something great, since they repeated this effect 4 times in the song!
If the drop has seen its greatest success in electronic music, rockers have developed a similar art: the art of the intro. The goal is the same. An intro builds up the listener's impatience, tricks his expectations, and delays the most satisfying moment of the song. Even biologists have become interested in this science of frustration: in 2019, three Anglo-Saxon researchers measured the effects of musical tension on our cortex. Unsurprisingly, when the long-awaited song finally started, it resulted in "strong positive emotions".
Long intros became popular in the 60's thanks to progressive rock. Since then, they have been widely used in all rock styles, and many of them have become legendary. The trade press loves to rank the best ones, often featuring songs by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, or Metallica. For Rock n'Heavy magazine, the award goes to Van Halen for his brilliant solo intro "Eruption" in the song "You really got me".
Some artists push the envelope, such as the band Refused with their song "New Noise", whose intro lasts over a minute and even includes a false start at the 40th second. British newspaper NME describes the intro as "joyfully/painfully long, leading into a dancefloor riot." The longer the better!
A riff is a short sequence of notes or chords played repeatedly. Simply put, it's THE guitar melody, THE thing that catches your ear and makes you want to move. Rock songs are more or less made of riffs put together, and almost all of them have a "main riff" that is usually played from the beginning of the song, without the singer interfering. So, if we mention "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, you can probably sing the main riff. Or maybe "Seven Nation Army", by the White Stripes. Touuum… Toum toum toum toum, touuuumm… There! You already know some riffs by heart.
And there are plenty of mythical riffs. For example, "Smoke on The Water" by Deep Purple has become the favorite teaching tool of guitar teachers. The "Satisfaction" riff by The Rolling Stones causes anyone over 50 an air-guitar episode. Some riffs have even made history, such as those of "Reign in Blood" by Slayer, and "Master of Puppets" by Metallica, which are famous for laying the foundations of trash metal in the 80’s.
While the riff is vital, the quality of a "good riff" is still a matter of taste. In 2014, the BBC asked its listeners to vote for their favorite riff in rock history. The result is a rather subjective ranking of fifty songs. The best one? "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. You be the judge!
Stay tuned, the second part is coming !