Highlighting Crucial Sociopolitical Issues through House Music

Music can be segregated into a large number of genres, each having its own unique charm and appeal. House music is a variety of electronic dance music. It originated in the early 1980s, in and around Chicago and was immensely popular since the middle of the decade. Interestingly, as popularity for house music grew in leaps and bounds, each of the cities or regions contributed with a unique variety of this genre of music.

Popularity of the music genre started growing and around late 1980s it reached Europe. Almost within no time house music conquered all the major European cities and reached Australia. Sometime during 1990s, it was included into the mainstream of pop and dance culture everywhere around the world.  

House music – in its initial versions – was a dance-based music, which could be identified by its repetitive 4/4 beats. The rhythm of the music was infused through drum machines, hi-hat cymbals and of course, synthesized bass lines. Although, house music could easily be identified with DISCO music but it has always been more electronic and the repetitive rhythms of the house were more important than the song. In course of time, the variety of music got fused with that of other versions and lead to the formation of newer subversions like tech house, tech house, electro house and jump house. 

It is important to note here that the genre of music has always been successful from the commercial prospect. In the contemporary times, the internet is the most dependable platform to get access to every kind of music. In spite of having access to greater convenience, a large number of music lovers prefer to download free house music online. As such, Soul and DISCO have influenced house music like nothing else. The genre of music was initially conceived and popularized by blacks.

The lyrics of these songs obviously covered many issues and topics existing in the black community. Because of these sociopolitical messages the lyrics of house music appealed to a large number of people.

Rock Music Fighting Orthodoxy over the Ages

Rock music happens to be the most popular genre of music all over the world. It originated in the US as a part of the “rock and roll” culture in the 1950s. Gradually, rock music went through a range of modifications and developed into a range of distinct styles since the 1960s. Interestingly, the early rock stars have been highly motivated by different genres of music like blues, jazz, country music, folk, classical, electric blues and others. In fact, the influence of these contrasting varieties on rock music is felt easily.

From the technical aspect of music, rock is heavily concentrated on the electric guitar. Actually, the electric bass guitar and the drum set are two quintessential instruments that are widely used in rock music. The song-based music that comes under the genre of rock usually comes with 4/4 time signature. However, the range of music exhibits huge diversifications. Just like pop, lyrics of rock may include a wide variety of topics ranging from love and human emotions to social and political issues.

The last half of 1960s onwards is referred to as the golden age or classic period of rock music. This was the time when a number of innovative and hybrid versions of the genre of music got introduced and became popular. Some of the major versions that came up in this age include folk rock, blues rock, raga rock, country rock, and of course psychedelic rock. This was also the time when the first ever experiments on fusing rock music with jazz were tried out.

Rock music has often served as the vehicle of many social and cultural movements at various corners of the globe. The hippie culture, which originated from San Francisco in the US and gradually, spread like wildfire throughout the world, happens to be one of the many impacts of rock music. The genre of music has always identified itself as the tool for the youth in fighting consumerism and conformity.      

Now, in this age and times when the internet has attained unprecedented popularity, it is easier than ever to get access to quality rock music. There are many dedicated websites that allow music lovers to download free rock music. The category of websites is unbelievably popular and is regularly accessed by millions of folks. These websites play a vital role in cultivating awareness for quality music across the society.