Rock music has been defined and altered by a plethora of incredible individuals and groups. While solo artists were common in the United States during the early stages of rock and roll, between the 50s and 70s times changed and bands grew into a bigger part of Rock history as well. When trying to establish which of the two, bands or solo artists, are most successful in rock music, there are several areas to look at. One, the time period, and two, the number of records sold. When reviewing these aspects of rock music, one can conclude that over the course of rock history between the 50s and 70s in the United States, bands had more of an influence than solo artists on rock.
When World War II came to an end …show more content…
One, for example, was “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard. The standout group from the early 50s was Bill Haley and his Comets, but besides them it was the solo artists that mainly appealed to the baby-boomer population. This especially kicked off with the introduction of Elvis Presley, who became iconic to everyone. He brought music together from both sides of the color line and was the start to youth culture. He is often referred to as the king of rock and roll and many people credit him for where music is today. In fact ,Rod Stewart once said, “Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his …show more content…
Solo artists help create the genre of rock, but bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin really made rock music unique. It wasn’t until rock music was out of its prime that soloists started to gain popularity once again. Rock music was at a peak in the 60s and 70’s, but after the audience it originally attracted grew up, there was a new audience to entertain that wanted their own unique styles. This phenomenon drove rock in, and it is partly what caused rock to fade. In terms of record sales, bands circled the top for a majority of the time with a few soloists joining them. When rock was first forming, it was the likes of Elvis Presley selling the most records. Once new branches of rock were introduced, British bands along with U.S. bands took over the industry and stayed at the top until the late 70s. Solo artists made a comeback with soft rock, but by then rock was dissolving and new genres were captivating the younger audiences. In conclusion, bands will be seen at the center of the golden era of