The three developments that created rock music

Like blues it is difficult to give an exact date for when rock music was born. Some sources say it was as far back as 1928 whereas others point at the 1930s. What is true is music in America was changing at this time as ethnic groups began mixing more. This led to the birth of R&B and eventually rock.

1948 was a big year

One year that does stand out is 1948. After World War II new music was springing up across America. It had a mixture of tones and also included a grind and rhythm synonymous with industry. Three big things happened this year that would help to shape and promote this new style of music.

Fender

The first was that the electric guitar entered production for the first time around this time. In the period roughly between 1932 and 1949, several craftsmen and companies experimented with solid-body electric guitars, but none had made a significant impact on the market. Leo Fender’s Telecaster was the design that made bolt-on neck, solid body guitars viable in the marketplace. The Fender Broadcaster (later renamed the Telecaster) became a big hit because it was affordable and allowed musicians to amplify their sound so it could compete with louder brass instruments. You can see how important the instrument was in the fact that the Telecaster and Stratocaster are still popular today. Original Broadcasters are worth tens of thousands of pounds today.

12-inch phonograph records

While Fender shaped the sound of rock, the development of larger, slower playing records made music more accessible. A 12-inch record could have around half an hour of music on each side. As a result musicians could do more, something which R&B and rock artists really loved. The 45 record followed, revolutionising the sound and length of singles.

Transistors

The third development allowed music to spread even more. Before 1948 radios were powered by large vacuum tubes. As a result they were bulky and difficult to move. The development of the transistor that year changed everything. Within a few years radios were smaller and portable. Rock music was the perfect genre for this new technology because it was fast, snappy and great for people on the go.

The Ryk Mead Band

Rock music is one of the genres we really love. We have had the honour to tour the world and play our combination of rock, blues and jazz in support of some huge names. Whether it is a stadium or a small intimate venue, we ensure every gig is unique. This keeps it exciting for the band as well as the audience.

If you want to find out more about us you can visit our band page.