MUS 100

Introduction to Music
Whitehall Classroom Building Room 231
Yingchao Han ( 韩应潮 )
 What is Rock?
• The genre Rock and Roll firstly appeared in
1950s America.
• It grew out of a mixture of different genres and
styles: the African American rhythm and blues,
the white country music, and pop music.
• The early rock is vocal music with a 4/4 driving
rhythm and electric guitar accompaniment. It
soon evolved to a highly varied style.
Chuck Berry （ 1926- ）
 School Days
• In this early rock and roll song (1957), Chuck
Berry developed the rhythm and blues into a new
genre that features the life of American youth.
• The text is about school life, and the music
imitates the ringing of a school bell.
• This song is in 4/4, while each beat is divided
into three pulses, giving it a 12/8 like nature.
• The music enhances the timbre of electric guitar
(played by Berry himself).
Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
 Heartbreak Hotel
• This is Elvis’s first hit song released in 1956.
• The text is about the sorrow of a lonely man.
• The music is in minor, and the instrumentation
emphasizes Elvis’s special voice.
• The piano motif in a very high range imitates
the sound of rain.
The Beatles
 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts
Club Band
• This is a concept album released in 1967.
• A concept album is an album unified by an
overall purpose or meaning. Like a song cycle
of Western art music, there could be a central
narrative or not.
• In this album, the Beatles uses different
techniques to unify the tracks, including the
reprise of the first song towards the ending.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts
Club Band
 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
• This is the third song from the album Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The singer is
John Lennon.
• The song evokes a world of daydream and fantasy.
• Unlike many rock songs, the major part of the
song is in triple rhythm. It is alternated with a
refrain in quadruple rhythm.
• The music features heavy use of synthesized
sound.
Bob Dylan (1941- )
 Like a Rolling Stone
• This song marks Bob Dylan’s convert from
folk to folk rock.
• The text expresses resentment: a woman “Miss
Lonely” finds herself is in a hostile world.
• The music integrates the styles of folk
(melodies and instrumentation) and rock
(rhythm).
Pink Floyd
 Dark Side of the Moon
• This 1973 concept album is a classic of
progressive rock and psychedelic rock.
• The music explores several “dark sides” of
modern life including money, conflict, and
mental illness.
• The fourth song “Time” is noted for its use of
sounds from daily life and backing vocalists.