Quote:
Originally Posted by DontRunMeOver
Well, R'n'B isn't explicity called rhythm and blues.
It's called R'n'B and I expect the change in the standard naming came partly from the same reasoning you just mentioned. Regardless, names don't have to accurately describe or sum up what they apply to. They can just be names.
Rock music doesn't usually involve rocks (unless the band have been enjoying some 'chinese rocks'). Metal music does, agreed, use things made with metal. But they are less metallic than the instruments used for jazz... and punk musicians tend to carry more metal upon their person than those in metal bands.
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Well firstly, it's "rock" in the verbal sense
to rock - not the geological. I would hope you were being facetious, though.
Anyway, yes, it's true that names don't have to accurately describe what they apply to. However, once a name is adopted, becomes a part of accepted terminology and takes on a certain meaning, it would be unusual to begin to misplace it so far away from thoseoriginal connotations. Like if we from this point on began to call rap music "heavy metal", virtually everybody would object.
Even with all that said, it is true that language and meanings of words can shift and evolve. In that case, I guess my main point is that modern usage of "r&b" really has no connection to the former usage of it at all, and essentially is just a new umbrella term for urban pop.