shellyboy9

I'm continually disheartened by the overwhelming ignorance people have about the history of popular music in this country. I'm sure many of you have seen old movies where white people sing differently than they do today. Aren't any of you curious as to when white people started sounding more like black people? After all, the blues influence permeates every level of popular music extant. Most of you believe either Elvis or the Beatles invented rock and roll. This smacks of both ignorance and at least closet racism. Some of you may believe white people aping blues musicians are the reason for this. This is also false, although closer to the truth. Aren't any of you curious as to when and how rock and roll became "rock"? If you read rock magazines then you believe that the most influential musicians in the history of rock and roll are the Beatles followed by Elvis, with perhaps the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan thrown in the mix. Frankly, I want to dispel a lot of these myths, lies, delusions, and wishful thinking.
You know how people interpret lyrics: emphasizing words in the lyric or parts of the melody to personalize, distinguish, or illuminate phrases? Well, neither the Beatles or Elvis or any of the aforementioned invented that style. The truth is, before Louis Armstrong, no one did that. No one. Without Louis all popular music would sound like those funny black and white musicals you see on television late at night. He also changed all jazz music forever, but that's a different story. Suffice to say he's the most influential musician in the history of popular music. Without him, no Elvis, no Beatles. The first white man to imitate black phrasing with any respect? Al Jolson. Even he did it painting his face black in the 1920's. Racist huh. Want to know who invented rock and roll? Black people. Sorry, but you can look it up. Who invented the phrase rock and roll? A white DJ named Alan Freed. The phrase rock and roll by the way was black slang for the sex act. You know, coitus, copulation, sexual congress. You get the point. The word jazz was also a euphemism for the sex act. Seen in that light, this was a real joke to black people at the time. What's that music you guys are playing? That, why, that's just sex (add your own obscene term). The first true rock and roll acts were urban acapella groups. The first true "rock" act? Chuck Berry. Guitar oriented rock and roll.
The Beatles the magazines say. What about the Beatles? Their influence remains to this day in popular music. I can't deny that. Well, in white rock that is. So much so that this music has changed little since. Musically and rhythmically this music has remained virtually unchanged in over 40 years. I'm talking the White Stripes, Foo Fighters, Franz Ferdinand, The Pixies, and on and on. Listen to black music from 1963 and listen to Hip-Hop. Now, I'm no fan of Hip-Hop believe me, not at all. But if black music sounded the same for forty years black people would riot. I ask you, what music has been more influential for rhythmic and musical change over the last 40 years? The artists I've just mentioned look like musical cowards to me, no matter how much they scream that they're different. People, just because you've never heard it doesn't make it new. I have more to say, but I'm tired, and this is feeling more and more like a rant. Any cogent responses will be appreciated.