Rock Music vs. Country Music

Music is what brings us together. Often, music speaks about the things we leave unsaid. It can be a way to get our true feelings out so they do not boil up one day and explode. Most people enjoy music. Whether you are into Rock or Country music, I am sure you will find a genre of music that suits you. Rock music is known for the faster tempos, while country music is known for the slower tempos. Most of the time, no matter the tempo, Rock and Country songs can be as beautiful as any classical piece. Other times though, the lyrics can make you want to be gone because they are so sorrowful. Too many people view these genres as if they are only for people in the backroads or folks who live away from densely populated areas. In Country and Rock music, the rhythms, subgenres, and composers can vary exponentially.

To begin with, rock music and country music tend to have different rhythms. Country music tends to be slower. The slower rhythms can help calm people down more. Slower rhythms can help the restless fall asleep faster. When restless minds want to fall asleep, they should choose a slower country song. Usually, these slower rhythms are used for the more sombre parts of movies. Think about this: What would you do if your favourite character died in a movie and they played a really upbeat song? Rock music usually has a faster tempo. This speed can do more to get fans pumped than it can to calm them down. Faster tempos, like the ones used in high-intensity action scenes, are used to help the watcher feel more emotions. These tempos cause adrenaline to rush in your veins, hence why they are not good for falling asleep to. Clearly, the rhythms of country and rock music are different.

Secondly, country and rock music have many subgenres. For example, in country music there is Bluegrass. Bluegrass is usually made with acoustic string instruments and it tends to emphasize the off-beat. Some Bluegrass bands are ‘Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys’ and ‘The Waybacks’. Another subgenre in country music is Folk. Folk is usually songs that are passed on by mouth with unknown composers or they are performed by custom over a long period of time. Bands that focus mainly on folk music are ‘Pentangle’ and ‘Simon and Garfunkel’. To continue, rock music also has many subgenres. One of which is Heavy Metal or meatal/hard rock. Heavy Metal is known for the headbanging, the riffs, the distortion, and most importantly, the loudness. A few Heavy Metal bands are ‘Led Zeppelin’, ‘Black Sabbath’, and ‘Iron Maiden’. Another subgenre in rock is Occult Rock. Occult Rock is known because of lyrics that reference the occult, though not necessarily dark or gloomy, and it combines Hard Rock and Psychedelic Rock. Three bands that are in the Occult Rock subgenre are ‘Ghost’, ‘Coven’, and ‘Black Widow’. Obviously, the subgenres of country and rock vary vastly.

Thirdly, country and rock have many famous composers that Generation Z may not even know about. First up for country is Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash wrote songs like ‘The Ring of Fire’. Cash was born in 1932 and he passed away in 2003. Second up for country is Hank Williams. Hank Williams was known for songs like ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’. Williams was born in 1923 and he passed on in 1953. Next up is rock music. One composer in rock music was Freddie Mercury. Freddie Mercury was known for songs like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Mercury was born in 1946 as Farrokh Bulsara. He passed away in 1991. Another composer in rock music is Tobias Forge (for-GUH). Tobias Forge is known for songs like ‘Year Zero’. Forge was born in 1981. Of course, this is not all of the composers in rock and country music.

In Country and Rock music, there are things that can vary exponentially including the rhythms, the subgenres, and the composers. Country and Rock music share many aspects, even though they have titanic differences. Country music has been known for Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Rock music has been known for Freddie Mercury and Bob Dylan. Both have distinct characteristics as to how they put their word across. No matter the genre, anybody should be able to find their perfect match. From people who are first listening to music to people who have been listening for their whole lives, it can be very influential in their mood and how they solve problems.