BY JACOB FIERMAN
Everyone goes through phases in life. Some people grow to like classical music, some fall into punk rock, and others transition into a love for rap and hip-hop. In my case, I started out with a passion for rap but I switched musical genres to a style I thought I would never grow to admire, classic rock. What started out as listening to a few songs by Led Zeppelin became an utter desire to explore the depths of rock n’ roll. After a few months of listening to dozens of bands religiously, I can now say I have a true passion for classic rock.
The first band that acted as a gateway to rock n’ roll was Led Zeppelin. Everyone has heard what is considered to be one of the best songs of all time, “Stairway to Heaven”, but I craved more. I was determined to listen to all of their albums, and after hearing “Going to California” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”, I knew they were the band of all bands. Led by lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page, the music they create is phenomenal. The vocals are like no other and the guitar solos are indescribable, each song gives off its own flavor and it’s no wonder they are considered one of the best bands of all time. They have the ability to change your mood with just the change of the song, for example, in “Immigrant Song”, your heartbeat becomes increased as you get caught in the music. From fast-paced to a slow song like “Dazed and Confused”, Led Zeppelin can truly make you lose yourself in the music. I owe my recent transition to rock n’ roll to a band of four members who are unmatched by the rest of the music industry, thank you Led Zeppelin.
The next band I decided to look into was Nirvana. The lead singer, Kurt Cobain, led his band to extreme popularity through the genre of grunge. At the time, grunge bands had never really been so well known, however, Cobain and his group received instant stardom. Although I tend to listen to many forms of music, I never realized how much I could enjoy a band playing hardcore rock. With Cobain’s incredible voice and the clever drum and guitar combinations, an excellent rhythm is made throughout each song. Their most popular song that is a signature to them is “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Although it’s an amazing song, the band goes so much deeper. Cobain let his soul bleed on every track and he sang every song with the pain that he had within. This is what made him an incredible artist; he released all of his deep emotions while wearing his heart on his sleeve. This is clearly evident in songs such as “Come as You Are”, “Lithium”, and “Heart-Shaped Box”. I think what I admire the most about Nirvana is that they opened my eyes to a new form of music that I never thought I would grow to like. Cobain didn’t just grow on me, he helped me to understand the greater meaning of music and that is that appearance means nothing, all that matters is what is within.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are another group that have made rock music so appealing to me. Led by the sensation, Anthony Kiedis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers bring maximum energy to every show or song they have ever written. In the music industry today I think they truly put on the best show as top of the line performers. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have the capability to get any listener pumped up but they provide something even more valuable; they allow you to do some real soul searching. By soul searching I mean they use such powerful lyrics to influence your mood and they put so much into every song and it shows time after time. The list of larger-than-life songs they have created could go on forever but three that stand out the most to me are, “Other Side”, “Under the Bridge”, and “Scar Tissue”. These songs to me epitomize the band itself; a combination of clever lyrics, powerful vocals, and also the vibe that they bring that no other band seems to be able to match. Out of the three bands that have made such an impact on my musical change of choice, they are the only band to still be creating music today. The Red Hot Chili Peppers bring such a unique style to the music industry with their out of the ordinary funk-punk sound, and that is why they are such an impactful band to me today.
Rock n’ roll is such a remarkable form of music. It incorporates an extraordinary mixture of instruments and vocals and they combine to make riveting songs and albums. Every band is capable of creating their own type of music and I feel like each band can appeal to some sort of musical taste. Classic rock is in a class of its own, it can be whatever you want it to be, whether you want it to be deep or feel good, it can always affect your mood positively. I’m glad my eyes were opened to a new genre, because now I will never look at music the same.
