1965-2015 "Rubber Soul" anniversary: and then... is rock music 50 years old?

...or do we have to wait until next year ("Revolver", "Pet Sounds", "Freak Out!"....)?

What album could be considered "the first rock album"?

 

Highway 61 Revisited.

So yes, 1965 is the year.

 

"Elvis Presley".

 

Iguess we have reached such a point of inertia that we have to celebrate when genres abbreviate

 

Meet the Beatles

 

August 1964: the Kinks release 'You Really Got Me'.

 

Elvis Presley

 

I love The Beatles, but ROCK began in the '50s, people. The ELVIS PRESLEY album is the better answer.

 

Rock & Roll and Rock are two different genres.

Rock began around '64/'65 - Rubber Soul is a good choice.

 

1965?
You think the Beatles invented rock music? Man this forum gets more entertaining everyday.
Did the Beatles also invent the radio?

 

The OP asked a question if Rubber Soul or if there was another album that fit the definition of first Rock album.

There is really no need to overreact so much and act like people are saying the Beatles invented everything.

As much as Beatlemaniacs think the sun rises and sets on the group, the people that completely overact to anything positive that is said about them is worse.

That said, I am not sure what the definitions of rock, rock-n-roll, hard rock, heavy metal, or pop are, so I have no idea what the answer is.

 

Happy to hear your opinion

 

This album (the Byrds' Mr Tambourine Man) is a much more dramatic break from the conventions of rock and roll than any previous "rock" album, since it does away completely with blues song structures and (but for one song) "blue notes." It's non-rock music played loudly on electric instruments, and set to rock rhythms.

Definitely a candidate for where a stylistically consistent "rock and roll" is eclipsed by a more nebulously defined "rock."

 

Arguing over who invented what. Who gives a f**k? Just enjoy the music.

 

Rock and Rock & Roll are 2 different genres? Give me a break. So what is "Runaway" by Del Shannon?

 

Wasn't this the 1'st official Rock & Roll Record?

 

What about Chuck Berry?

 

I don't really see what Rubber Soul has that A Hard Day's Night doesn't have; if one insists on dividing rock and roll and rock into two distinct genres, it seems to me that 1964 makes more sense. The British Invasion groups sound more like what came immediately after than what came immediately before. A Hard Day's Night was entirely self-penned, had a range of styles, featured some unconventional instrumentation for rock and roll (notably, the 12-string), and actually has quite a few rockers on it, whereas Rubber Soul de-emphasizes the 'rock' to a degree.

However, I resist the temptation to separate the two eras. To me, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry have a lot more in common with the Beatles than they do with jazz or even the country and blues in their backgrounds. They are part of the same continuum. I generally use "Rocket 88" from 1951 as my arbitrary starting point for rock music (it is a cross between jump blues and r&b, and features the very "rock" idea of playing a solo through an amp with a broken speaker cone), but there are other contenders.

 

An awesome song!

 

Rubber Soul the first rock album?! No way, not even close.

Rock and roll started in the 1950's, this forum's precious precious Beatles grew up on it (Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Carl Perkins, etc.).

Elvis had the first real rock and roll album, as far as I am concerned.

 

Apparently the Beatles took the Roll out of Rock and Roll when they came out with the first genre classified album ever called Rubber Soul. Original copies had a warning sticker on them stating "This is not a rock and roll record, do not purchase if you like roll."

 

I completely agree.

 

"Rubber Soul" isn't even that rockin' of an album, is it? I don't put it on and raise the sign of the horns and start head-banging or anything.

If we're separating "rock n roll" from "rock" or "modern rock" then don't we have wait until 1968 when we get to the GAH GAH GAH GAH GAH GAH GAH GAH CHANG! CHANG! CHANG! ? Because the classic rock radio stations don't play much of anything before '68. At least not in this town. Maybe an early Stones song slips through once in awhile, but that's it. And radio programmers certainly know what's right and wrong. I have total and complete faith in their judgement.

 

Maybe Beatles did non invent the radio: but they were part of its content, for many years..
And please believe me: I'm really not a Beatles F-A_N_A_T_I_C