It's been a while since I wrote a post that wasn't a Showdown, Review, Shout Out, Tenology or any other formulaic piece of writing limited to this blog so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
The aim of this blog post is to educate and, hopefully, entertain you with a collection of terms used in Rock, Metal and Riffs And Raffs to refer to things that don't have colloquial names just yet.
Much like the Riffs And Raffs Scale Of Greatness, I aim to update this periodically with new terms/words I may have missed or come up with since posting this. Likewise, if you have any suggestions OR corrections, feel free to let me know whichever way you can and I'll subsequently update this post.
Right then, time to get learning!
ADDED (10/08/17)
Cover Band
Rocktionary
Sensitive
Tribute Band
Rocktionary
Sensitive
Tribute Band
3/4 - A time signature with 3 beats in a bar, often sounding like a gallop/waltz.
4/4 - Your basic Rock time signature with 4 beats in a bar, often employed by bands and enjoyed by listeners who don't want too much of a challenge.
5/4 - Awkward time signature with 4 beats in a bar and a phantom 5th beat between each bar. You know the keyboard bit in "Tom Sawyer" - Rush before the guitar solo? THAT's 5/4 and it's fucking weird.
6/8 - Basically the same as 3/4 but you would count 3 beats twice. It's a small and almost insignificant difference but, like most of the things in this glossary, knowing it is the difference between being a proper music critic and being someone who likes blogging about music he likes every week.
7/4 - Time signature during the keyboard solo of "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" - Styx. Basically 4 beats then 3 beats then back to 4 and so on; look, there are a lot of weird time signatures out there but these are the ones you should know...except this one, I just like it in the Styx song so thought I'd mention it.
8-Track - Old form of recording music that allowed bands to record 8 songs per album. The dominant form of music recording in the 70s, hence why a lot of Classic Rock albums only contain 8 songs and why B-sides, alternate takes and unreleased material only appeared on remastered versions released decades later.
A Side - Single off an album designed to be radio/chart friendly and/or easily accessible to the casual fan.
Acoustic - Music without electricity involved, a concept that often passes musicians by when they claim to have "an acoustic number" on their albums only to roar in with electric guitars later. Sometimes, Hard Rock bands attempt to record an acoustic version of one of their powerful songs and it always sounds piss weak compared to the original. However, acoustic works with soft songs and some acoustic Classic Rock hits ("Dust In The Wind" - Kansas for one) would be ruined if they turned their amps on.
Album - Collection of music usually containing 8 songs if they're from the 70s, more than 8 if they're from after the 70s and less than 8 if they're a bit full of themselves. See LP and Record.
Album Closer - Last song on an album that isn't as important as the Album Opener but can still make an album even better if chosen correctly.
Album Opener - First song on an album, designed to introduce the listener to the upcoming music and setting the tone for the rest of the record. For more information, see this post.
Alternate Take - Variation of a song slightly different to and ultimately weaker than the original but the band liked it so much, they still released it.
Alternative Rock - Rock music that doesn't Rock. Well, it Rocks on occasion but it's mostly vocally driven and involves less technical guitar work in favour of nothing.
Art Rock - Prog Rock but shorter and lighter.
Autotune - Device used by talentless wannabes to automatically adjust and correct the pitch of their singing so it sounds like they can do the thing that they're being paid millions of dollars (and it usually is dollars) to do.
Axl - Term used to describe one seemingly small but definitely significant flaw in an otherwise great song/band/album that almost (if not entirely) ruins everything. For more information and examples, see this post.
B Side - Song the band didn't have enough confidence in to include on the album but still wanted people to hear. NOTE: some B sides are included on albums but are usually just filler tracks as padding for the main singles/A side.
Backbeat - Emphasis on the 2nd and 4th beats of a 4/4 rhythm; the best kind of drum rhythm.
Backing Vocals - Other vocalists in the band who aren't quite as good as the guy/girl holding the mic and standing at the front of the stage. Sometimes, they're awesome and the vocal harmonies are incredible (see "It's A Long Way There" - Little River Band) and sometimes they sound bored shiteless (see "Skyfall" - Adele).
Bass - Cool sounding low pitched stringed instrument that's either awesome or easily forgettable in a song. Often playing the song's main melody/chord sequence underneath every other instrument...unless it's bass in a Punk band, in which case it's usually the only music in their songs worth listening to.
Bassist - Musician who thought "I want to be a Rock star!" in school but didn't put in the same amount of practice as guitarists. Probably the least important component of a standard four-piece band but if they can play like a motherfucker, you'd be foolish to let them go.
Beat - If you don't know what this means, how the fuck did you read everything before this?
The Big 4 - Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer, in that order.
Black Metal - Subgenre of Metal built around the challenge to make your band's name/logo as insanely difficult to decipher as humanly possible. Aside from that, it's basically a more Satanic version of Metal in both appearance and sound. Scarier looking costumes, more aggressive sound and lyrical themes about Hell and whatnot...but mostly the band name/logo thing.
Blues Chord Progression - GGGG CCGG DCGG or something along those lines. Also known as Twelve-Bar Blues.
Blues Rock - Rock music that's usually more repetitive, contains lyrics about a piece of land, is musically driven and often contains a harmonica solo. Not to be confused with Blues, which has the same definition only it doesn't Rock.
Bridge - Small piece of music connecting verse and chorus OR part of a guitar that holds the strings in place. Not sure why they used the same word to define two completely different Rock terms but there you have it.
CD - Compact disc and soon to be obsolete form of distributing albums. Whilst digital services such as iTunes and Spotify will continue to dominate the market until some prick invents a way of beaming music directly into our ear-processors, CDs used to be hot shit after tapes became redundant. CDs are still released now, as many fans (including myself) prefer to buy large quantities of music in physical form that can also be transferred to digital copies as a safety precaution/way of amassing a collection that isn't as expensive and pointless as vinyl.
Chart - List of albums/songs ranked in order of sales, usually dominated by Pop, Queen, Bon Jovi or "The Sound Of Silence" - Disturbed.
Classic Rock - Subgenre of Rock from the 70s & 80s (occasionally 60s, though not yet 90s) often characterised by a less polished, purer sound and built around a solid guitar riff. Always has a guitarist, bassist, drummer and vocalist, occasionally someone on keys but only if they're piano or organ, NOT synth. Guitar can be electric or acoustic, although the best kind usually mixes the two. Music isn't too heavy or flashy, otherwise it crosses into genres like Hard Rock, Glam Rock or Prog Rock.
Compilation - Collection of music linked by at least 1 theme. Not always limited to just one band and sometimes compilations of a solo artist will include work they did with other bands/on the side because there aren't enough popular tracks by that artist to fill a single compilation. For more information, see this post.
Country Rock - More obnoxious form of Southern Rock with heavier accents, lighter music, instruments that you could probably build out of recycling material and lyrics about important topics such as bootlegging, young love and the mysteries of a sex pest named Joe whose eyes were a bit suspicious.
Cover - Either the artwork on the front of an album (for more information on Metal album covers, see this post) or someone else's song recorded by a different band. NOTE: cover album (an album full of cover versions) is not to be confused with album cover (artwork).
Cover Band - Band that plays music by other bands for a living. Usually cover bands play small venues like pubs rather than massive stadiums but there are some exceptions where cover bands have gone on to have bigger careers like Hanoi Rocks and Great White. NOTE: cover bands are not the same as tribute bands. For more information, see Tribute Bands.
Death Metal - Aggressive form of Metal similar to Thrash Metal only with darker lyrics and shittier vocals. Drumming is almost entirely double bass, guitar playing is frenzied and furious (coming out 2020, starring Vin Diesel) and the vocalist either growls like a moody tiger or screeches like a pissed off banshee, ruining the music entirely. If you find yourself listening to a Death Metal band and think "Hmmm, this is actually quite good", one of two things has happened. Either you've somehow sustained brain damage since hearing the music or you've accidentally started listening to Melodic Death Metal instead. For more on the differences between both subgenres, see Melodic Death Metal.
Debut - First album by a band and, depending on how old you are, the best.
Deep Cuts - Songs on an album that are neither album openers, title tracks or singles, occasionally better than the majority of well known tracks on that record. See Filler Tracks.
Demo - Recording of a song before it's been tarted up in the studio, usually a lot shittier than the final recording BUT sometimes, once in a blue moon, it actually sounds better ("Countdown To Extinction" - Megadeth and "Black Scorpio" - Mott The Hoople spring to mind). Occasionally, bands will change the name of the song for the actual album track but keep the original name for the demo, though you'd only know this if you bought a remastered version/Deluxe Edition of the album. Speaking of...
Deluxe Edition - More expensive version of the album that SHOULD only contain things for the die-hard fan, e.g. live recordings, alternate takes, demos. However, in recent years, record labels and bands have decided to con fans/customers by including brand new songs that should've been on the standard LP, meaning that if you want a more complete album you have to pay extra to either download the individual songs off iTunes or pay an even higher amount for the whole Deluxe Edition just to receive a few extra tracks and a bunch of live shit you didn't want in the first place. You'll never see a band with integrity releasing these hollow Deluxe Editions.
DJ - Disc Jockey, responsible for making radio more entertaining and creating the optimum listening experience for people who have tuned in. It's NOT their job to talk over songs, peddle shit jokes and try to be the star of the show; the music is always the star. For more information, see this post.
Double Album - Album with two discs of studio recorded material, usually done because one disc couldn't fit all of the music and not because all the other cool bands are doing it (*glares at Metallica*).
Double Bass - When the drummer uses two pedals to hit the bass drum quicker. This is often employed in Metal to the point where some Metal drummers like Scott Travis from Judas Priest use them all the fucking time. Fortunately, it sounds awesome unlike some drumming styles. See Shedbuilding.
Double Time - Part of the song where the tempo is doubled to make it sound even better; rarely ever ballsed up unless the band are complete fuckwits.
Drugs - What every Tom Petty song and about 80% of Rock songs are all about. Also some other thing that musicians used to get inspiration.
Drumkit - Percussion instrument used to keep time in a song or make as much noise as possible in between rehearsing material when everyone else is trying to talk. Electric drumkits can have various different effects and some Prog Rock drummers (well, at least one) tend to dangle all sorts of silly shit from it to add more variety to the rhythms they create. Either way, this is arguably the most important instrument in a Rock band which is why it's imperative that you find the right drummer.
Drummer - Musician who had a lot of issues to work through as a child but wanted to do it creatively. Seriously though, behind every great band is an even better drummer (figuratively and literally) so don't underestimate them. They have the most responsibility when playing live as if they fuck up, the whole show goes to pot. With this Atlantean weight on their shoulders, it's no wonder they don't have time for songwriting.
Dynamics - Volume. Thank you, Music GCSE.
Edit - Shortened version of a track, usually for single release purposes but occasionally to free up room on compilation albums. Edits tend to cut out solos, unnecessary verses, repeated sections and occasionally intros/outros. For the most part, single edits are far worse than album versions but there are a couple that work. There are also some that are entirely pointless, such as the edit for "Detroit Rock City" - KISS that removes about six seconds from the middle or the edit for "The Seeker" - The Who which removes about four seconds from the end.
Emo - Subgenre of music written by whiny, prepubescent teenagers who are totally finding high school, like, super hard right now. Lyrics will probably be about romance and how emotionally devastated the singer is over something ridiculous, vocals will probably have screaming in at some point, music will be generic and secondary to the vocalist's heartfelt rhymes about their bleeding heart and the band will look fucking ridiculous like somebody accidentally dropped several open buckets of paint over their heads. Common stereotypes for Emos are the aforementioned drippy hair look and the desire for suicide that they're too chickenshit to go through with despite the fact that their entire identity is based around how depressing it is to be alive.
EP - Extended Play. A collection of music somewhere between a single and an album, usually containing 3 or 4 songs that the band/producer didn't know what to do with.
Experiment - Term used to describe what happens when a band don't want their material to become stale but can't think of a good way to change and develop their sound so they make changes for the sake of changes, often resulting in something fucking terrible that pisses off fans and signifies a couple of shite albums to come before the band inevitably return to their original style. NOTE: This is not the same as Innovation, which is what happens when a band changes their style correctly.
FC - Full Combo. The act of hitting every single note on a Guitar Hero/Rock Band chart without overstrumming and breaking your combo streak. Yeah, this is a GH/RB term. There's a couple hidden in this glossary just to make sure you're paying attention.
Falsetto - High pitched style of singing that sounds annoying when done too often until your ears are gradually beaten into submission and you learn to tolerate it whilst the better parts of the song take over; see "Painkiller" - Judas Priest or any song off Permission To Land - The Darkness.
Filler Track - Anything on an album that isn't a lead single, album opener or title track. Some people would argue filler tracks are bad, as it implies the band don't really care about them. To me, it's all a matter of opinion. There are songs that bands and some fans would call filler tracks that I prefer to lead singles and vice versa. I don't use Filler Track as a negative term, more a classification of something that's just material on the album.
Fills - Short bits of music designed for the musician to show off a little.
Flute - Woodwind instrument that has no place in Rock music and yet somehow works for some Rock bands, notably Jethro Tull.
Folk Rock - Heavier version of Folk music but still light in comparison to all other forms of Rock. Can often be boiled down to one man sat on a stool playing an acoustic guitar whilst he (or a lady) sings about a well known blight or some form of injustice. Manages to make Blues Rock seem exciting, which is saying something.
Fuckwit - [INSERT MUSICIAN YOU DISLIKE HERE]
Funk Rock - Rock music with more of a groove than normal, usually swapping the roles of guitar and bass. Sometimes includes brass and often included backing vocals on par with the lead vocalist.
Genre - Category of music that's distinctly different to another type.
Gig - Live show where bands either prove they're not studio musicians and can bring the thunder on demand in front of millions of people or prove they're Wolfmother.
Glam Rock - Rock music that was popular in the 70s and built entirely around stage presence/outfits. The music's not bad, it's basically more radio friendly Classic Rock with a catchier chorus and the optional addition of synth.
Going Solo - When a member of a band (usually vocalist or guitarist but sometimes bassist or drummer) realises that they actually don't need the rest of the band to make shitloads of cash and leave to start the next leg of their career; recording more music that they've written with a new band who'll undoubtedly follow every decision made by the solo artist. NOTE: This is not the same as playing a Solo on a specific instrument OR starting a Side Project with other musicians. For more information on both of those, see the respective sections of the glossary.
Goth Rock - Rock music that's popular among people who dress in black...not Metalheads, other people who dress in black and make themselves look undead. Contrary to belief, Goth Rock isn't all about misery and death. It's often quite soft and poetic with clean guitar and pretty basic drumming. Notable bands of the genre include The Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus and The Cult (pre-Electric album). It's a good place to look for decent riffs and droning vocals, if that's your jam.
Grunge - Heavier form of Alternative Rock popular throughout the 90s and spearheaded by bands from Seattle. Again, similar to Punk, it usually contains more involvement on bass and more aggressive vocals with guitar skills depending on the talent of the guitarist. Unlike Punk, subject matter for songs is the result of an entire generation's anger and frustration at the artificial nature of Pop culture, not the need for attention and validation of their stupidity.
Guitar - Six stringed instrument used for making music great. Again, not sure how you made it this far without knowing what one of these beautiful bastards is.
Guitarist - Musician who knew they wanted to do great things and get lots of attention BUT were also willing to work for it. Whilst the drummer may be the backbone of the band, the guitarist is probably the limbs; they get shit done. They sell the albums, rake in crowds of hungry fans at gigs, encourage more listeners to take up the craft, enhance moments in film and TV with an instantly recognisable string of notes and make the genre awesome. For those of you wondering, the bassist is probably the hair of the band; not needed to function but you'll miss it when it's gone.
Hair Metal - Much like Glam Rock but a) heavier in sound, b) more about extravagant hair than sparkly outfits and c) usually more talented musicians, at least as far as vocalists and guitarists go. Also known as Glam Metal and, sometimes, Shock Rock (although that's more Alice Cooper than Motley Crue). Lyrical themes include sex, drugs, living fast and all of the above. Lyrical themes do not include the Irish Potato Famine, civil rights and anything that has more than half a layer to it.
Hammer-On - Guitar playing technique where you strum and then press down on the string with your fretting hand whilst the note is still ringing, changing the pitch. Also, one half of the acronym HOPO from the Guitar Hero series which stands for Hammer On/Pull Off and refers to the white notes.
Hard Prog - A healthy blend of Hard Rock and Prog Rock, usually from the 70s. It'll contain heavy riffs and thick organ but may also last over eight minutes long. Hard Prog bands may also exchange guitar solos for keyboard solos but they'll be so awesome, it won't matter. Bands of the subgenre include Deep Purple, Budgie, Uriah Heep and Atomic Rooster. NOTE: This isn't a real subgenre that you can research as much as Hard Rock or Prog Rock. If anything, it's a sub-subgenre that deserves to exist.
Hard Rock - Rock music turned up to 11 then pumped through a much better speaker that's been turned up to 12. Heavy riffs, raw vocals, dynamic drumming and bass. Other instruments can be included such as apocalyptic organ and maybe some strings if they're feeling particularly self-inflated. Bottom line is this is what true Rock sounds like; it's powerful, it's beautiful and it's fucking sweet. It's also quite rare nowadays unless it's in the form of Americans shouting about their feelings.
Harmonica - An entirely useless instrument that makes a shrill noise when you blow into certain parts of it and sounds godawful. I defy you to name one song that's improved by a harmonica solo. Just one!
Heavy Metal - Rock music that's similar to Hard Rock but sharper and angrier. It's mostly just known as Metal nowadays but to me, Heavy Metal refers to the music in its purest and most traditional form, kind of like the difference between Rock and Rock & Roll. Heavy Metal refers to bands like Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Scorpions and Anthrax, not Opeth, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Rob Zombie and Atreyu. That's not to say those modern bands are bad, they're just not Heavy Metal. Also, even if a song is Heavy Metal, that doesn't mean it can't be a different subgenre as well. See Speed Metal and Thrash Metal.
Hip-Hop - A genre focusing more on drumming, rapping and measuring dicks with each other that occasionally crosses paths with Rock to produce something mostly fucking terrible. Now and then, something good will come out of it ("Sabotage" - Beastie Boys being one example) but it's a safe bet to assume a few heavy riffs and a decent solo can't salvage a prick talking over the top of it.
Homage - Tribute to something (usually a song, occasionally an entire band's work) in the form of another work of art that references and shares similarities with the previous art form. Not to be confused with parody, which mocks the art form it's referencing. Also not to be confused with Rip Off, a song that flat out steals ideas from somewhere else without any notable wink or nod to the original creator.
Hook - A catchy tune that you'll always refer to as a "riff". See Lick and Riff.
Indie Rock - Originally used just to label bands that weren't backed by a major record company but now it's an umbrella term for bands containing bearded twentysomethings softly crooning to an acoustic guitar about unrequited love. It can barely be called Rock at all, as nothing about these bands represents Rock in any way other than they happen to share some of the same instruments. If you want more information as to what genre these groups really are, see Wood.
Innovation - Term used to describe what happens when a band doesn't want their sound to become stale so they come up with creative ways to adapt and develop their sound into something new and halfway decent, even if it probably won't be as good as their original material. Sometimes bands are able to innovate and become more popular (Pantera, Def Leppard) but most of the time it's just a case of the band moving from one phase to another (Pearl Jam, The Offspring). For more information on what happens when the band totally fuck up this transition, see Experiment.
Instrumental - Song with no vocals and, if it's by a guitar virtuoso, plenty of masturbation.
Jam - When bands practice together, making up melodies and winging it as they go, occasionally creating something amazing in the process (see "Highway Star" - Deep Purple).
Jazz - Nonsensical dissonant genre perpetuated by people who want to look intelligent and cultured by pretending to love something nobody else does, giving them the illusion of elitist taste. Musicians of the genre usually have stupid names too like Mark "The Slideman" Wallace and "Jimmy The Pick". One rung above Slam Poetry on the ladder of crap art.
Keys - Term used to cover a range of instruments you play with keys, obviously. These include piano, keyboard, synth, organ, keytar, electric piano, harpsichord and, if you really wanted to be fussy, accordion. Piano and organ usually work well in Hard Rock, synth sometimes works well in Metal but only if it's downplayed, everything else is an unnecessary extra.
Keyboardist - Nerd musician who probably started off learning classical piano/keys but then heard Rock music and were resigned to the role of extra appendage when they joined a band. Credit where due though, some keyboardists are fucking awesome and make the band what they are. The best example I can think of is Jon Lord (RIP) from Deep Purple, a true master of the craft who could go toe to toe with Richie Blackmore and other guitarists when it came to epic riffs/melodies.
Keytar - Keyboard you can wear and play like a guitar, guaranteed to make you feel like a God and get you more tail than a veterinary gynecologist.
Kurt Cobain - What every Foo Fighters song before "The Pretender" is about. Also the guy from Nirvana or something.
Lead Single - First single off an album; a song that the band/record producer has the most confidence in. See Single.
Lick - Similar to Hooks and Riffs except these consist entirely of single notes whereas riffs can include chords.
Live Shows - See Gig. In fact, you already should have if you've been reading this properly. If you just scrolled down to see if the definition you wanted to read was here...come on man, I spent a while typing all this up; you could at least piss away another 5 minutes or so reading the rest of it.
Loudness War - The unintentional consequence of music recording technology improving over time. Basically, everyone knows modern music is "louder" than older music and it will continue to get louder over time. The Loudness War is the term given to the increase in volume over time, arguably reducing the sound quality and making it more annoying for listeners who enjoy music from different decades as they can't just enjoy their tunes at one master volume. Also known as the Loudness Race.
LP - Long play. See Album or Record.
Lyrics - Words in a song designed to carry a message, create sounds that accompany the music well or distract you from the fact that the band need more practice. Definitely the least important factor of a good Rock song, as you can have Rock without any vocalist but you can't have a song without any music...unless it's "Tom's Diner" - Suzanne Vega.
MacArthur Park - The opposite of an Axl; a brilliant moment or factor in a terrible song that arguably saves it from being truly shite. Named after the 1968 song "MacArthur Park" - Richard Harris, widely considered one of the worst songs in existence but worth listening to just for the Allegro section between 4:54 and 6:22 that sounds like the old Pearl & Dean tune. See Morello.
Mascot - Iconic character that often appears on (mostly Metal) album covers. Famous examples include WarPig (Motorhead), Vic Rattlehead (Megadeth) and, of course, The Guy (Disturbed)...I think that's all of of the well known ones. The best mascots are always intertwined with the band's image and go beyond simply appearing on a few album covers. They're heavily involved with merchandise and may make an appearance at gigs, if the band's got enough petty cash in the pot.
Melodic Death Metal - Similar to Death Metal only with more effort put into the sound of the music. Guitars may contain harmonies and whilst the vocal style will still contain growling or screaming, it's often a bit more balanced. Plus, since the music is often better than standard Death Metal, it's easier to ignore the vocals and focus on the improved melodies.
Metal - Heavier, sharper and angrier version of Rock music unless it's by Americans; then it's half angry, half sensitive. Heavy Metal would showcase each member of the band being amazing at their instruments and songwriting capabilities, Metal would probably focus on how loud and fast the guitarist and drummer can play whilst the singer growls/screeches about how much pain he's in.
Morello - A single amazing factor in a shitty song that prevents it from being a total car crash, named after guitarist Tom Morello who is the only musician that makes the band Rage Against The Machine actually worth listening to. See MacArthur Park.
Music Videos - Promotional films featuring a single by the band that are either narrative based, live performances or abstract. For more information, see this post.
New Wave - Pop/Rock music that's considered a gentler version of Punk. Guitar sounds a lot less distorted, instruments sound more synthetic and vocals are a lot smoother but lyrics can still be aggressive, even if the radio friendly image of New Wave makes it seem quite tame.
Nu-Metal - Metal's special needs cousin. Guitar solos are usually absent because they require talent to play and the default vocal setting is shouting, sometimes even rapping because apparently there's no ceiling on just how shit it can be. It's a genre popular among baseball cap wearing teens and adults who take wrestling seriously, usually shunned by the rest of the Metal and music community.
NWOBHM - New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. A subgenre from the early 80s that gave Metal a harsher, more abrasive sound. Often compared to Punk Metal but with more thought and talent put into it. It was considered an underground movement and even though some of the bands that pioneered it are big names now (Diamond Head, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden), the albums they released during approximately 1980 and 1982 are fine works of NWOBHM.
NWOTHM - New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal. A subgenre that gained speed towards the late 00s that hoped to introduce younger generations to a sound that these musicians grew up with. Rather than rely on styles employed by current big name Metal artists, independent Metal bands wrote music that could've been plucked from an alternate universe's 1980s. In short, an attempt at nostalgia before older bands from several decades ago realised people were listening to their music again thanks to Guitar Hero and Spotify so started recording new material based on their old material.
Orchestra - Grand collection of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments that occasionally help make Rock music sound more epic. The more imposing it sounds, the more full of themselves the band likely are. Even so, that doesn't make it any less brilliant.
Overture - An introduction (usually orchestral) to something big. It's also the last song on Def Leppard's near-perfect debut, "On Through The Night", in case you're interested.
PAL Mark - Parental Advisory Label. A black and white sticker reading "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" stuck in the bottom corner of certain albums that contain "strong language or depictions of violence, sex, or substance abuse to such an extent as to merit parental notification". A novel concept now as parents don't give a fuck what their kids are exposed to unless it has the potential to make them look bad.
Pop - Generic, mass produced audible gruel that's mostly now aimed at teenage girls and dipasses who still base their entire music taste on what everyone else likes. Sometimes, it's quite catchy and provides a welcome break from heavier music but for the most part, it's repetitive tosh designed to make arseholes in suits even richer.
Pop Rock - Everything I said above this sentence but with guitars, bass and drums added to the vocals. Again, sometimes it can be pretty good but mostly just as a cheery distraction.
Post - Word attached to the front of some subgenres to make it look like you know what you're talking about.
Power Ballad - Opportunity for Rock bands and Aerosmith to show how sensitive they are with a slow, dynamic expression of their emotions and passion towards something that isn't drugs. Some of these can be awesome ("Sister Christian" - Night Ranger leaps straight to mind) but for the most part, they suuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Power Chord - Heavy chord containing at least two notes that sounds fucking awesome. The two notes are about five notes away from each other (G to C, D to A, etc) and, as the name suggests, are played with great volume and perhaps a bit of distortion. Some riffs can contain power chords (e.g. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks or "Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple) but most of the time, riffs are better with single notes and power chords are better when they're getting everyone's attention on their own, like in "Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who.
Power Metal - Subgenre of Metal that's not quite as aggressive as Thrash but built around sounding more epic than other subgenres. Power Metal tracks may have symphonic sections, backing vocals and dynamics that vary between loud and quiet to create more of a powerful impact. They might also be quite lengthy and operatic but only if they create a grand atmosphere within the song. If you're still unsure, look for album covers with dragons on; that's usually a good sign.
Power Slide - Just a move where the guitarist slides across the stage towards the audience on their knees...or is it the single most powerful stage move in any rocker's arsenal?
Prog Metal - Subgenre of Metal that's basically a heavier version of Prog Rock but with more synth/orchestral sections. Expect even more complex rhythms, guitar solos and heavier bass involvement. Vocally, it's about the same as Metal but overall, it's longer and more epic. Some critics incorrectly label heavy sounding bands with progressive elements as Prog Metal (e.g. Deep Purple); for more information on what they actually are, see Hard Prog.
Prog Rock - Rock music defined by its complex, progressive nature. Whilst there are shorter Prog Rock songs in existence, many of them tend to bridge out into 7 minute musical odysseys to create something more artistic than a short burst of focused energy you'd usually find in your average Rock song. Keyboards and other bizarre instruments such as flutes and violins are often used although it is still a Rock genre, meaning your four main instruments are still in play. The genre often gets slack for being long winded and pretentious which is only semi-accurate but I'd say it's also fair to call it the Thinking Man's Rock.
Psychedelic Rock - Rock music popular with recreational drug users and fans of unemployment. If they're not carrying messages of peace and freedom on the backs of multicoloured doves flying across a tie-dye sunrise, they're protesting wars or governments through well crafted lyrics. The guitar has more of a mystical sound, sometimes being replaced by a sitar or given tones with an Indian vibe, and keyboard solos aren't uncommon. Funnily enough, this genre gave birth not only to Prog Rock but also Metal.
Puberty - The moment in a band's career where the vocalist's voice has suddenly and inexplicably deepened, almost like their balls have dropped as a result of hitting puberty despite being fully grown adults. Famous examples of vocalists hitting puberty in the middle of their career include James Hetfield of Metallica and Geddy Lee of Rush.
Pull Off - The opposite of a Hammer-On whereby you remove your fretting finger from a string that's already been strummed, changing the pitch. Also the second half of HOPO from the Guitar Hero series, which I already mentioned in the Hammer-On section. ALSO a term for masturbating, which is definitely relevant in a glossary of Rock terms.
Punk Rock - Rock music that's all about sticking a middle finger up at everything in a way that's as cack-handedly loud and stupid as possible. Their main ideology is to rebel against the system, providing youngsters with a new voice different to their "dinosaur band" peers like The Who and Queen, despite the fact that many Rock bands of the time did rebel against similar topics but had the talent to make it sound better than a self-harming camel. "Fuck the establishment, fuck the higher ups, fuck the police, fuck celebrities, fuck instructions, fuck your teachers, fuck your classmates, fuck your parents, fuck your possessions, fuck your mirror reflection, fucking fuck everything but buy our albums please" in a nutshell. Clashing guitars, smashing drums, loutish vocals and superb bass make up your average Punk band and there are Punk songs out there that are quite good, although it's more of an image than a proper genre now.
R&B - Rhythm & Blues, a genre that used to be soulful but is now synonymous with Pop. It's not really a Rock genre or indeed something that blends with Rock well but I'm sure there are a few examples out there that earn it a place on this glossary.
Radio - Means of communication and broadcasting that people used to rely on to hear new releases of music. It still exists now and there are a wider variety of stations to tune into. It's also still a great way of discovering new tunes if you can find a specific Rock/Metal station. If you live in the UK, I recommend Planet Rock and Absolute Classic Rock.
Raff - Half of "Riff Raff" (one of AC/DC's best songs) and a funny if not slightly racially inappropriate way of saying "laugh", hence the reason I chose it to be the title of this blog. The funny way, not the racist way.
Rap Metal - Much like Nu-Metal, it's a subgenre that's looked down upon by anyone who can spell. It used to be incredibly popular in the late 90s and early 00s but thankfully, it died down until edgy shitheads Linkin Park brought the fucking noise back. Some bands use it to protest, most use it to entice teenagers, all use it to give mediocre Metal riffs a gimmick and consequently ruin what a better band could've worked wonders with.
Record - Archaic way of saying album that I occasionally use when I've said album too many times in a sentence.
Reggae - Syncopated form of African music that's regrettably taken on the association with white stoner cunts and steel drum solos that all sound the fucking same. There are examples of Rock songs and bands that take Reggae influences (notably The Police) and a blend of the two usually sounds pretty good. It's a nice juxtaposition of smooth and rough, although Reggae on its own is a little too weak for me.
Rider - Quirky extra included in a band's contract on their behalf for when they go on tour. One of the most famous examples of this is the "ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN M&MS" that was included in contracts for venues when Van Halen toured. However, they later revealed a sound reason for this extravagant demand; their shows required a lot of technical equipment and if it wasn't sorted out properly, it could pose a huge health & safety risk. Therefore, along with all the specifics for the stage, Van Halen included the rider about brown M&Ms to ensure that the organisers had read their contract properly as they'd know that their gigs hadn't been organised effectively if they arrived and the M&Ms they requested had a single brown one in. It's quite a unique and clever way of carrying out a risk assessment but it's a lot funnier when you imagine an egotistical Rock star demanding flamingo juice in a platinum stalactite before he plays Hammersmith for one night.
Riff - Also known as a motif or ostinato if you're trying to impress someone. A collection of notes, chords or both strung together to create a memorable, repeated melody throughout a song. Plus it's the first half of the name of this blog, although you already saw this coming if you read my definition of Raff up above.
Rip Off - Song that shamelessly takes ideas, riffs, solos or other elements from an existing work of art and tries to pass it off as its own. Usually, a rip off is done with the aim of projecting the band into another tier of stardom and doesn't have the same amount of love or admiration as a homage. A rip off is often less obvious than a homage too, as the band don't want people to notice similarities between their work and the work they've copied. NOTE: writing a song in the same key or introducing a track with the same instrument as a song the band members like isn't the same as a rip off. Also, if a song contains various elements from different songs stitched together into a new one, that's probably not a rip off.
Rock - Genre of music that's all about energy, passion and collectively saying "Fuck you" to anything that pisses you off. It's changed over the years but has always been categorised by strong guitar, pounding drums, yelling vocals and some bass too. Whilst some modern bands use all these instruments to write songs about seasons of the year or yet another love ditty, most of them are not Rock. If they don't fill you with a "Fuck yeah, let's do it" kind of attitude, it's not Rock. If it fails to get part of you physically moving in some way, it's not Rock. If it's too vocally driven, lifeless and most likely written to make a shitload of cash, it's either Pop or Wood.
Rock & Roll - Rock music from the 50s that was created as a result of the Blitz; younger generations wanted to celebrate and express themselves through loud, rebellious music so used Blues as a template for creating an entirely new genre. Usually reliant on the Blues Chord Progression, not too complex on guitar but still follows the criteria for Rock set out above. Whilst some Rock & Roll songs do feature guitar solos, it wasn't as common back then. As a result, Rock & Roll songs are often a lot shorter than Rock songs and on average, tend to fall between 2 and 3 minutes.
Rocktionary - Alternate title for this blog post that THANKFULLY I didn't go with.
Sell Outs - Bands/artists who once cared more about releasing a great work of art than making shitloads of cash but have since fallen prey to the corruption of...well, shitloads of cash. These bands/artists will usually change the sound of their music to fall in line with what everyone else is doing or, if they're known for writing songs with explicit lyrics, may record various edits of their tracks that omit swearing so that they can be played on the radio/released as chart singles. Many fans will accuse bands of becoming sell outs if they stop writing albums that they like but they're only right some of the time. NOTE: this is different to bands/artists that started off only caring about making a fuckton of money rather than writing exceptional music, like KISS.
Sensitive - Word I use a lot to describe the moment in a song where the (usually American) band stops rocking in favour of more delicate percussion, softer riffs, longer bass sustains and soulful vocals because nothing rocks harder than showing the world just how sensitive you are. These sections can work every now and then but when most of your songs have a sensitive section (see Avenged Sevenfold), it makes you look less like a Rock/Metal band and more like a bunch of pussies. If you have to have a sensitive section in your song, you're better off starting with it so you don't have to slow the pace down later on.
Shedbuilding - Drumming style where the drummer makes as much clashing, dissonant noise as possible to cover up the fact that they're actually quite mediocre. Drummers who shedbuild like Meg White and Lars Ulrich are given away by their overuse of the cymbals and inability to play a variety of rhythms without making a cacophony of noise.
Side Project - Another band that an often famous musician has started/joined as an addition to the band they're currently in and/or are most well known for being in. Side Projects can be better than the artist's main band but more often than not it's just a chance for the musician to get away from someone in their current band who's not bowing down and licking their shoes, recruiting younger musicians who will agree to becoming part of the musical dictatorship led by aforementioned musician in the hopes of jumpstarting their career. It's a safe bet that this is the situation if the artist has been involved in many different side projects that have all released one or two albums before splitting up. NOTE: This is not necessarily the same as Going Solo.
Single - Song off an album that the band think is easily accessible and radio/chart friendly. Usually, the lead single is the most commercially viable and probably the one that the band and producer believes to be one of the (if not THE) best songs on the album. They usually range between 3 and 4 minutes long and have the solos trimmed down because your average chart watching listener doesn't like guitar solos; they like things they can listen to over and over again without getting bored or things with a good beat. A single's purpose is also to introduce fans to the new album and build up hype in the few months between the lead single being dropped and the rest of the album coming out. Post album release singles are usually pointless, thanks to digital distribution and the ability to buy individual tracks, but some bands still do them because it's somewhat of a tradition.
Soft Rock - Yes, this exists. Rock music that's not all about heavy riffs and screaming solos, rather smooth melodies and soulful vocals. Despite the softer sound, this is just about passable as Rock as bands of the genre such as Dire Straits and Fleetwood Mac can prove. See Yacht Rock. NOTE: This is not the same as Indie Rock or Wood, which are both genres so soft that they can barely be considered Rock anymore.
Solo - Extended part of the song where one instrument takes precedence over the vocals. Technically, a solo should refer to a section of a song where it's just one instrument playing (e.g. drum solo in "Funk #49" - The James Gang or the guitar solo in "Rock N Roll Machine" - Triumph) but it's come to mean anything that's in handling the main melody outside of the standard arrangement. For more information on guitar solos, see this post.
Soul - Genre of music similar to Gospel and Blues that tends to either intentionally or unintentionally celebrate the human spirit. It's another genre that doesn't blend well with Rock without being a weak form of Blues but I've included it here because at some point since starting this blog, I wrote about Soul music and used it as a label.
Soundtrack - Collection of songs/pieces of music used to score a film, TV show or game. Sometimes the soundtrack is entirely new music composed specifically for the product and sometimes it consists of existing songs designed to make the product even better, whether it's by attempting to create iconic new music moments or simply referencing others. For more information on memorable music moments, see this post.
Southern Rock - Rock music that was created in Southern states of America and holds traditional Southern values such as the right to own firearms, getting drunk, respecting local landmarks and enjoying themselves. It's a lot heavier than Country and often involves more guitar parts than your average Classic Rock song, even though Southern Rock and Classic Rock are often bedfellows.
Speed Metal - Faster version of Thrash Metal that was popular in the 80s. Not much call for it nowadays but it still exists if you know where to look.
Stoner Rock - Rock music with fuzzy bass, crunchy guitar, droning yet melodic vocals and loud drums typically enjoyed with a side order of drugs. Lyrics don't have to be about drugs and you don't even have to do drugs to enjoy these songs but the sound of the genre has become known for being enjoyed by the recreational drug using generation. This psychedelic subgenre became popular in the 90s and is still going today although definitely not as strong as it was 20 years ago, and even then it wasn't as popular as Grunge or Nu-Metal.
Subgenre - Category of music that branches off a more well known genre.
Tapping - Guitar playing technique whereby the guitarist holds frets down with one hand and taps lower down frets with his other, often to play a series of notes (usually triplets) in rapid succession. Whilst the technique existed as early as 1971 on a Genesis song, it was popularised and perfected by Eddie Van Halen only to be ruined by Randy Rhoads.
Thrash Metal - More aggressive form of Metal that's not as fast as Speed Metal but faster than Heavy Metal. Expect rapid guitar strumming, double bass drumming and pure anger in this predominantly American genre. It's also a genre that's better played by young musicians or fit older ones, as it requires a tremendous amount of energy to pull off live (hence the transition from Thrash Metal to standard Heavy Metal when some musicians reach a certain age).
Title Track - Song that shares the same name with the album that it's from. This should be a strong indication that the band/record company think this song is the shit and represents the album as a whole, even if it's not likely to make a shitload of cash if released as a single. Remember, you can't judge a book by its cover but you can always judge an album by its title track. NOTE: This is not the same as an Album Opener or Lead Single but sometimes, a song can belong in more than one of the previous categories.
Tribute Band - Band that plays covers belonging to just one band (occasionally two if they're playing mashups like Beatallica). For more information on what makes a good tribute band, see this post. NOTE: tribute bands are not the same as cover bands. For more information on them, see Cover Bands.
Trill - Rapid alternation between two notes, often blending Hammer-Ons and Pull Offs on guitar and being the most annoying kind of sections to nail on a Guitar Hero chart.
Umloud - Term used to describe the pointless umlauts that occasionally appear over band names like Motorhead and Motley Crue (parodied with Spinal Tap due to the umlaut being over the 'n'). NOTE: I haven't included them here because I'm not entirely sure how to do them on my keyboard. Not entirely sure how they came about to begin with but their legacy remains and if you want to give your band name the extra heavy edge, stick a couple of dots over one of the vowels. That'llEDDIE THE HEAD, I knew I forgot one of the mascots earlier. Fuck, just came to me. Alright, carry on!
Up To 11 - Expression meaning to take something one step beyond the maximum limit (e.g. if an album is already 10/10 in terms of power, it'll do something even more powerful and crank it up to 11/10). I think pretty much everyone knows that this phrase originated from a classic scene in This Is Spinal Tap but if you didn't, get off my blog and go watch This Is Spinal Tap. Then come back because you read this far and I need the hits.
Vinyl - Old form of record that involves a needle, correct speed settings and to be honest, it's a complete fucking hassle that's thankfully been made redundant due to CDs. Even tapes, EVEN TAPES were miles ahead of these things. But hey, vinyl records are old so they must be good, right? There's nothing quite like the sound of a song played on vinyl just like there's no flavour quite like burnt caviar on a turd.
Vocals - Singing or, if they're a strong independent female vocalist who don't need no man, shouting.
Vocalist - Musician who takes the lion's share of the glory from the rest of the band unless they're a complete arse and someone else is more talented than them. If someone in the band is going to wear a hat, it's this guy/girl (unless they're Slash, but why else did you think I included that 'arse' remark earlier?). The vocalist is the face of the band and, obviously, the voice too. Whenever someone in the band makes a controversial comment, it's probably the vocalist. When you watch a band play live, your gaze is naturally directed to the vocalist unless you make the effort to watch the other musicians. Probably responsible for the bulk of songwriting too so expect the heavily used lyrical themes of a band's material to be a reflection of the vocalist's interests and beliefs.
Wood - Music that masquerades as Rock but is a lot softer. A lot of British bands from the last decade and a half could qualify but some American ones fit the bill too; for example Razorlight, Coldplay and mid-00s Kings Of Leon (the only American band of the three). NOTE: This isn't to be confused with (Pop) Rock bands that are a bunch of pussies but still release music that, in one way or another, Rocks like One Direction, Nickelback or Aerosmith.
Yacht Rock - Rock music that's smooth and perfect for accompanying a relaxing session of casual alcoholism on the back of a big boat. The music is often from the late 70s to the late 80s as that time period saw an increase in the amount of saxophone and keyboard per song. Bands/artists include Kenny Loggins, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan and Toto.
Zero - The number of people who like or listen to a song/band/album/genre you dislike, if you're posting on a forum and need to make a point without any evidence.
Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll keep updating this now and then. Once again, if I've missed anything or if you have any suggestions/improvements for the glossary, let me know and I'll do what I can.
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