3 Rock Songs From the 20th Century That Changed the Genre Forever

Rock music has come a long way since the 1950s, when blues and boogie-woogie shaped the genre, producing hits like “Rock Around The Clock” and “Hound Dog”. The genre now takes many forms, thanks to the influence of British bands in the 60s and the artistic genius of songwriters like Bob Dylan. Here are some songs that changed what it means to make rock music, for the better.

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“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

Of all the commercial hits out there, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is certainly an anomaly. At five minutes and 55 seconds in length, the song definitely paved the way for a new definition of what it means to be on the radio. In 1975, it became the “Christmas No. 1” after being released that October. Fans were obsessed with the quirky ballad. The band even proved singer Elton John wrong when he said,  “Are you mad? You’ll never get that on the radio!” after hearing the song from Queen’s manager, says SongFacts.

“Take On Me” by A-ha

To be honest, when people think of rock music, this probably isn’t the song that comes to mind. A-ha definitely falls into pop-rock, but this song can take credit for introducing that definition to rock music. Come on, with those punchy synth-pop grooves? The song dominated both European and American charts at the time of its release, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. It also reached No. 1 in eight European countries and No. 2 in the U.K.

“Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan

Similar to “Take On Me”, Dylan redefined the boundaries of rock music by introducing the world to this folky yet grungy tune. Before “Like A Rolling Stone”, the lyrical content of rock music was a lot more sex and drugs than it was profound thought. With this song, which is also over six minutes in length, Dylan changed that. This song is deeply philosophical, talking about how, like a rolling stone, one can find freedom in detachment from things in life. Such themes were rare in rock music at the time, but the song proved a hit nonetheless. It peaked at No. 2 in the U.S. and is still one of Dylan’s most referenced songs today.

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