There are two main reasons why “rock and roll” became “rock music”. The first reason was the fact that the “rock and roll” used to mean either the genre of music that was associated with the teenagers of the time, and/or it was also used to describe music with a strong connection to rhythm & blues. Yet by this point in history, things had drastically changed. Due to the influence of many social changes, rock and roll become more self-consciously artistic, and experimental, thus paving the way for hybrid genres to arise. The second reason for this change into “rock music”, was the changes undergoing to the music at that time. Rock began to become more mature, with a larger sense of cultural value, an appreciation for its potential, and a diminishing
