User:Musicluvrr/Criticism of Rock Music

Conservative christian criticisms of rock music
Rock music received a considerable amount of criticism from conservative Christian communities within the United States. This criticism was strongest throughout the 1960's and 70's, with some of the most prominent Christian critics being David A. Noebel, Bob Larson, and Frank Garlock. While these men were not professional music critics, they often claimed to be qualified rock critics because of their professional experiences with both music and religion. For example, Larson tried to assert his authority as a rock critic by stating: "As a minister, I know now what it is like to feel the unction of the Holy Spirit. As a rock musician, I knew what it meant to feel the counterfeit anointing of Satan".

Christian criticisms of rock music in the mid 20th century often centered around arguments that rock was both sonically and morally bad and physically harmful to both the body and soul. Using these central arguments, Noebel, Larson, Garlock, and other Christian critics of rock music wrote extensively about the differences between ‘good' and ‘bad' music. In The Beatles: A Study in Drugs, Sex and Revolution, Noebel explained why rock music was 'bad' by contrasting it with qualities of 'good' music. In The Big Beat: A Rock Blast, similar arguments were posed by Garlock, with the additional argument that ‘good' music must come from distinguished and educated musicians. Additionally, Larson argued that the beats used in rock music could cause rebellion in younger generations due to their hypnotic and influential nature.

Drawing from styles like rhythm and blues and jazz music, rock and roll was first innovated by black communities, but was soon appropriated by white populations. This aspect of rock's history has been overlooked by historians and the media, but music experts now widely agree that rock's true origins lie in the American south among black populations.

Early conservative Christian criticisms of rock music had strong footings in racism. Most white conservative Christians in the mid 20th century understood that rock started among black populations and feared what the success of the genre implied for the church, segregation, and racial equality. When critiquing rock music, Christian critics commonly portrayed rock music with "primitive and exotic imagery to convey [its] African-roots". For example, The American Tract Society in New Jersey released a booklet called "Jungle to Jukebox" that used racist, exotic tropes to illustrate the dangers of rock music to white youth.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

 * Wade, G. (2012). A concise history of rock music . Mel Bay Publications.
 * This book covers the history of rock music. ( NOT USED YET)
 * Gracyk, T. (2001).  I wanna be me: Rock music and the politics of identity  (Vol. 12). Temple University Press.
 * This is a university published book that explores rock music's relationship to identity politics. (NOT USED YET)
 * Brooks, D. A. (2008). The write to rock: Racial mythologies, feminist theory, and the pleasures of rock music criticism.  Women and Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture ,  12  (1), 54-62.
 * This article explores some of rock music's and rock music criticism's relationships to gender and race. (NOT USED YET)
 * Young, S. D. (2015).  Gray Sabbath: Jesus People USA, the Evangelical Left, and the Evolution of Christian Rock  . Columbia University Press
 * This university published book explains the history and evolution of the Christian Rock genre. (NOT USED YET)
 * USED SO FAR:
 * Nekola, Anna (2013-09-13). "'More than just a music': conservative Christian anti-rock discourse and the U.S. culture wars". Popular Music. 32 (3): 407–426.
 * Larson, B. (1970). Rock & Roll, the Devil's Diversion. Bob Larson.
 * Noebel, D. A. (1969). The Beatles: A study in drugs, sex and revolution. Christian Crusade Publication
 * Garlock, F. (1971). The big beat: A rock blast. Bob Jones University Press.
 * "'I hear you knocking…': from R&B to rock and roll", Just My Soul Responding, Routledge, pp. 31–67, 2012-10-12, ISBN 978-0-203-21445-9, retrieved 2022-10-07
 * Stephens, R. J. (2018). The Devil's Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embraced Rock'n'Roll. Harvard University Press.