Codes and conventions of rock

Codes and conventions of Rock

When talking about codes and conventions. What we are really looking at is the stereotypes associated with the given topic. The codes and conventions are the stereotypes you associate with the topic. This is also a common occurrence in music genres. Metal for example: you would stereotype the artists to all wear black clothes and scream-sing.  

The genre of my music video is Rock. Rock has a lot of codes and conventions. As rock as a genre has progressed, more and more stereotypes have been introduced. Firstly, Rock bands/artists are stereotyped to have the following band members: Drummer, lead-guitarist/rhythm guitarist, singer and bass player. This is seen in bands such as: ACDC and Guns and Roses. Obviously not all rock bands have and are limited to this specific type of band members however a lot of rock bands do have these artists which therefore adopted this stereotype.

Another convention of rock is to wear make-up. This is an older convention as it is not seen as much in present day rock bands. Bands such as kiss wore make-up when playing on stage. They used make-up to shape their identity and used their make-up to make the artists unique and not make all the artists look ‘normal’ *Normal being without make-up*. Common types of make-up bands used/use are: Dark eyeliner, and white powdered faces. As the band Kiss always wore make-up, make-up became associated with rock bands. Other big rock icons such as: Alice Cooper, Ozzy from Black Sabbath (In the early years) and The Rolling Stones.

Having ‘messy’ hair is also associated with rock bands. Having messy ‘hair’ gives off a rebellious impression. Having long hair is also associated with rock bands. Bands such as Kiss, Lordi and Alice Cooper had long hair. Nader Rahman said keeping long hair “Symbolised the hate, angst and disenchantment of a generation seemingly never felt at home”. This implies that they have long hair because it is ‘rebellious’. This shows rejection towards adult-dominated culture and having long hair and make-up differs them from traditional pop culture.

Rock bands/artists are also stereotyped to wear tight black clothing. Often bands will wear tight clothing and revealing tops. Bands such as: Kiss, Alice Cooper and ACDC have adopted this style of clothing and has therefore given rock this stereotype.