Brilliancy

Rock music has long been considered as a "revolution" in music history during 1956-1976. Yet Keith Negus questioned that rock 'n' roll was not something new and rock era was brought up in certain condition.

Drawing on John Tosh's concept that history serves as “collective memory” and George Lipsitz's  approach to history as a humanistic dialogue, Negus argued that “rock” is a label for a musical activity that was produced through and brought into various dialogues without any clear beginnings or endings. David Hecker also has refered to rock 'n' roll as a “caricatured version” of elements from other genre. However, why this label appeared at that particular  period of time and was often considered to be “revolutionary”? Negus concluded four possible explanations:

1.New teenage consumption: Undeniably, rock music has certain characteristics and power that could be identified as "rebellion". So as it emerged in the USA during the Cold War period and spread in the rest of the world  in a time of conservatism, rock music was identified by working class and teenagers as an experience of challenging conservative attitude. This shift of music consumption was recognized by the music industry, therefore enhancing the element of rock characteristics to cater the teenage taste.  

2.Black-white meetings: it was not the first time that black and white performance techniques adopted by each other. But this practice was especially highlighted during the Civil Rights Movement.

3.New modes of distribution: the introduction of 45 rpm 7 inch record and the transistor radio enabled people to take music with them on the move. In addition, TV had became a major medium which transmitted the images of performers into many homes. These three technological condition made “rock 'n' roll” a “nationally recognizable style”.

4.More explicit public displays of male heterosexuality: this arguement especially referred to Elvis Presley, the “all-American hero” who appealed to both male and female. His success brought rock ' n' roll even more forward to the world.
 
All these four explanations were about political, economic, technological and cultural changes, not about the music itself. In this sense, Negus suggested that “rock music” is not revolutionary, and the meaning of “rock” is mediated and brought up in certain circumstance.  
   
Negus also distinguished popular musicians into three kinds:
1.Generiscists, who made or performed their music within a specific style.
2.Pastichists, who employed new style in their sets.
3.Synthesists, who blended new elements and created a new distinctive identity.

These ideas further explained that music history was a progress of merging different styles ( a continuing dialogue with the existing music style). Hence in Negus's point of view, “rock era” didn't end with the rise of punk but became part of other musical dialogue. It was no more in the center of music history because the focus of the music business had shifted to a wider market, and the boundaries of music genres and characteristics of music styles would be always changing with the time.