Rock music is a broad species of popular music, often characterised by the sound of a distorted electric guitar.

Rock originated in the early 1950s as rock and roll. Many rock songs deal with social or political issues, and thus are often used as an expression of rebellion, e. g, against parents, society, etc. This is reinforced by the often brutal, heavy and loud sounds of the amplified instruments. Since its origin, rock music has developed into a lot of sub genres, e. g.

metal, progressive rock, alternative rock, punk rock, etc. For rock music its also important, to be played live, where the audience expects to see authentic live performances, and no playback (as sometimes used in pop music). Typically, a rock band includes a vocalist, a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, a bass guitarist, and a drummer. Sometimes other instruments are added, e. g. a keyboard player, and sometimes a band has only three band members (electric guitar, electric bass, drums), where the guitarist (or the bass player) also is the vocalist.