There is no rock and roll withÂout the blues, as we know, but the relaÂtionÂship between the two is not so straightÂforÂward as a one-to-one influÂence. Blues forms, scales, and melodies are interÂwoÂven and interÂlaced throughÂout rock in a comÂplex way well repÂreÂsentÂed by the comÂplexÂiÂty of a cirÂcuit board, such as one powÂerÂing an earÂly guiÂtar ampliÂfiÂer that douÂbled as a blues harp amp. To underÂstand the relaÂtionÂship, we must underÂstand the blues as a mulÂtiÂfacÂeted pheÂnomÂeÂnon; at varÂiÂous times in rock hisÂtoÂry, artists have gravÂiÂtatÂed more toward acoustic Delta blues, or MemÂphis blues, or ChicaÂgo elecÂtric blues, or R&B, all of which themÂselves have conÂtinÂued to evolve and change.
The influÂence is perÂsisÂtent and ongoÂing even in periÂods after the 70s when radio became largeÂly segÂreÂgatÂed, and artists moved away from strictÂly blues forms and explored the seemÂingÂly non-blues texÂtures of soft rock, prog, and synth-pop—all genÂres that have still incorÂpoÂratÂed the blues in one way or anothÂer. As rock and roll expandÂed, spread out in new, non-blues direcÂtions, rock conÂvenÂtions themÂselves became a drag on the forÂward moveÂment of the form. But the blues always returns.
RadioÂhead ditched rock altoÂgethÂer and sit comÂfortÂably next to post-rock bands like Talk Talk, Bark PsyÂchosis, and GodÂspeed You! Black EmperÂor. At the same time, the garage rock revivalÂism of The Strokes and The White Stripes made sure guiÂtars and 12 bars stayed relÂeÂvant, as they have, decade after decade, in the raw forms of punk and hardÂcore or in spaced-out psyÂcheÂdelia. The noisÂiÂest noise rock or the harshÂest and most extreme metÂal may nevÂer be that far away from Bessie Smith, SisÂter RosetÂta Tharpe, Robert JohnÂson, or Lead BelÂly.
You’ll find this rock and roll cirÂcuit board in design house Dorothy’s Rock and Roll Love BlueÂprint, a hisÂtoÂry of rock in guiÂtar amp schematÂic form (ostenÂsiÂbly), showÂcasÂing “1400 musiÂcians, artists, songÂwritÂers and proÂducÂers who have been pivÂotal to the evoÂluÂtion of the sprawlÂing genre that is rock music.”
Like Dorothy’s othÂer schematÂic pop music hisÂtoÂries—alterÂnaÂtive music on a tranÂsisÂtor radio cirÂcuit and hip hop mapped on a turntable diaÂgram—this one orgaÂnizes its genÂres, artists, and periÂods around a series of tranÂsisÂtors, capacÂiÂtors, and valves with big names inside them like Bob Dylan and The BeaÂtÂles, radiÂatÂing influÂence, like elecÂtricÂiÂty, outÂward.
In many casÂes, it’s hard to say why some bands and artists get more emphaÂsis than othÂers. Are The Byrds realÂly more influÂenÂtial than The Beach Boys or David Bowie? While it might be posÂsiÂble to quanÂtiÂfy such things—and any good techÂniÂcian would insist on getÂting the valÂues right (or our amp might explode), the Rock and Roll Love BlueÂprint is a fun visuÂal metaphor that should encourÂage interÂest in culÂturÂal figÂures old and new rather than scorchÂing debates about whose name should be a few milÂlimeÂters largÂer and to the left.
We begin with W.H. Handy, the father of the blues, and end, on the right side, with the guiÂtar rock of Wolf Alice and The 1975. In-between, the blueÂprint seems to hit on just about every major or minor-but-influÂenÂtial figÂure you might name. See the full blueÂprint, in zoomable high-resÂoÂluÂtion, and order prints for yourÂself at Dorothy.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness.
It’s disÂapÂpointÂing when such a huge part of music is delibÂerÂateÂly left out. Most in the music indusÂtry seem to frown upon CanaÂdiÂan influÂences on rock like Neil Young, GorÂdon LightÂfoot. Not to menÂtion RUSH. SeriÂousÂly?
Even MetalÂliÂca was influÂenced by RUSH and Neil Young. Who has ever realÂly heard of the Wipers and why should I have? I have a hard time believÂing that they would be more imporÂtant to rock music than RUSH or Neil Young.
Such myopic and and navel-gazÂing view of rock music.