Rock Vs Metal (With Table)

No matter what your situation, music is always there for you. It is a presence that is always there for you. You can be hurt, furious, or on cloud nine and you will always find music by your side. As you know, different moods require different kinds of music to complement one’s emotions. These types of music or songs are called genres. Genres refer to categories in music, each carrying different properties and characteristics unique to itself.

Rock, hip hop, pop, jazz, and musical theatre are a few examples of the genres that are commonly found in music. Each is strikingly different from the others and one can easily differentiate one genre from the other.

Rock and metal music are popular among listeners, but there are a few differences between these two categories. Rock and metal music are energizing and popular with listeners, but there are a few differences between these two categories. Rock and metal music is energy-packed and erratically a choice to listen to.

In this article

What Is Rock Music

Rock music is one of the most popular main genres that exist in the music industry. It is influenced by and has facilitated various other genres all over the world. Rock music, as a genre, originated in the 1950s in the United States of America. It is also known as “rock and roll”.Rock music has heavy inspiration from other main genres, such as blues, rhythm and blues, folk, country music, jazz, and classical. It is these influences that gave rise to a few sub-genre combinations like folk-rock, Blues-rock, Jazz-rock, etc. Other genres have also taken inspiration from Rock music.

The main characteristics of music are its sound and distortion. The sound is lighter compared to metal, while the distortion is lower when compared to other genres. Rhythm is one of the key components when it comes to music and songs. Rock music exercises syncopated stress, following the 4/4 signature. Rock music primarily uses keyboards as its primary instrument. This genre does not use a guitar power chord too. This genre has inspired and been influenced by many genres, creating a diverse set of other genres. These influences have definitely helped numerous movements and cultures, acting as their driving force. A few artists are famous in this genre, such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, and so on.

What Is Metal Music

Metal music is one such popular sub-genre that comes under the main genre of Rock music. It’s one of the most popular sub-genres and it’s been around for many years. Many people know it as such. The term “metal” doesn’t have a specific meaning in rock culture, so the band name didn’t really matter. Heavy metal is a rock genre that heavily relies on the blues genre and other psychedelic rock genres. It was first created in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and early 1970s. The lyrics are written in an ethereal style, which can be compared to the lyrics of heavy metal. The name Heavy metal is also known for being influenced by the Blues genre and other Psychedelic Rock genres.

Metal music is known for its two main characteristics: – sound and distortion. Metal has a higher and deeper sound when compared to Rock music. It also has a strong and higher distortion. Metal music is often played with keyboards as the primary instrument. It uses guitars and drums with extreme loudness. Metal uses a drum set with a double bass pedal. It also uses a guitar power chord.

Comparison Table Between Rock and Metal Music

Particular	Rock Music	Metal Music
Genre	Rock music is considered to be a popular main genre in music	The metal genre is popularly considered to be a subgenre of rock music.
Origin	The origin of Rock music can be traced back to the 1950s.	The origin of Metal music can be tracked down to around the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.
Sound	Rock music is light and lower sound than metal music.	Metal music has a higher and deeper sound than rock music
Distortion	Rock music has a lighter distortion in its sound.	Metal music has a strong distortion in its sound.
Rhythm	Rock music exercises unsyncopated stress.	Metal music exercises deliberate stress emphatically.

Main Differences Between Rock and Metal

Rock music is considered to be a popular main genre of the industry. But Metal music is a popular sub-genre of Rock music, among many others.
The origin of rock music is dated back to a 1950s United States of America (USA). However, the origin of metal music dates back to the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United Kingdom.
Rock music is light and lower in sound, while Metal music is high and with a more standing out sound.
Rock music has a lighter distortion in its sound. But Metal music has a strong and higher distortion.
Rock music exercises unsyncopated stress with 4/4 signature. But Metal music exercises deliberate emphatic stress.
Metal music is known as both metal and heavy, but rock music is simply known as ‘rock’ or ‘rock and roll’.
Rock music uses keyboards as their primary instruments, but Metal music using guitars and drum sets is more like an updated alternative to important keys.

Conclusion

Rock and Metal are similar but quite different. They include categories and other features. Rock and Metal also vary based on sound, distortion, instruments used, origin, and rhythm. However, both these kinds of music have made an impact on people and have become a driving force to bring about change.