A most gratifying compliment!
This was especially true in the 1960s, and the Beatles were the prime example of that.
I think it is, in terms of what the creators and performers of the music intended. Pop music is more strongly oriented towards widespread commercial appeal. In my opinion, rock like most other specific genres is geared towards a narrower target audience, and at its best breaks new grounds.
In the case of rock, another highly important feature is greater emphasis on the instrumentalists, rather than just a singer by him/herself on a glitzy stage set, with unseen musicians providing the instrumental backup.
Somebody needs to point out that all those ground-breaking Cream songs were composed after they’d been exposed to the music of Jimi Hendrix. Up until then, Cream existed as purveyors of repackaged blues music.
I’ve been giving it to Cream (for different reasons) in the course of this thread, but also want to be fair to them. And to be fair, your assertion above isn’t supported by the facts at all.
Eric Clapton saw Jimi Hendrix perform live for the first time on September 30, 1966. By that time, almost all of their debut album (Fresh Cream) as well as their second single, “I Feel Free,” had already been recorded, and their first single (Jack Bruce’s “Wrapping Paper”) had been released.
“Wrapping Paper” is in no way “blues music” — nor was the Jack Bruce-composed “I Feel Free,” released in December 1966 concurrent with Fresh Cream.
And out of the ten tracks on the original UK issue of Fresh Cream, only four were of traditional blues origin. Further, their arrangement of Skip James’ “I’m So Glad” is a million miles away from the original and does not follow a standard blues structure — nor does their arrangement of the traditional instrumental “Cat’s Squirrel”).
The remaining tracks were Cream originals, only one of which (“Sleepy Time Time”) follows a traditional blues structure.
So nearly all of these songs, including “I Feel Free,” were composed and recorded before anyone in Cream had ever seen Jimi Hendrix perform — much less heard any recordings by him. The first Hendrix single, “Hey Joe”/“Stone Free” was released in late October 1966, by which time all of the first run of Cream recordings were already in the can.
Doubtless Hendrix was a great influence on Cream and everyone else who saw/heard him. But Cream were already well on their way to being much more than simply “purveyors of repackaged blues music” before they ever encountered him.
You know what? You’re right. I’m wrong.
Not only did I have Hendrix getting to London months earlier than he actually did, I somehow merged Cream with Clapton’s Powerhouse.
Ignorance fought.
I wanna hear “Free Bird” one more time!
I would pay to have the ethusiasm I had at the time without the years 'til 2014
Well said
You saw them though… hypocrite:)
Me too
In my defense, I saw everything back then. I was a very indiscriminate consumer of live music. 
All I ask, Johnny, is play the playlist. Play a part of the playlist! Play one song off the playlist! Play a part of one of the songs off the playlist!