Rock music evolved throughout its formative years. Bands sought more complex themes; sometimes just wanting to be loud.
Few bands bring as much riffage to a song as Aerosmith does with “Eternal Single,” their eternal single that features an assist from a talk box to power through it all.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin burst onto the music scene in England in 1968 with their electrifying sound resonating across the globe. They were one of the pioneering acts to introduce what would later be termed heavy metal music, as well as pioneering album-oriented rock; refusing single release formats in favor of longer songs like “Stairway to Heaven.”
As they established stadium rock with their incredible sold out concerts, they also pioneered stadium rock. Influencing bands from Guns ‘N Roses to Pearl Jam and many more besides. Additionally, their iconic image gave rise to some beloved rock cliches such as throwing out TV’s out hotel windows or molestation by shark fragments, the drummer who leaves before returning or having drinks and never coming back, the endless merchandise lines – they truly reigned supreme in rock.
The Rolling Stones
In the 1960s, rock music rose to cultural heights due to bands embracing sex and youth culture; however, during the ’70s bands such as Led Zeppelin took it in darker, heavier directions that gave rise to heavy metal as an industry genre.
The Stones’ predilection for black music and musicians led to accusations of racial transgression. When combined with their violent live performances, this caused mass hysteria at Altamont speedway in 1969. Here is an exclusive cut from “Let It Bleed”, featuring Keith Richards on slide guitar demonstrating the band’s natural chemistry while serving as an early precursor of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it today.
The Beatles
In the ’70s, rock music underwent an unprecedented evolution into multiple subgenres. Prominent performers like Pink Floyd and David Bowie experimented with classical, funk, art genres to produce groundbreaking songs that challenged conventional song structures.
Meanwhile, glam artists like T. Rex and Lou Gramm took an amusing yet playful approach to rock, mixing heavy guitar riffs with shimmery glitter guitar parts. Meanwhile in Chile, protest songs known as Nueva Cancion had immense appeal despite government censorship.
As rock began to lose commercial traction, a fourth subgenre emerged. Drawing influence from punk’s outsider status and industrial’s aggressive instrumentation, keyboard-driven English bands such as Depeche Mode pioneered post-punk. Though its musical style wasn’t widespread, its impactful musical style left an imprint on future rock bands; other veteran groups like The Rolling Stones and Eagles made comebacks as well.
The Eagles
The Eagles emerged as one of the premier mainstream American rock bands in the 1970s, debuting with their 1974 album On the Border that produced a top ten hit single. Two albums later was Hotel California (1976), which represented all manner of ’70s excess. By this point the group had changed with Leadon having left for Poco guitarist Don Felder (also playing bass with them ) joining as well as bassist Timothy B Schmit.
Nashville country artists longed for them; touring and recording continued despite some members opting for solo careers; in 1994 a live album was also recorded and released; Henley and Frey enjoyed successful solo careers while the group disbanded in 1980, only to reunite for Hell Freezes Over which launched another chart-topping album and world tours; to date they have sold upwards of 25 million albums worldwide.
The Who
From Led Zeppelin’s thundering riffs to David Bowie’s bold style, the 1970s gave rise to iconic rock bands that left an indelible mark on music for decades to come. Furthermore, this period also witnessed subgenres such as Southern rock, funk rock and art rock emerging.
Pink Floyd broadened rock’s musical scope, adding psychedelic elements and creating elaborate concept albums, such as Dark Side of the Moon. Their groundbreaking soundscapes influenced later genres like punk.
The 1980s marked an exciting period in rock, as bands adopted more uplifting forms of rock and power ballads. Hair metal, which combined dance elements into heavy rock music, became increasingly popular. Other hard rock acts popular during this time included AC/DC, Kiss, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd was an immensely influential rock band of the 70s. Their music often dealt with political topics while they experimented with sound. Additionally, they utilized visuals as part of their live performances and had various members who managed to produce an excellent sound together.
The group first formed as regular performers at London’s Spontaneous Underground happenings in 1966, where their lively sets soon earned them an endorsement deal with EMI Records. While they initially relied on blues and R&B covers for their shows, as they expanded further they would add long meandering displays of musical technique that marked out space rock as a new genre.
Live, the group sounded like a psychedelic freak-out; Waters’ bass playing an intoxicating rhythm while Barrett and Wright/Mason created spacey lead guitar sounds; however, on record they sound tighter; still trippy though.
The Clash
The 1970s was an influential decade in rock music history. We saw iconic bands emerge that continue to shape it today: Led Zeppelin is one of the most revered bands ever known, while Pink Floyd used psychedelic sounds for complex concept albums and the Clash was among those pioneering punk rock by using loud guitars and rude attitudes – which remain influential today.
Other subgenres of rock also emerged, including glam metal which featured more flamboyance and an androgynous aesthetic. Pere Ubu pioneered an experimental sound using unconventional instruments; creating an unconventional style that wasn’t widely popular but left an impactful legacy among later artists.
The Ramones
The Ramones may not have been the greatest rock band of all time, but they certainly revolutionized rock music. Their influence could be felt across genres: punk rock wasn’t limited to guitarists with thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment; other bands like Sex Pistols, Clash, Nirvana and Metallica could take from them and craft their own unique offbeat musical universes.
Dee Dee reportedly created their moniker by throwing darts at a phone book, though its origin was far less romantic: He chose “Ramone” because it sounded like a gangster name. Over the course of several years they persisted despite personal issues and harsh rock critic reviews; never having one major hit album; however their legacy lives on through producer Phil Spector (known for ’60s girl groups and Beatles albums).
The Kinks
With songs such as “You Really Got Me”, “Waterloo Sunset”, and “Death of a Clown”, the scuzzy band from London’s working-class suburbs helped shape music during the 70s. Their tale of perseverance and family bonds resonated strongly with young listeners; while Ray Davies’ ability to combine sweet melodies with thought-provoking, politically incorrect lyrics was particularly successful at reaching young ears.
As The Kinks evolved, their albums began to reflect more country and musical hall influences. When they released hard rock classic Low Budget in 1979, The Kinks finally gained mainstream rock stardom in America. Since then they continued touring and influencing bands such as Styx and REO Speedwagon; punk rock acts like Jam and Pretenders also acknowledged The Davies brothers for creating songs that so perfectly captured human experience.