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The British Invasion
A cultural invasion rather than a literal one, the mid-late 1960s found a swarm of British bands coming across the pond and gaining popularity in the United States. These bands, including the Beatles and the Who, not only gained popularity among fans but among American musicians who took influence from their musical styles. The British Invasion would prove to influence several aspects of classic rock, most notably Progressive and Psychadelic Rock. -
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History of Classic Rock (Introduction)
Classic Rock is a genre of rock music that actually encompasses a wide range of music from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s. Several notable genres make up what is colloquially known as classic rock, as well as certain notable songs or bands from genres that aren't even typically included in this group. It seems to define a time rather than a certain sound, and is often associated with the Baby Boomer generation. This project will examine the evolution of the genre starting from it's conception. -
Cream Farewell Tour (Psychedelic Rock)
Though the band Cream only lasted two-years, its lifespan was as short and yet as lasting as that of its genre. Psychadelic Rock, popularized (alongside the drugs it was named for) in the mid-late 1960s, was written for and often by counter-cultural groups known as hippies. Artists like Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix often utilized distortion and other electronic effects to mimic the perceptive effects of hallucinogens, and would become influential to rock music for decades to come. -
Lynyrd Skynyrd (Southern Rock)
Lynyrd Skynyrd (formed in 1964, but given their name in 1969) is without a doubt the most notable band in the Southern Rock genre. This genre, including Skynyrd as well as acts like Molly Hatchet and the Allman Brothers, combined rock music of the 60's and 70's with blues and country influences. Reaching its peak in the early 1970s, Southern Rock fits right into both the catchy and innovative yet timeless style as well as the time period that defines Classic Rock. -
Woodstock
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, more commonly known simply as Woodstock, was a festival that gathered a crowd of at least 400,000 people. Many of the headlining acts are considered staples of classic rock today, though they were specifically known for hard rock or psychadelic rock at the time. These artists included The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Jimi Hendrix. Woodstock has reached an almost legendary status today not only among fans of classic rock, but fans of music as a whole. -
Led Zeppelin IV (Hard Rock)
Led Zeppelin neglected to title their first 4 albums, but each of them contributed to the genre that would become known as Hard Rock. As the name suggests, Hard Rock was characterized by being loud, and heavy, with aggressive vocals and lots of energy. Hard Rock remained popular from the 60s with acts like Led Zeppelin into the 80s with AC/DC and Guns 'n' Roses. With such a long lifespan and so many bands under its umbrella, perhaps Hard Rock is a microcosm of Classic Rock itself. -
Dark Side of the Moon (Progressive Rock)
Dark Side of the Moon is one of the most famous albums by Pink Floyd, and perhaps the most famous album in all of Progressive Rock. Called Prog Rock for short, this genre was defined by large, ambitious songs with experimentation on both content and performance, utilizing unique themes as well as instruments and time signatures. Prog Rock was most active during the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands like Yes and Jethro Tull, but other groups like Rush and Styx kept it alive even into the 80s. -
The Clash (Punk Rock)
Few Punk Rock bands found their way into the umbrella of Classic Rock quite like the Clash. Formed in 1976, the Clash had a slightly more radio-friendly sound than other Punk bands like the Sex Pistols and the Misfits; this made them in turn more widely popular, and has made many consider them to be Classic Rock. Punk Rock was defined by simple lyrics and instrumentation that focused more on speed and raw noise than showing off musical technique, as well as by its anti-authority ideals. -
Born in the USA (Heartland Rock)
One of many albums by Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA is an example of all the qualities of Heartland Rock. Known for being relatively simple and easy to sing along to, this genre was considered the music of the American everyman at the time of its release. Springsteen as well as other musicians like Tom Petty and Bob Seger wrote iconic songs about problems anyone at the time could have faced, and in doing so made a timeless contribution to music. -
Master of Puppets (Heavy Metal)
The third studio album by the biggest name in Heavy Metal, Metallica. Heavy Metal combined elements of several genres to create an aggressive and incredibly loud genre. Metal is, like many genres in classic rock, characterized not only by sound but by subject matter. Horror and shock themed music bred the idea that bands such as Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath were not only a bad influence for children but truly Satanic. Regardless, some metal acts found themselves grouped into classic rock. -
Def Leppard - Hysteria (Glam Rock)
As the name suggests, Glam Rock is a more glamour-focused genre of rock music. With pop influences and dazzling outfits, glamour even found its way into Heavy Metal by the 1980s. Glam Rock ranged from softer musicians like Lou Reed and David Bowie to louder ones like Def Leppard and Billy Idol; in either case it would find success throughout the 1970s and especially the 1980s. -
Image Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15899614 https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/lynyrd-skynyrd-crash-d345126c-fe0d-4fde-8f0d-a9ce89f8ea3a.jpg?crop=900:600&width=440 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3b/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon.png/220px-Dark_Side_of_the_Moon.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Cream_Farewell_Concert.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/BruceBorn1984.JPG -
Image Sources II
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Led_Zeppelin_-_Led_Zeppelin_IV.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/Metallica_-_Master_of_Puppets_cover.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/TheClashLondonCallingalbumcover.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/40/Def_Leppard_-_Hysteria_%28vinyl_version%29.jpg
