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Elvis began his contract with the "Louisiana Hayride" radio show
This was one of Elvis Presley's first national gigs. His contracts and live performances through the "Louisiana Hayride" gave him the outlet to become the King of Rock and Roll and an international superstar. -
The British invasion began.
The British Invasion was the event when many British rock and roll bands such as the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who came to America and popularized the genre more across the world. -
Woodstock Music Festival is held
Woodstock was a major music festival built around peace and love mainly due to the opposition to the Vietnam War. During this hippie era, Psychedelic rock was the main genre.
Famous artists included: Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. -
Birth of Hard Rock
During the 1970s, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal began to emerge with the likes of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC, who were also British bands that found fame in America -
The Expansion of Glam Metal
In the 1980s - Glam/Hair metal became very popular due to bands like Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Kiss, and Poison. The combination of 70s style and upcoming 80s heavy metal tones made it a very iconic time period. -
Thrash Metal and the Big Four
Metal continued to get heavier from the bands of the 70s, bringing Thrash Metal into the mix: a high-speed, aggressive style of music. The largely known and commonly named "Big Four" of Thrash metal are Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. Along with Hair Metal, Thrash dominated the 80s. -
The Birth of Grunge
The 90s rock music mostly consisted of grunge, which was a teen angst, rebellious style. Famous bands of this time included Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and Foo Fighters -
The Creation of Nu/Alternative Metal
The genre of Nu Metal started with the release of Korn's debut album. Alternative Metal bands include Deftones, Slipknot, and Disturbed. -
The Legacy of Kurt Cobain
Nirvana's final and most popular performance was held during MTV's Unplugged in New York on November 1, 1993. Kurt Cobain played a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" among other iconic songs. On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead by suicide in his greenhouse, he was 27. -
Woodstock '94
Woodstock was held again for the original's 25th anniversary. Headliners included Metallica, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Aerosmith along with over 30 other bands/artists. The festival was rather unsuccessful financially, due to high winds and not the greatest weather, the fence surrounding it was knocked down and many people got in for free. -
Woodstock '99: Hell on Earth
Woodstock's 30th anniversary of "peace, love, and music" was far from it. New York was in the midst of an intense heat wave, the lineup included Nu Metal and Heavy Metal. Throughout the festival, there was drug use, misogyny, sexual assault, nudity, vandalism, and fire. Fans destroyed stages and tents, and reporters either had to run for their lives or barricade themselves in facilities. By the end of the festival, there was trash and human waste everywhere. It was an absolute disaster. -
Pop-punk and Progressive
The 2000s era of rock encompassed a punky, gothic, and emo vibe within the most popular music of the decade, many 90s bands stayed mainstream throughout, such as Green Day and Blink-182. The biggest bands of this decade were Evanescence, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, and Paramore. -
The Decline of Rock
Rock music experienced a decline by the end of the 2000s, due to the rise of hip-hop and other genres. Post-hardcore was the last major rock genre until rock as a whole fell around 2007. -
Indie Rock/The Comeback
Indie and alternative rock made a comeback during the 2010s with bands like Imagine Dragons, Twenty-One Pilots, Arctic Monkeys, and The Strokes. -
Return of the Rock Star
After a struggling couple of decades in rock, the stereotypical, iconic image of rock stars began to appear again in the 2020s. Artists like Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and Harry Styles have brought back the image that appeals so well to the young generation. TikTok has also contributed to the return of pop-punk, with artists like Machine Gun Kelly and Paramore.