Rock & roll was revolutionary when it hit the airwaves, clubs, and stages in the mid-twentieth century, totally changing the way we think about popular music. Since then, a wide array of subgenres emerged, as artists bring that rebel spirit to continuously re-define what is means to be a “rocker.” Gerard Zappa Wooster explores below some of the evolving subgenres of rock & roll, from the 1960s through today.

Punk

Punk rock emerged as a rebellion against the rebellion, growing out of the garage rock scene of the 1960s and flying in the face of the then-popular peace-loving hippie culture – just as anti-establishment and anti-commercial, but with far more energy, fast-paced aggressive beats, and lots of noise! It became fully formed at the iconic NYC club CBGB in the 1970s and 1980s and became as much about attitude and fashion sense as it was about the music itself.

Notable punk trailblazers include The Stooges, Iggy Pop, and The Ramones, while more modern pop-punk rockers can be found in Green Day, Sum 41, and Blink-182.

Alternative Rock

Alternative rock, also called “alt rock” or simply “alternative” emerged in the 1970s underground club scene in cities like New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles, and really took off in the 1990s and 2000’s. This indie spirit rock distinguished itself from commercial mainstream rock & roll with unusual beats, guitar-driven tracks, and poppy melodies with a particular punk (and sometimes highly emotional) sensibility.

Notable alt rock bands include The Replacements, Liz Phair, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Pearl Jam; those that had exceptional commercial success include The Foo Fighters, Coldplay, and The White Stripes.

Metal

Heavy metal embraces the raw power of the genre and is defined by intense, often distorted guitar riffs, highly aggressive vocals, and unusual drum patterns. There is very little literal metal involved… the term refers to the industrial working class of Great Britain where it first emerged as a balm for an overworked, underpaid youth culture.

The very first – and most iconic – metal bands include Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin; other classics include Mötley Crüe and Metallica.

Glam

Like heavy metal, glam rock also has English roots – though the end product is vastly different. It grew out of the art rock and psychedelic scenes in the 1960s and 1970s, and, like punk, is almost as much about fashion, attitude, and lifestyle as it is about the actual music. Outlandish, gender-bending looks replete with makeup and wild hair accompany trippy, space-age, and theatrical vocals that feel as though they come from another dimension, but whose roots can also be seen in more traditional rockers like Little Richard and The Rolling Stones.

Pioneering glam rockers include Queen, David Bowie, and Alice Cooper; present-day examples include Harry Styles, Janelle Monae, and Måneskin.

Looking Forward

Rock & roll is always changing and evolving, defined by a revolutionary spirit that is eager to rebel – even against itself. As new artists take inspiration from earlier icons, they will continue to pave their own path and redefine the genre once again for the next generation.